In May 2011, we told you about an eye-opening statistic that said that nearly one in seven elderly nursing home residents are given power antipsychotic drugs, even though the medicines are dangerous and most of the recipients don’t benefit from these medications. Now, a new article in The Daily News reports that the number may […]
Antipsychotic Drugs Over-Prescribed in Elderly Read More »
Among people over age 65, just four types of medications are responsible for 2/3 of all emergency hospitalizations. That’s right: 4 drugs = 67% of hospitalizations due to accidental overdoses or because the medication had a more powerful effect than intended. Wow. According to an article in The New York Times, the drug classes are:
Four Most Dangerous Medications Read More »
The dim economic climate is having a disturbing trickle-down effect on families: Financial abuse of the elderly. A two-year Australian study found that 5% of elderly people had been victims of financial abuse, with women over age 65 at the greatest risk. The problem seems to begin when children or grandchildren run into their own
Financial Abuse of Elderly on the Rise Read More »
When an elderly loved one is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, it’s easy to overlook a medical problem as minor as cataracts. But according to new research reported in ScienceDaily, having improved vision through cataract surgery is linked to improvement in cognitive ability, mood, sleep patterns, and other behaviors in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease. A
Cataract Surgery Benefits More Than Eyes Read More »
Halloween is over, but for some nursing home residents, scary stories are a way a life. Here are some reports we’ve gathered from newspapers across the country, as well as Canada and Great Britain: Patient Didn’t Die “Peacefully” When 88-year-old Eldon Mooney died in his North Vancouver (Canada) nursing home bed, his daughter, Gail Nelson,
More Scary Stories About Nursing Home Care Read More »
In The New York Times, reporter Jane Gross wrote a fascinating opinion piece about Medicare. She calls it the “dirty little secret of health care in America”: That while we assume that Medicare provides universal health care coverage for the elderly, what Medicare actually covers isn’t what recipients want or actually need. With all the
Does Medicare Fail the Elderly? Read More »
Yesterday, we told you more nursing home horror stories. (To read that blog, click here: More Nursing Home Tragedies.) These tragic tales always serve to highlight the importance of caring for those who are the most vulnerable…and preventing abuse whenever possible. Nursing home abuse and neglect can take many different forms. If you have a
Red Flag Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse Read More »
We write this nursing home abuse blog to tell you how important it is to choose a quality facility in the event your loved one needs full-time care. Every few weeks, we gather news stories from across the country about abuse cases in nursing homes,to remind ourselves exactly how bad things can get. Please note:
More Nursing Home Tragedies Read More »
A fascinating article in the Montreal Gazette describes how people living in Health Central Park nursing home in Florida have had their brains, mobility, and social lives jump-started by a simple gadget: the iPad. The hope is that the iPad and other digital tablets could become a mainstream treatment device for people with Alzheimer’s disease
iPad a Benefit to Nursing Home Residents Read More »
Today, September 21, 2011, is World Alzheimer’s Day. Every year on September 21st, Alzheimer associations across the globe unite to recognize World Alzheimer’s Day, and this year is no exception. World Alzheimer’s Day is a day that unites opinion leaders, people with dementia, their carers and family, medical professionals, researchers and the media from all
World Alzheimer's Day Read More »