The 10 Worst States for Nurse Staffing in Nursing Homes & Other Comparative Data
hfstaff January 5th, 2009
The federal government now has a revamped and simplified approach to its evaluations of nursing homes, in order to make the task of choosing the right one easier for families. Like the system the government uses for rating Medicare health and drug plans, the Nursing Home Compare site now gives nursing homes from 1 to 5 stars, overall and in each of three areas—performance in the latest three quarterly reports in 10 key quality measures, such as the percentage of residents with urinary tract infections; performance in the latest three annual health inspections; and adequacy of both overall staffing and staffing by registered nurses.
Click HERE to learn more about the 10 Worst lists
Facts You Should Know About Governance & Oversight of North Carolina Nursing Homes
hfstaff January 2nd, 2009
Nursing Homes are facilities that provide nursing or convalescent care for three or more persons unrelated to the licensee. A nursing home provides long term care of chronic conditions or short term convalescent or rehabilitative care of remedial ailments, for which medical and nursing care are indicated. Most of the residents are older adults who need long term care. Some residents are admitted for short stays of convalescent or rehabilitative care following hospitalization. All nursing homes must be licensed in accordance with North Carolina State law by the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation Licensure Section (919) 733-1610. There are over 300 nursing homes in North Carolina.
Click HERE to read more about Nursing Homes in North Carolina and to find a comprehensive list of all NC licensed Nursing Homes.
Continuing Crisis in Geriatric Care For America’s Aging Population
hfstaff December 30th, 2008
“Doctors see a pressing need for new approaches to keep aging patients as healthy as possible and living independently as long as possible. This new approach comes at a time of unprecedented decline in the number of geriatricians practicing in the USA.”
Click HERE to read the entire New York Times article.
HensonFuerst Nursing Home Client’s Plight Profiled by News Media
hfstaff December 29th, 2008
“In a front page story on Christmas Eve in the Raleigh News & Observer titled: Nursing-Home Records Closed Off; Bush Administration Changes are Sharply Criticized by Patient Advocates” attention was brought to recent changes in federal rules that prevent or severely hinder access to patient information.”
Click HERE to read the entire News & Observer article, including statements by HensonFuerst’s Anne Duvoisin
Fall Kills North Carolina Nursing Home Patient
Bad Nursing Homes Outweigh Good
hfstaff December 19th, 2008
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the ratings for individual homes online this morning. They included ratings for 32 nursing homes in Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston counties. The ratings were based on health inspections, staffing and various quality measures. The poor ratings reflected such factors as high staff turnover, patients with bedsores, use of restraints and unrelieved pain.
Click HERE to read this Raleigh News & Observer article.
North Carolina Nursing Homes Rated Low
hfstaff December 19th, 2008
More than one in four North Carolina nursing homes will be judged “much below average” under a federal consumer system. Please watch our blog for updates on this developing story.
Click HERE to read the complete Raleigh News & Observer front page news story, as well as the Federal Nursing Home Ratings Guide.
Napping During Hospital Shifts; A New York Times Editorial
hfstaff December 16th, 2008
“No patient wants to be cared for by a sleep-deprived resident who has put in a brutal 30-hour shift within an 80-hour workweek. There is just too much chance that that the sleep-deprived doctor’s foggy mind or clumsy coordination would cause dangerous medical errors.”
Click HERE to read the full New York Times editorial
New Rule Adversely Impacts Nursing Home Residents and Those That Advocate on Their Behalf
hfstaff December 16th, 2008
From Anne Duvoisin, Attorney/Partner, HensonFuerst Nursing Home
Practice: “45 CFR Part 2, “Testimony by Employees and the Production of Documents in Proceedings Where the United States Is Not a Party,” passed without comment by the Bush administration in its waning hours, will substantially and adversely impact nursing home residents and those that advocate on their behalf. It is hoped that a new administration will undo this regulation, which will prevent lawyers from taking the depositions of surveyors and make access to surveyors’ notes very difficult if not impossible to achieve. Often, the only way what happens to a resident is discovered, is through state investigation. Now, the results of those investigations will be much more difficult to obtain and may in many instances be unobtainable.”
Click HERE to read and review 45 CFR Part 2, “Testimony by Employees and the Production of Documents in Proceedings Where the United States Is Not a Party.”