NPR had a great article about how nursing home caregivers are spreading COVID-19. How and why? Because they have to work at multiple facilities to earn a living wage. Certified nurses aides are not paid well. Very often, just minimum wage. Therefore, many must work at more than one facility. They tend to be predominantly women

The United States has seen a surge. The highest ever number of new COVID-19 cases were this week. More than 500,000 in one week. Hospitalizations are also rising and have hit a two-month high and deaths are trending upwards. We are in for a tough winter. Hospitals in most regions of the country are seeing

Max Blau is a freelance journalist in Atlanta. NPR, VOX, Kaiser Health News and Georgia Health News feature his work. He wrote a great article for Georgia Public Broadcasting. It is an incredible story of corruption, greed, and ignorance. Ronnie Rollins Ronnie Rollins thought of a loophole to exploit a federal program. Rollins discovered the

Poor Design As a nursing home lawyer, I have seen dozens of cases involving avoidable infections that lead to fatal sepsis. Poor design. Inadequate training. Insufficient staff. Poor infection prevention and control has been a problem in the industry for decades. It has gotten worse in the last couple of years. The COVID-19 pandemic has

Medically Necessary “Quality of life is medically necessary.” Skilled Nursing News had a conversation with Melody Taylor Stark. They discussed how nursing homes can increase quality as well as quantity of life. Stark believes that any changes need to place the residents’ autonomy and dignity at their center. “Mental wellness is huge. That’s just a

Safety Recommendations The Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes laid out 27 recommendations for CMS. The 186-page report was released by the independent research firm MITRE Corporation. The recommendations list seven areas that need improvement to protect residents: Supply and affordability related to testing, screening, and personal protective equipment (PPE) Urgent need to