Legislation Requiring Round-the-Clock RN Coverage Introduced in Congress: A Step Towards Better Nursing Home Care

The Consumer Voice applauds the introduction of H.R. 5373, the Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky on July 31st. The bill would require all nursing homes receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement to have a registered nurse (RN) on duty twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week. Although most people believe RNs are already required round-the-clock, this is not the case. Under current federal law, nursing homes are only required to have a RN eight hours each day regardless of facility size – no matter how many residents they have or how sick they are.

Registered nurses play a critical role in the nursing home. RNs are the only nurses in a nursing home that can assess a resident’s condition. The absence of RN staffing for up to 16 hours each day means there is no one present capable of assessing and responding when residents’ medical conditions suddenly change or deteriorate. When not properly assessed, changes in condition can have serious and even fatal consequences. In addition, residents are entering nursing homes from hospitals “quicker and sicker,” and their overall care needs have increased over time.
 
According to Richard Gelula, Executive Director of the Consumer Voice, “H.R. 5373, the Put a Registered Nurse in the Nursing Home Act, is a simple and straight-forward solution that will help improve the quality of long-term care within our nation’s nursing homes. We have long known that the current federal requirement of eight hours of RN presence per day is woefully inadequate to meet residents’ care needs and applaud Congresswoman Schakowsky for her leadership on this crucial policy change.”

Advocacy for H.R. 5373 is part of the Consumer Voice’s Nursing Home Staffing Campaign. To learn more about the Campaign or to join, go to www.theconsumervoice.org/betterstaffing.

Source:  Email notification from The Consumer Voice

"Examining the Misuse of Antipsychotic Drugs"

Consumer Voice Leadership Council members Toby Edelman, Center for Medicare Advocacy, and Dean Lerner, Dean Lerner Consulting, have released a report entitled Examining the Misuse of Antipsychotic Drugs, which delves deeper into the pervasive problem of antipsychotic medications being wrongly prescribed to nursing home residents.

This report contains three parts, the first of which analyzes deficiencies given for the misuse of antipsychotic medications in nursing and skilled nursing facilities located in seven states during 2010 and 2011. The second part of the report focuses on the perspectives of state surveyors on the nursing home survey (inspection) process in general as well as their perspectives on the citing of the misuse of antipsychotic medications specifically. Lastly, the third and final part of the report puts forward recommendations to improve the citing of this issue, serving to better protect the health and safety of residents.

Source:
Toby Edelman and Dean Lerner Report on Antipsychotic Drug Deficiencies in Nursing Homes
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Consumer Factsheets on Financial Exploitation in Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes

Consumer Factsheets on Financial Exploitation (February 2014):

Developed in part through a grant from the Administration on Aging for the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), these fact sheets discuss the prevention, detection and reporting of financial exploitation in assisted living and nursing homes. There are separate fact sheets for residents of assisted living facilities and nursing homes and their family members. The consumer fact sheets provide an overview of residents’ rights and facility responsibilities related to resident finances, tips for protecting themselves and how to report incidents of financial abuse. The fact sheets for family and friends of residents also review residents’ rights and facility responsibilities, highlight warning signs and how to report incidents of financial exploitation.

Assisted Living Facilities:
How to Prevent, Detect, and Report Financial Exploitation in Assisted Living Facilities

Protecting Your Loved One

Nursing Homes:
How to Prevent, Detect, and Report Financial Exploitation in Nursing Homes

Protecting Your Loved One

Source:
The National Long-Term Ombudsman Resource Center

Linda Kincaid Reports: Consumer Voice conference discusses elder abuse in long-term care

The October 24-27, 2013 Consumer Voice conference in Washington, DC brought advocates and experts from across the county to discuss long-term care facilities. Prevention of elder abuse was a leading topic.

A panel discussed Engaging Family in Advocacy. This Examiner had the privilege of leading a discussion titled Toward a National Model for Advocacy.

The discussion emphasized the need for families of victims to collaborate with other families and with independent advocates. Case studies from California emphasized the frustrations of families attempting to advocate independently for an abused or neglected loved one. However, coalitions that focused multiple families and advocates toward a common goal were more effective.

Wildwood Canyon Villa in San Bernardino County was the first facility discussed. Citations from Department of Social Services (DSS) establish that Wildwood Canyon Villa unlawfully confined and isolated a resident for fifteen months. Police reports establish that Executive Director Lynnette Alvarado refused to allow family to visit. Alvarado stated that corporate instructions were to have visitors arrested for trespassing.

Court records show that family eventually obtained a restraining order against the unlawful and abusive isolation at Wildwood. That effort required sixteen court hearings over fifteen months. It cost family $70K to require Wildwood to follow the law and allow their loved one to have visitors.

Full Article and Source:
Consumer Voice conference discusses elder abuse in long-term care

Recommended Website: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care

The Consumer Voice is actively fighting to end the misuse of antipsychotic drugs as chemical restraints.

Our campaign seeks to address this problem through:

• Legislation
 •Regulation and Guidance
•Education

Residents of long-term care facilities are increasingly being placed on antipsychotic medications despite having no proper diagnosis to warrant their use. Twenty-six percent (26%) of all nursing home residents are given antipsychotic medications. Use is even higher (nearly 40%) among residents with dementia - the very individuals that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns are at serious risk of medical complications and death from taking antipsychotics. In addition, far too often the dangers of these medications are not even discussed with residents and their families and are administered without consent.

Source:
TheConsumerVoice.org