A nursing home patient's nose was fractured and required many sutures and staples to close head lacerations after she was hit repeatedly on the head by another resident with a wheelchair foot pedal. Staff found the woman in “a pool of blood all over” with another resident standing over her bed and continuing to strike her. There was blood “all over” the walls, sheets and the resident’s head.The home was fined because a registered nurse was seen leaving the room …

When an 89-year-old woman who was beginning to slip into dementia was admitted to a nursing home she could still walk, talk and enjoy Game of Thrones with her family. She had one small sore the size of a pencil eraser which was healing. Four months later she couldn't talk, was septic, and had 9 pressure ulcers on her body. The woman's grandson said he feels his grandmother's care slipped at the facility.

An 84-year-old nursing home patient died recently according to her son as “a direct result of the negligence and physical abuse at [the facility].”The woman was immobile and wheelchair-bound due to severe arthritis. During her stay at the nursing home she developed a urinary tract infection that fatally spread to her kidneys. Her son believes her death was caused by being left daily – sometimes allegedly for hours – in urine and feces by nursing home staff.“It's really …

The governor of Minnesota proposes investing millions on new measures to protect nursing home residents as well as oversight of their facilities.The proposals include permitting families to place a “nanny cam” camera in the patient's room to check on the care they are receiving. Other improvements are streamlined reports of abuse, increased licensing requirements for long-term care facilities and strengthened penalties for those who hurt seniors and vulnerable adults. For more, rea…

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) received a four-year, $1.6 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make a smartphone app to allow patients and their caregivers to track and assess chronic wounds. The hope is that costs will be lowered with fewer medical visits as well as serious complications detected early. For more, read the story.

A fall prevention class recently was held in the Lynchburg area.  “A Matter of Balance,” is a nationally recognized program to assist the elderly in becoming more active and prepared for a possible fall. It also addresses anxiety about falling.More than a dozen senior citizens gathered at New Vine Baptist Church for a session in the 8-week program. “I’m not to the point where I do a lot of falling, but it’s good preventive help, and it tells me what to do …