A state attorney general is holding nursing homes accountable in one state for higher levels of quality care with regards to their patients. Multiple nursing homes are violated standards of care. Patients and their families are suffering the consequences of abuse, neglect, injury, and even death. One patient was allowed to suffer bed sores and died after experiencing multiple incidents of neglect.

A nursing home is contesting its $25,000 fine although it violated standards of care in the treatment of a patient, particularly with a fall that occurred. The patient was allowed to fall in the shower and then put back into bed with a pain pill. 15 hours later the patient was sent to the hospital where 2 broken femurs were revealed. The patient later had bone fragments from her fracture and she was sent to the hospital for surgery.

The family of a patient became shocked and upset to learn that their loved one was experiencing physical and verbal abuse at her nursing home. The patient did not immediately reveal the abuse she was suffering, but eventually shared some incidents that sent the family to report the abuse. This led to the attorney general searching through patient records to review the patient's care. The story that ultimately sent the family to authorities was most upsetting.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid releases a list of nursing homes that are part of a Special Focus Facilities Initiative. The reality is that the facilities on the list are the lowest on the list in providing quality care to nursing home patients. Nursing homes in one area are ranked among the lowest. Medication and failure to treat pressure ulcers among 30 other violations helped one facility make the list.

One state's department of health is holding nursing homes to a higher accountability by increasing citations and fines. The fines have increased from 18 penalties including fines totaling $65,750 in 2014, to 108 penalties including fines totaling $774,750 so far in 2017. The state plans to continue cracking down on facilities to promote and enforce a higher level of safety. The state is receiving scrutiny from some healthcare entities.

Eleven employees face charges of abuse and neglect of the elderly at a veteran's home. The home was continually understaffed by as many as 22 people. Charges filed involve falsification of records regarding room checks. Video surveillance revealed that although staff had documented room checks of patients 100 percent of the time, the staff were only shown on camera completing room checks 43 percent of the time.