A nursing home is launching a contract to certify the nearly 1,000 fire dampers in existence at the facility are operational. A recent survey identified that only 500 fire dampers were documented, while there were nearly double that amount in existence. The dampers are meant to close when a fire begins to wall off the flames and contain the fire.  The dampers will be investigated and tested by a contractor.

A nursing home chain owner has been fined $600,000 for delaying the release of patients from numerous facilities in order to continue receiving funding from Medicare and Medicaid. Nursing home administrators were participants in the scheme and now some face potential loss or suspension of their licenses. In addition to the delay of releasing short term patients, they were also received unnecessary treatment.  Patients were held either against their will, or by a lack of responsible party no…

A family has filed a lawsuit against a nursing home after the death of their loved one. When a patient was sent to the nursing home for rehabilitation, it was believed by his family he would return home. However, he never left the facility as he declined and later died.

Nursing homes are experiencing a shift in healthcare due to a rise in patients admitted with obesity. The obese patient population has risen from 14.7% to 25% from 2000 to 2010.Nursing home facilities are struggling to care for the obese patient population and their needs. Care for these patients involves specialized wheelchairs, lifts, showers and bed pans.

Some residents at assisted living facilities and nursing homes are being offered the opportunities to celebrate Christmas despite the absence of loved ones. Activities directors are working to provide holiday meals and activities for patients to enjoy. Carolers singing through the homes and visits to light displays are some of the items on the calendar.  Patients are also being adopted to ensure the delivery of Christmas gifts.

A snapchat video has created controversy for a nursing home with two former staff members, no longer at the facility. The two nursing home employees uploaded a video of a patient who was about to take a shower. They were taunting her, because she did not like to take showers.