A recent study found that elderly persons of a particular personality profile are more than twice as likely to receive long-term care in a nursing home. The research team was made up of researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Public Health Sciences and the University of Chicago. They looked at 1,000 persons who filled out a questionnaire, and classified these seniors under five personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness …

An advocacy group for elder care recommends close review of nursing home inspection reports when faced with the difficult decision of where to spend their twilight years or finding a place for a loved one, a decision that is called “crucial.” “Every consumer needs to arm themselves with a lot of information,” said the executive director the nonprofit advocacy group. “It’s a big decision to make, and oftentimes people are forced into making it quickly, with a loved one being discharged from a hos…

A nursing home’s former Director of Nursing has appeared in court on a second-degree drug sale charge for allegedly possessing pain medications and other controlled substances found in her nursing home office by state officials. According to the complaint, the nursing home informed the local police department of the theft of narcotics by the woman. Officials from the state Department of Health had conducted the semi-annual state survey, which includes a review of how the care facility is meeting…

A maintenance man employed at an assisted living facility was arrested on sexual assault charges recently. Police allege that the 45- year old employee would sneak into an 80-year old female victim’s room and sexually assault her in various ways that included lifting her shirt and biting her chest. Police state that they have photos of bite wounds.

National professional organizations of doctors and psychiatrists are decrying the overuse of antipsychotic medications for treating everything from dementia to insomnia. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) published a list of questionable uses for such medications as part of its “Choosing Wisely” campaign criticizing overuse of these drugs and other treatments. The APA found that doctors frequently misuse older antipsychotic medications which should be used for schizophrenia and bipolar d…

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM) released the results of a survey that offers critical advice to protect the growing number of seniors living in assisting living facilities. “Too often families don’t have the information they need to protect their loved ones residing in assisted living facilities,” said Jullie Gray, NAPGCM President. There are at least 735,000 residents in U.S. assisted living facilities.