A group of elementary school students spent time this February making valentine cards for elderly nursing home patients. Representatives from a hospice group then delivered the cards to residents at two nursing homes on Valentine’s day.  The Valentines were made by second and fourth graders involved in community groups such as the National Elementary Honor Society. The activity was aimed at teaching the children the importance of community service and a desire to brighten Valentine’s Day fo…

A jury has awarded an eight-figure judgment against the former owner of a nursing home accused of committing Medicare fraud. Jurors found the former owner of the facility filed false Medicare and Medicaid claims for care that was either provided very poorly or not provided at all. In the verdict announced last Friday, jurors found that patients at the facility were not given prescribed medications and some sat or slept in their own waste.

Six employees at a nursing home are facing charges in connection with the reported abuse of an adult resident that was caught on camera. The victim of the abuse is male dementia patient at the facility. According to court records, the employees treated the patient roughly and hit the patient.

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology has released a new study regarding the need for more targeted interventions to prevent the spread of drug-resistant bugs in nursing homes  due to the rise of MRSA in community living facilities. Nursing home residents have increased risk factors for MRSA, including diabetes, long-term use of indwelling devices, and inability to perform activities of daily living. Researchers assessed MRSA prevalence in 22 of the 72 homes they inspected.

A 66-year-old man who slit a nurse’s throat with a knife last summer has been placed back in a nursing and rehabilitation facility. The man plead guilty to assault last November and was sentenced to five years in prison. However, much of the sentence was suspended and he was credited for the time that he has already served, which resulted in his release to skilled care this week.

The body of a missing elderly man with dementia was found in the woods after he wandered away from an assisted living facility this week. Staff at the facility noticed that the man was missing on Monday night. A police search was performed until 5:00 a.m.