Medicare recently launched a new Five-Star Quality Rating System for all nursing homes in the United States.  The Five-Star Quality Rating System was created to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily and identify areas about which more information might…

An 87-year-old nursing home patient was recently permitted by the facility to wander (elope) outside and fall four feet to her death from a loading dock.  The patient sustained massive massive head injuries as a result of the fall.  Shortly after the fall, the nursing…

A fire which started in the room of a sleeping 90-year-old assisted living patient was extinguished by sprinklers several days ago before it caused any injuries.  The fire started at 2:58 a.m. on the couch of the sleeping patient’s room.  Firefighters credited ceiling sprinklers for…

A 91-year-old patient of a nursing home was allowed to develop a pressure ulcer (bed sore, bedsore, pressure sore, decubitus ulcer) on her sacrum (low back).  The pressure ulcer deteriorated and she died three and one-half months later.  On admission…

A 100-year-old nursing home patient was dropped in her bathroom by a CNA, who was reportedly assisting her to toilet.  The nursing home’s care plan required two care providers to be present with the patient during transfers and toileting.  Only one care provider…

An elderly male patient was admitted to a local hospital in severe respiratory distress and was intubated.  When his condition began to stabilize several days later, he was transferred from the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) to an orthopedic floor.  The…