According to McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living publication, the percentage of long-stay nursing home residents with restraints fell
from 10.7% 1999 to 6% in 2006. That is from the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality’s 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report.
The report provides both a
state-by-state and nationwide analysis of quality-of-care performance
in nursing homes, hospitals and other healthcare settings. It tracks 14
different measures of nursing home care, including short-stay/long-stay
differences, use of restraints and pressure ulcer (pressure sore, bed sore, decubitus ulcer) rates among others.
More than 3.1 million residents were admitted to nursing homes during
2006. Also, total nursing home care costs that year topped $124.9
billion, the report said. Meanwhile, while the use of restraints
dropped from 1999 to 2006, there were only minor improvements in
pressure ulcer prevention during that time, according to the report. For more, read the story.
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Robert W. Carter, Jr. is a Virginia attorney whose law
practice is dedicated to protecting the rights of the victims of
nursing home and assisted living neglect and abuse in Richmond,
Roanoke, Norfolk, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, and across
Virginia.
