Improper, inadequate hydration or dehydration of residents living in nursing home facilities is one of the most common forms of nursing home negligence and abuse that occurs in the United States. Elderly individuals are more vulnerable to becoming dehydrated due to their advanced age. Sometimes the medications elder people take,…
Screenwriter and director Woody Allen once said, “There are worse things in life than death.” Becoming incapacitated and unable to make medical treatment decisions for yourself may be one of those things. The case of Terry Schiavo is a perfect example of the problems that can arise when one does…
The looming (or on-going) senior care “crisis” has many New York families worried. The population is aging, in need of more care, and there is no agreement on who will provide that care or pay for it. The demographic details are repeated so often that it is becoming cliche to…
News regarding New York nursing home care in recent months has centered on one development–the privatization of formerly public-owned facilities. In the past, most New York counties owned and managed their own facilities to provide long-term care for seniors in their community. However, due to a range of factors, those…
The changing face of New York nursing home care continued this weekend as another county officially got out of the elder care business. As reported by Syracuse News, the Van Duyn Home and Hospital was transferred by Onondaga County to the “Upstate Services Group” — a private company that owns…
The look and feel of elder care in the United States is changing. In the distant past, most care was provided by friends and family members at their own homes. Later, larger facilities (nursing homes) were built to provide more consistent care to all seniors, especially those without options for…
Debate and discussion around the ideal setting to care for older individuals has raged for decades. The trends are somewhat cyclical. In the distant past, virtually all aging took place at homes. “Traditional,” nuclear families were more common, and so seniors who could no longer live on their own almost…
The face of long-term care in New York continues to change. In the past, when seniors were in need of close, around-the-clock care their main option was to move into a skilled nursing home in their community, usually owned by the county itself. These public facilities long acted as the…
Late last month we shared information on New York’s performance in a national Nursing Home Report Card. A non-profit organization compiled the list using a mountain of government data related to staffing ratios, inspection results, and more. Sadly, New York did not come out of the examination looking that great.…
Many New Yorkers are known as “dual eligibles.” This refers to residents who qualify for both the New York Medicaid and Medicare programs. The majority are individuals who are over 65 years old with some sort of chronic medical issues. Residents seeking out long-term care, like a nursing home stay,…