What is a Skilled Nursing Facility and Who Regulates Them? What is a Skilled Nursing Facility and Who Regulates Them? – Skilled Nursing Facility are suitable for residents that require 24 hour a day care and often are moderately or fully unable to care for themselves, either due to an acute condition (e.g., recovering from hip surgery) or a chronic…
What is Hospice and Should My Loved One Be Placed On Hospice? What is Hospice and Should My Loved One be placed on Hospice? – Hospice care is not considered a type of treatment for sick patients, but rather a plan of care for terminally ill or dying patients who are assessed as having six months or less to live.…
Sub-acute facilities are a relatively recent trend and are beginning to appear more and more. Why? It is simple: money. Recent reimbursement rates changes from Medicare make it such that a nursing home can get higher reimbursement rates for a resident that needs more specialized care (such as tracheotomy care, intravenous tube feeding and complex wound management). Sub-acute care as…
What is an ALF/RCFE and Is It The Right Fit For Your Loved Ones? What is an ALF/RCFE and Is It The Right Fit For Your Loved Ones? – Assisted living facilities are another form of RCFE (Residential Care Facility for the Elderly). Typically the primary difference between an assisted living facility and a board and care home is the…
Is Board and Care Home Good For Elders Board and care homes are one type of RCFE (Residential Care Facility for Elderly). They are licensed by the Department of Social Services and must meet all applicable state regulations. Board and care homes typically care for no more than 10 patients at any given time. Typically board and care facilities are…
Insurance Companies May Have Financial Reasons to Dump Patients on Hospice There is a recent trend developing in hospice care for those covered under the Medicare Advantage Plans. For those unfamiliar with Medicare Advantage plans, they are plans where Medicare-eligible persons receive coverage from private health insurance through Medicare. They generally have lower premiums than Medicare Supplement plans (also known…
Patients and Patient Representatives are Entitled to Medical Records A common question that we are asked is, “Can I have access to my elderly mother’s medical records?” The short answer is yes if you hold the Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA). Cal Health & Safety Code § 123110(b) states: Additionally, any patient or patient’s representative shall be entitled to copies…
How Can I get deceased Family Members Medical Records? Deceased Family Members Medical Records – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is made up of stringent regulations regarding the disclosure of patient medical records. It applies to all health care providers (i.e. doctor offices; hospitals, etc.) and is based on the general found that a patient must expressly…
Nursing Homes’ Misuse of Medications May Increase Risk of Dementia Another study concludes that benzodiazepine use is associated with an increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This recent study states that unwarranted, long term use of benzodiazepine drugs should be considered as a public health concern. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs mainly used to treat anxiety or insomnia. Unfortunately, nursing…
Nursing Homes Responsible For Dehydration – Dehydration in the elderly is a real problem in nursing homes. Dehydration occurs when the resident loses more water than they take in. Our bodies require a certain amount of fluid to function properly. There are many preventable causes of dehydration, including medications that act as diuretics, nursing home’s failure to monitor for dehydration,…