Dan Frith

This week’s news contains two bad reports on nursing home care in our neighboring state of North Carolina. First, the Charlotte Observer reported that the conditions at Carolina Medical Center – Union Smith Nursing Center in Monroe, NC constituted “immediate jeopardy to resident health and safety.” State officials conducted an…

The gallbladder is a small sac under the liver that stores and concentrates bile, a fluid that helps the body digest fats. After a meal, the gallbladder contracts and releases bile through the common bile duct into the small intestine. A common but major problem with the gallbladder occurs when…

Ever wonder why states don’t enact tougher laws to protect the infirm and elderly in nursing homes? Like minimum staffing ratios which require a sufficient number of nurses and aides to take care of the residents. One reason may be that politicians don’t want to pass laws that might “bite…

Danville Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Danville, Virginia serves the cities of Martinsville and Danville, along with most of Southside Virginia. This once proud and accomplished hospital has a total of 350 staffed beds and gross revenue in excess of $375 Million Dollars. A couple of years ago the hospital…

What is a thromboembolism? Just a fancy medical term for “blood clots” and they can be life threatening if they make their way to your lungs or brain. There are basically two types: DVT’s and PE’s. A DVT is a deep venous thrombosis and is a blood clot embedded in…

This statement should not surprise anyone but does serve as confirmation for what we all know. In a study involving over 15,000 cognitively impaired nursing home patients, researchers from the International Research Consortium on Wandering found that one in five were prone to aimless wandering through nursing home facilities, putting…

Doctors receive money in return for delivering lectures about drugs to other doctors. Some of the doctors receiving the most money sit on committees that prepare guidelines instructing doctors nationwide about when to use medicines. Dr. Allan Collins may be the most influential kidney specialist in the country.In 2004, the…

Each state regulates nursing homes differently. For example, some require minimum staffing ratios and some do not (unfortunately most do not, including my state of Virginia). How well does your state regulate nursing homes?Check all 50 states laws governing the operation and licensure of nursing homes.