Dan Frith

A former nursing home employee in Rochester, New York, became the 12th person to admit neglecting an elderly patient with dementia. Certified nurse’s assistant (CNA) Marguerite Carrington, 49, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors of second-degree falsifying business records and willful violation of health laws in connection with neglect of a…

It doesn’t get any more disgusting than this! A Tennessee Health Department investigation has revealed that a 91-year-old patient at Lakebridge Health Care Center in Johnson City had maggots in her ear because of a hygiene problem at the facility. Records show the unnamed woman suffered from dementia and needed…

On August 20, the Wall Street Journal published letters to the editor addressing a previously published opinion piece by Ronald Trowbridge, an adjunct scholar with the Abigail Alliance, and Steven Walker, co-founder of the Alliance, about a decision earlier this month by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District…

A Pennsylvania nursing home resident who died days after a fall has been identified as a 64-year-old woman. Judith Bliger, of Blair County, fell out of a mechanical lift at Laurel Crest Nursing Home earlier this month. She was treated and released from the hospital immediately following the incident. She…

This was reported in the New York Times yesterday:“WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 — In a significant policy change, Bush administration officials say that Medicare will no longer pay the extra costs of treating preventable errors, injuries and infections that occur in hospitals, a move they say could save lives and millions…

USA Today reports that owners of the St. Rita nursing home in St. Bernard Parish, a New Orleans-area nursing home, ignored televised and government warnings of the growing strength of Hurricane Katrina and failed to evacuate 59 frail, elderly residents which resulted in the deaths of 35, a prosecutor told…

These are certainly the “Dog Days of Summer!” Temperatures in the 90s and 100s have been common throughout much of the nation the last few weeks. It is important to keep in mind the elderly during these particularly hot days as they are more susceptible than most people to dehydration…

This case report comes from Maryland. The patient, 27 years old, was taken to the hospital by his mother due to feeling ill. He was admitted to the hospital and the emergency room doctor called the patient’s internist to advise him of the admission and his patient’s condition. A doctor…

It seems you cannot go a month without reading or hearing about a widespread outbreak of the norovirus or other gastrointestinal disease in a nursing home. My opinion is that these preventable outbreaks are the result of unclean facilities and a staff/administration not adequately trained to quickly identify an ill…