Category: Nursing Homes

Watch: Tips on Finding a Good Nursing Home

KFF Health News’ Jordan Rau explains how to tell the good nursing homes from the bad ones.

Violent Dementia Patients Leave Nursing Home Staffers and Residents ‘Scared to Death’

Clashes between residents — verbal, physical, and sexual — can be spontaneous and too unpredictable to prevent. But the chance of an altercation increases when memory care homes admit and retain residents they can’t manage, according to a KFF Health News examination of inspection and court records and interviews with researchers.

Harris, Once Biden’s Voice on Abortion, Would Take an Outspoken Approach to Health

If she grabs the baton from President Joe Biden to become the new presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris would widely be expected to take an aggressive stance in support of abortion access — hitting former President Donald Trump on an issue that could undermine his chances of victory.

States Set Minimum Staffing Levels for Nursing Homes. Residents Suffer When Rules Are Ignored or Waived.

The Biden administration set stringent new federal staffing rules. But for years, nursing homes have failed to meet the toughest standards set by states.

How to Find a Good, Well-Staffed Nursing Home

Here are the telltale signs to look for in nursing homes to avoid, and resources that can point to better places.

Lack of Affordability Tops Older Americans’ List of Health Care Worries

Rising health care costs are fueling anxiety among older Americans covered by Medicare. They’re right to be concerned.

Nursing Homes Are Left in the Dark as More Utilities Cut Power to Prevent Wildfires

A nursing home in Colorado had 75 minutes to prepare for a power outage that lasted 28 hours. Such public safety power shut-offs are being used more often as a fire prevention tool, but not all health facilities are prepared.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Nursing Home Staffing Rules Prompt Pushback

The nursing home industry — as well as a healthy number of Congress members — are all pushing back on the Biden administration’s new rules on nursing home staffing. Industry officials say that there are not enough workers to meet the requirements and that the costs would be prohibitive. Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to force Republicans to explain their exact positions on assuring access to contraceptives and in vitro fertilization. Rachel Cohrs Zhang of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature about a free cruise that turned out to be anything but.

New Help for Dealing With Aggression in People With Dementia

A sedative shouldn’t be the first thing tried to help people with dementia who exhibit distressing behaviors. A new website is a comprehensive, free resource that offers guidance to caregivers.

Nursing Homes Wield Pandemic Immunity Laws To Duck Wrongful Death Suits

More than 172,000 nursing home residents died of covid. In lawsuits, some families who lost loved ones say they were misled about safety measures or told that covid wasn’t a danger in their facilities.