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Nursing Home Abuse
- Is the multistate nursing compact putting our Virginia elders at risk?
- Virginia nursing home supervisor refuses to take blame for abuse
- Beware sweet-talking financial abusers targeting elders in Virginia
- Eye Opening Facts about Virginia Elder Abuse & Neglect
- Questions for suspected cases of Virginia elder abuse / neglect
Firm News
Virginia Nursing Home Administrator embroiled in abuse complaints
Posted on 7/31/2010
More elder abuse scams target vulnerable Virginia citizens
Posted on 7/31/2010
This Memorial Day, Focus on Abuse of Veterans in Nursing Homes
Posted on 5/31/2010
Virginia Beach nursing home with violations will retain govn’t funding
Posted on 4/29/2010
Virginia Beach nursing home may lose Medicare and Medicaid funding
Posted on 3/31/2010
Jury awards senior $7.75 million in nursing home abuse lawsuit
Posted on 2/27/2010
Kickbacks lead to nursing home residents being prescribed drugs
Posted on 1/29/2010
Virginia Beach nurse implicated in nursing home identity theft
Posted on 1/29/2010
Cases of nursing home abuse and neglect may go up over the holiday season
Posted on 11/30/2009
Senators pushing back against DEA narcotics crackdown affecting nursing home residents
Posted on 10/31/2009
Firm Library
Nursing Home Abuse
- Suspect financial elder abuse? Your local Virginia bank teller could be an unexpected ally
- Nursing home abuse and neglect in Virginia – a bigger problem than anyone realizes
- Virginia Elder Abuse: It Can Happen Anywhere
- Fighting for the Rights of Nursing Home Residents: the Healthcare Bill Targets Elder Abuse
- Mandatory Reporting of Virginia Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
Limitations of the Medicare Nursing Home Rating System
Finding a nursing home for a loved one can be a stressful and difficult process. Many families aren’t sure where to turn to get information about the many homes available in Virginia. Families must consider a nursing home’s facilities, amenities, staff levels and qualifications, cleanliness, and so much more. Many families are also concerned about the potential for nursing home abuse and neglect, which makes the choice of a facility that much more difficult.
One more recent source of nursing home information is the Nursing Home Compare website hosted by Medicare. In an effort to be user-friendly, the website was designed to provide users with a simplified rating for each nursing home in the database. However, critics contend that the five-star rating system is oversimplified, and does not give users an accurate picture of each facility’s standing.
How Nursing Homes are Star Rated
The Nursing Home Compare website ranks each facility from one to five stars, with one being the lowest score and five being the highest. Each facility receives an overall star rating, which is broken down into three other starred categories: Health Inspections, Nursing Home Staffing, and Quality Measures:
· The health inspection rating is calculated using data from the last three standard health inspections (which occur about once a year) and all complaint inspections from the last three years.
· The nursing home staffing rating is calculated using the number of staff hours per resident per day. This information is also “case-mix adjusted”, which means that different levels of resident needs or mix of cases is taken into account. This information is self-reported by the facilities and confirmed during annual inspections.
· The quality measure rating is calculated from nineteen quality measures routinely collected on all residents at specified times. This information is also self-reported by each nursing home.
Criticism of the Rating System
One criticism of the star rating system is that one bad inspection can throw off the rating for an otherwise decent facility. Although the Medicare website is a good place to start, critics urge families to also visit facilities and do further research before making a decision on long-term care.
While critics have pointed out that facilities receiving a poor star rating may not be as bad as they appear on the website, it is also true that facilities enjoying a high rating may not be as high-quality as one might think based solely on the rating. Since the ratings are not an exact science and since some of the data is self-reported or gathered during a narrow time-frame, it is imperative that consumers do their homework before selecting a nursing home.
Norfolk Virginia Nursing Homes
When the Medicare database was reviewed in January 2009, there were nine nursing homes listed in Norfolk, VA:
1. Five Star Nursing Homes: Ruxton Health of Norfolk and Lake Taylor Hospital
2. Four Star Nursing Homes: Bon Secours Depaul TTC
3. Three Star Nursing Homes: Autumn Care of Norfolk, Sentara Nursing Center Norfolk
4. Two Star Nursing Homes: None
5. One Star Nursing Homes: Harbour Pointe M&R Center, Norfolk Health Care Center, Tandem Health Care of Norfolk
6. No Rating Available: Harbor’s Edge
In addition, one nursing home – Harbour Pointe M&R Center – was also designated as a “Special Focus Facility”. According to the website, a special focus facility is, “a nursing home with a recent history of persistent poor quality of care, as indicated by the findings of state or Federal inspection teams.”
Nursing home abuse is a serious matter. If you suspect that your loved one is being neglected or abused in their long-term care facility, please contact Weisberg & Zaleski.
Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
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Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
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