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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
Senators pushing back against DEA narcotics crackdown affecting nursing home residents
Posted on Oct 31, 2009
Elderly nursing home and hospice residents suffering from extreme pain are being denied painkillers because of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) crackdown on narcotics abuse.
Pain relievers like morphine and Percocet are controlled by the Controlled Substances Act, and tougher enforcement of this act has some pharmacists reluctant to allow long-term care residents access to these powerful drugs.
Drug abuse in nursing homes is an issue of concern to the DEA, and in order to prevent abuse of controlled substances the agency requires signatures from doctors and additional approval when specific pain medications are ordered for residents. This is in attempt to keep nursing home staff members from stealing or abusing the narcotics.
Two Senate Democrats are pushing to revise the DEA rules to allow nursing home and hospice residents easier access to pain relief. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., the pair asked for a legislative fix for this issue, which, they contend, is causing "adverse health outcomes and unnecessary rehospitalizations, not to mention needless suffering."
Virginia pharmacies that don’t follow the DEA’s strict rules face fines that can reach to the tens of thousands of dollars. This has made pharmacists reluctant to dispense these painkillers, especially after a federal crackdown in Virginia earlier this year.
There is not yet a DEA or Justice Department response to the Senators’ letter.
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