OCEANSIDE: Tri-City administrators say cuts haven't hurt care Jun 27, 2008
A half-dozen nursing aides ---- they are officially called "advanced care technicians" ---- demanded action from Tri-City's board of directors at its regular meeting Thursday, saying cuts to their hours result in hygiene problems, from bedsores to missed baths, for some bed-ridden patients ... In some cases, Ellerbe said, registered nurses now find themselves doing more menial tasks, such as washing or turning patients to prevent bedsores, that were reserved for aides in the past ... "We look at... (North County Times)
Doctors offer to treat dying Winnipeg man after colleagues refuse Jun 20, 2008
Golubchuk had developed bedsores, Kumar wrote, and doctors were having to trim infected flesh from his body to prevent infections from spreading. "To inflict this kind of assault on him without a reasonable hope of benefit is an abomination," Kumar's letter said. (CBC.ca)
Patients sign away right to sue nursing homes Jun 18, 2008
Members of the Kurth family, who will appear before Congress on Wednesday, say their father, a World War II veteran, died at age 84 from infections that occurred because excrement and urine were not cleansed from his bedsores for days at a time. David Kurth of Burlington, Wis. (MSNBC -- Health)
Doctor cites 'ethical turmoil' in decision not to treat terminally ... Jun 18, 2008
Several weeks ago, Dr. Anand Kumar said he refused to "torture" Golubchuk by hacking away at his flesh infected by bedsores. Dr. Bojan Paunovic and Easton have followed suit. (Canada.com)
Alabama makes progress in nursing home inspection backlog Jun 7, 2008
The report said many nursing home inspectors routinely overlook or minimize problems that pose a serious, immediate threat to patients, things such as malnutrition, severe bedsores or overuse of prescription medications. Nursing homes are supposed to be inspected once a year by state employees working under contract with the federal government, which sets stringent standards. (AL.com)
Rapid Wound Healing With Dressing Made Of Silica Gel Fibers Jun 4, 2008
In Germany alone, about three million mostly elderly patients suffer from poorly healing large-area wounds caused by complaints such as diabetes, burns or bedsores. The wounds can be treated with conventional collagen dressings or polylactic acid dressings, but the success rate is not as good as it should be. (Science Daily)
Students' Device Allows ICU Patients To Get Back On Their Feet Jun 2, 2008
Some clinicians believe that allowing ICU patients to get out of bed and walk could avert some of the muscle weakness, bedsores and depression that typically develop when these patients are kept heavily sedated and confined to bed. Because such patients usually must remain connected to an artificial breathing machine, heart monitors and intravenous lines with essential medications, a simple walk down the hall can require four staff members to accompany the patient. (Science Daily)
Management of Pressure Ulcers May 17, 2008
Pressure ulcers, also called pressure sores, bedsores, and decubitus ulcers, are a frequent problem for immobile patients, especially the elderly. They are a common issue in hospitals and nursing homes. (Suite101.com)
Florida Legislature: Budget drains oxygen from session May 4, 2008
when people go to visit Grandma and find more bedsores, when we start having more child abuse allegations because we dont have the money to do this, he said, its going to be. very grim. (Lake City Reporter, FL)
Newswatch, Police/Fire Apr 23, 2008
In March 2005, at a routine physical exam, Hironaka was found by his doctor to be weak and suffering from bedsores. He was immediately admitted to Wilcox Hospital, where doctors found Hironaka had also suffered a small heart attack and had sepsis. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Geophysicist an example for disabled in South Korea Apr 19, 2008
During lunch with colleagues recently, Lee amazed onlookers as he touched a headset microphone attached to his wheelchair with his right cheek to move the chair backward, and so prevent bedsores. On his way back to his office from the cafeteria, Lee used his right cheek again to shift the wheelchair into cruise control mode. (International Herald Tribune)
Does Jimmy Carter matter? Apr 17, 2008
I m getting bedsores laying on this creek bank while fishing. Have a good day everybody. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
RF Technologies Assists Healthcare Providers in Avoiding Preventable Injury Conditions to be Denied Reimbursement by Medicare Apr 10, 2008
Among the hospital-acquired conditions that Medicare will withhold reimbursement for are bedsores or pressure ulcers and injuries caused by falls and infections. According to Centers for Disease and Prevention, each year more than one-third of U.S. adults aged 65 and older fall and each fall costs an average of $19,440. (PR Newswire)
'I feel my life ended with his' Apr 7, 2008
A week later, he was moved to another hospital where he had more surgery and was treated for bedsores, pneumonia and antibiotic resistant infections, Clara said. On Jan. 19, on Clara's insistence, Ronald was airlifted to University of Chicago Hospital for evaluation, at ArcelorMittal's expense. (Northwest Indiana Times)
Anthem Blue Cross won't pay for hospital goofs Apr 4, 2008
Anthem Blue Cross' policy is similar to Medicare's, which refuses to pay for such mistakes as leaving foreign objects inside patients after surgery, transfusing the wrong blood and failing to prevent bedsores, falls and certain infections ... -- Pressure ulcers (bedsores). (San Francisco Chronicle)
WellPoint won't pay for hospital mistakes Apr 3, 2008
It also may withhold payment for expenses tied to eight other problems triggered by hospital care, including bedsores or infections from a catheter ... The federal insurer Medicare has said bedsores and other preventable injuries will affect the level of reimbursement it provides. (MSNBC -- Health)
1m boost for hospitals Mar 23, 2008
This is very important for immobile patients as this helps to reduce the risk of patients developing bedsores. The adjustable height of the beds makes it easier to transfer patients and reduces the risk of back injuries to staff. (Chorley Guardian)
Now, Aussie hope for Manjunath Mar 15, 2008
Following the meeting, Perry told TOI, "I thank God for the condition I'm in. He too will recover soon, but needs more care. I understand what he is going through. One has to ensure that he doesn't get any bedsores and he immediately needs a mattress, which helps in preventing bedsores.". Extending a helping hand, Perry told Manjunath, "I can help you in your rehabilitation. I can teach you how to speak comfortably." Before leaving the room, Perry said, "I wish to see you on a similar wheelchair... (India Times, India)
Tearful, can't cry for help Mar 8, 2008
He had developed bedsores and has to be looked after well. But with nobody by his side, he waits for help. (India Times, India)
Allegations of Neglect; Nursing Home to Blame? Mar 7, 2008
"Carol Panepinto believes her brother Dale Mays was neglected. She videotaped his room at the nursing home in 2006 because she was so unhappy with his care. Panepinto said, Yes, there was neglect. He had bedsores, but they didn't tell me and they got worseit isn't just for my brother, for the others there.Mays, 66, died after being hospitalized in October 2006. Blossom South owner Jerry Wood has a history of taking over troubled nursing homes. He owns nine in New York state. Wood said... (WOKR13 Rochester)
Medicare changes leading to new practices for tending wounds Mar 2, 2008
Overwhelmingly, the most common wound is bedsores. Hospitals already have protocols in place to make sure that immobile patients don't get bedsores, but Olson said closer attention can be paid to the problem ... Although patients certainly develop bedsores during extended hospital stays, they also sometimes arrive at the hospital well into the process of developing sores, which are caused when tissue dies because of a lack of movement. (Missoulian, MT)
No charges in Veteran Home investigation Feb 26, 2008
In some instances, bedsores weren't properly cared for, and residents at risk of falling weren't given appropriate help or supervision. In a follow-up inspection last month, the state health department found the veterans home to be in "substantial compliance" with federal standards for quality of care. (AZCentral -- News)
Fighting bedsores with a team approach Feb 21, 2008
To understand why some doctors and nurses take bedsores so seriously, it helps to call them by their clinical name: pressure ulcers ... New research is suggesting that the battle against bedsores requires a team approach, enlisting everyone from nurses and nursing assistants to laundry workers, nutritionists, maintenance workers and even in-house beauticians ... The number of superficial bedsores did not decrease to a statistically significant degree, for reasons that are unclear. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Frontier remains on state's 'worst nursing home' list Feb 14, 2008
Previous inspections showed concerns about inadequate prevention of bedsores, failing to meet residents' nutritional needs and neglecting to make sure residents receive help eating, drinking and grooming if they can't do so themselves. The new list breaks the nursing homes into categories such as newly added, facilities that have not improved and facilities that have shown improvement. (Longview Daily News, WA)
4 nursing homes in state get lowest rating Feb 13, 2008
They're looking to see whether residents get proper medicine, assistance with daily activities, and appropriate treatment for problems such as bedsores. Facilities that end up on the agency's special focus list are inspected twice as often as their counterparts. (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
Hartford Hospital On Probation Feb 9, 2008
The hospital was cited for inadequate measures to prevent bedsores and infections; shoddy documentation of drug orders; and one case in which a sponge was left inside a kidney transplant patient. "It is basics," Meehan said. (FOX61, CT)
Family of CA man awarded $319K in insulin overdose Feb 7, 2008
Call: (800) 877-3400. com/images01/99/l_6ed86115fe444efb4ca14280c29a3aa7. (Fresno Bee -- State)
* FEATURE: No holiday for many domestics Feb 4, 2008
Every night she has to turn the elderly person's body to prevent bedsores and do regular medical checks every 90 minutes, so she has hardly had a normal night's sleep in the past three years, not to mention the housework she must do in the daytime. However, she still believes she made the right decision to come to work in Taiwan, saying that "it's easier to earn money here.". (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Crash that killed pedestrian is probed Jan 22, 2008
MASSACHUSETTS Hospitals expand care data on Web Hospitals in the Bay State are disclosing today the rates of bedsores their patients have acquired during hospital stays, another in a series of statistics made public by the Massachusetts Hospital Association on its Patients First website ... The data on bedsores, also called pressure ulcers, were gathered during two days in March and September 2007 when nurses did full-body examinations of their patients. (Boston Globe)
Insurers stop paying for hospital errors Jan 16, 2008
Aetna, the country's third-largest insurer by number of members, is beginning to stipulate in hospital contracts up for renewal that it will no longer pay nor let patients be billed for 28 different "never events." Compiled by the National Quality Forum, a coalition of physicians, employers and policy makers, these mistakes include leaving an instrument in a patient after surgery, the death of a mother in a low-risk pregnancy, allowing a patient to develop bedsores or using contaminated devices... (AZCentral -- Business)
UPMC testing 'smart' hospital rooms Jan 16, 2008
Officials plan to add other features, including reminders to patients of when their next pain medication is due, or to health care workers about patients who need to be turned because they are at risk for bedsores. Mr. Sharbaugh said the smart room idea arose from an incident at another UPMC facility. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
• Haven Alarm Raised In '06 Dec 18, 2007
Ten Haven homes have been fined multiple times in the past three years for violations that include neglecting residents' fluid or food intake or bedsores. Termini has acknowledged that a few Haven homes have had significant patient-care problems in the past few years serious enough that he said he returned to Connecticut full time this summer from Nashville to address them, in part by hiring dozens of new workers. (FOX61, CT)
Ignarski loses nursing home license Dec 8, 2007
One of the most serious violations revolved around the August 2003 death of a female resident due to sepsis, a blood infection that s linked to bedsores. That death led to an investigation by the state that ended with Lakeside s owner, Extendicare Homes, paying the state a 2. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Newspaper: Records show uneven care, vague assisted living rules Dec 3, 2007
In 2006, the state received 718 complaints about assisted living facilities, alleging problems such as elderly with bedsores severe enough to require hospitalization, sexual abuse of residents and homes without enough staff or training. The state issued 2,569 health citations and imposed 996 penalties last year, but has failed to do biennial inspections in 11 percent of facilities, as its own policy requires. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Pressure is on 2 cited nursing homes Nov 30, 2007
Officials cited Milton Health Care in 2006 for ignoring the psychiatric needs of a depressed resident who subsequently slit her wrist, for failing to treat bedsores, and for inadequately managing residents' pain, among other problems. The facility also lacked adequate staff and a medical director. (Boston Globe)
One in 10 suffers 'hospital harm' Nov 29, 2007
Alongside more than 40 infections, there were 27 complications during or following operations, 19 drug complications, and 12 cases of bedsores. Between 30% and 55% of these could have been prevented by clinical staff or managers. (BBC News -- UK)
Illinois lawmakers hear about high-stakes nursing home buyout Nov 27, 2007
CHICAGO -- Lowanda Moore says her 73-year-old mother developed bedsores because the suburban nursing home where she lives has too few workers. When the staff doesnt have time, she changes her mothers diapers herself. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Hospitals will increase infection control efforts when patients demand it Nov 27, 2007
North Carolina isn t among the 20 states that require hospitals to publicly report at least some information on hospital-acquired conditions like methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus or bedsores. Earlier this year, in response to widespread concern about the rise of drug-resistant infections like MRSA, the legislature created a commission that is developing guidelines for collecting data on hospital infections. (Washington Daily News, NC)
Tea at 2 helped her deal with hardships Nov 25, 2007
Fitzgerald learned how to operate medical equipment and prevent bedsores. But the biggest obstacle was paying for her mother's care. (Florida Times-Union)
Travis Tritt laments label owner's woes Nov 21, 2007
The company has also been fined for allowing some patients to become dehydrated or develop bedsores and infections that led to amputations. In one instance, the newspaper reported, residents of Haven Healthcare's nursing home in Jewett City were left in the cold one night in December 2005 when the building ran out of heating oil because of unpaid bills. (Boston Globe)
• Haven Healthcare: State Takes Action, Legislators Weigh In Nov 21, 2007
The Courant's review of state and federal inspection records found that 10 of Haven's homes have cycled in and out of compliance in the last three years, sometimes facing only minimal fines for violations such as allowing residents to develop bedsores or become dehydrated ... "When you look at the numbers of violations [that some Haven homes amassed], why wasn't something done? ... "Over and over again, bedsores, dehydration these don't have to happen ... " He said he was not against spending... (FOX61, CT)
Rell says state may take over Haven homes; group owns facilities in EHartford, SWindsor Nov 21, 2007
Some violations were for allowing patients to become dehydrated, or develop bedsores and infections that led to amputations. "The people of Connecticut deserve to have confidence that the elderly and infirm will be treated with the dignity and compassion they deserve," Rell wrote to her commissioners. (Journal Inquirer, CT)
• State Soft On Nursing Levels Nov 19, 2007
But in most cases where Haven has been cited for bedsores or dehydration, state officials have not mandated any increase in staffing ... And other states do require troubled homes to increase their staffing levels when inspections find bedsores, dehydration or other signs of inadequate care ... In the past year, at least nine Haven homes have been cited by the state for failing to prevent and treat bedsores, while five have been cited for failing to monitor residents for dehydration, according... (FOX61, CT)
• No Haven For The Elderly Nov 18, 2007
In state Department of Public Health records, Tondalo's demise is starkly recorded: She suffered from bedsores and malnutrition while at the West Haven home in 2003, and was hospitalized in May for dehydration and a urinary tract infection ... But in the four years since, Haven Health-Soundview has been fined by state and federal health officials six more times for a litany of patient-care violations, including neglecting bedsores and ignoring patients' care plans ... Many of the health... (FOX61, CT)
Client with maggots spurs state probe of nursing home Nov 15, 2007
The elderly man was taken by ambulance to Florida Hospital DeLand on Nov. 7 at 3 a.m. for respiratory problems, but hospital staff discovered he had maggots in one of his eyes, an infected breathing tube, a partly inserted catheter and bedsores on his left elbow, a police report states ... Bedsores can occur when patients are nutritionally depressed and the staff is not turning patients often enough, Taraska said ... Two years ago, Taraska handled a case in which a patient died with 13 bedsores... (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Woman gets suspended sentence for neglect Nov 9, 2007
The emergency responders found the elder Faulk in a urine-soaked bed, suffering from gangrene, and with bedsores, some several inches in diameter, on his body, Purkey said. Medical experts determined that the wounds would have been visible to a caregiver for up to a month before his death, she said. (Suffolk News Herald, VA)
Jury finds nursing home liable in man's death Nov 5, 2007
Novogradac, who lived at both facilities between 2001 and 2003, developed bedsores on his body during his stay ... The jury ruled that the nursing homes failed to provide adequate staffing, didn't attend to Novogradac's bedsores or turn and reposition him to prevent the problem. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Transparency at our hospitals Oct 15, 2007
Well before federal Medicare officials announced their recent plan to no longer pay for certain preventable hospital errors, including falls and pressure ulcers (or bedsores), Bay State hospitals were collecting data in these very areas. This week, Massachusetts hospitals, using a consumer-friendly website, started reporting data on falls to the public and will unveil bedsore data later this year. (Boston Globe)
Health Care: Universal Care's Filthy Failure Oct 13, 2007
The face of the system's struggles could be the 87-year-old war veteran who died suffering the indignity of soiled sheets and bedsores. His daughter told the Times that her father asked, "What have I done to deserve a place like this?". (Investors Business Daily)
Former nurse charged with neglect in mans death Sep 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:20 PM CDT BURLINGTON A former Mount Carmel nurse is accused of neglecting a patient in 2005, ultimately causing his death by leaving bedsores to become infected. William Kurth, 84, died June 25, 2005, after he was transferred from Mount Carmel Medical and Rehabilitation Facility, 677 E. State St., to Memorial Hospital of Burlington, where the infected bedsores were discovered ... An autopsy showed he died of pneumonia, stemming from bacteria that entered his body... (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Salko Case Sheds Light On Disturbing Trend Sep 18, 2007
"Look for pressure sores or bedsores (red marks which can appear on the skin of bedridden patients if their position is not rotated once every two hours)," says Kimberly Barone. "A lot of times, family members don't want to do this, but it's extremely important. Additionally, unexplained bruising, elopement (referring in this case to residents being able to leave the facility unattended), and just a general fearful demeanor.". (Honesdale Wayne Independent, PA)
Murder charges filed in death on April 5 Sep 16, 2007
Record's clothing was extremely soiled by urine and feces, he was dehydrated and had large bedsores, bruises and areas of infection across his body, according to investigators. All the Records lived in the Longfellow Court home. (Waynesboro Record Herald, PA)
KCI helping hospitals reduce incidents of bedsores Sep 15, 2007
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has announced that the treatment of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, or bedsores, will no longer be reimbursed. KCI officials note that this policy change is being put in place because the development of pressure ulcers among patients is a condition that "could reasonably have been prevented.". (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
Murder Charge 41 Years After Shooting Sep 5, 2007
However, the officer's sister Rosalyn Harrison has said Barnes should serve time for murder, saying her brother had problems for decades after the shooting including pneumonia, bedsores and recurrent infections. Barclay was a rookie officer when he was shot on Nov. 27, 1966, while trying to stop the burglary of a beauty shop in the city's East Oak Lane section. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Crime)
Murder charge filed in officer's death Sep 4, 2007
She said her brother suffered for decades from problems related to the shooting, including pneumonia, bedsores and recurrent infections. Barclay never expressed bitterness about his fate and only mentioned his shooter once, she said. (USA Today -- News)
85 health-care errors reported Sep 1, 2007
The most common errors were 26 instances of serious bedsores that developed after a patient was admitted to a hospital and 23 instances of a foreign object, such as a sponge, being left inside a patient after surgery ... The state also plans a conference in October on how to best prevent bedsores. (Indianapolis Star)
Medicare raises bar for safety Aug 23, 2007
The program no longer will pay for second surgeries to retrieve instruments or sponges left in surgical patients, treatment of patients who receive the wrong type blood or injections of air into their blood vessels, bedsores, injuries caused by falls in hospitals, infections caused by catheters, or surgical site infections following heart surgery. Medicare also has said that the costs may not be passed on to patients or their insurers. (Scranton Times, PA)
Medicare against mistakes Aug 22, 2007
These include the number of times patients fall and the number of pressure ulcers, commonly called bedsores, caused by prolonged bed stays. Before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid make adjustments in their new rules, they need to be convinced that hospitals are doing their best to minimize the occurrence of these mistakes. (Boston Globe)
Medicare seeks accountability Aug 21, 2007
Medicare is to publish new rules this week stating that it will not cover a number of conditions ranging from hospital-acquired infections and injuries caused by falls to bedsores and leaving objects behind in surgical patients. And the health care providers will be banned from passing the costs along to the patient. (Carlisle Sentinel, PA)
Hospital Errors Won't Be Paid For Aug 20, 2007
bedsores that develop during hospitalization. injuries from a fall sustained in the hospital. (Suite101.com)
Health Highlights: Aug. 19, 2007 Aug 20, 2007
Included are conditions and infections such as bedsores (pressure ulcers), injuries caused by falls in circumstances where they could have been prevented, and infections resulting from use of catheters for long periods. Private insurers, too, are considering following Medicare's lead, which may cause hospital officials to place emphasis on reducing staph infections and medical errors and replacing health workers who are neglectful of patients' needs. (Forbes)
Medicare Says It Wont Cover Preventable Hospital Errors Aug 19, 2007
Among the conditions that will be affected are bedsores, or pressure ; injuries caused by falls; and infections resulting from the prolonged use of catheters in blood vessels or the bladder. In addition, Medicare says it will not pay for the treatment of serious preventable events like leaving a sponge or other object in a patient during surgery and providing a patient with incompatible blood or blood products. (New York Times)
Hospice House needs a hand Aug 5, 2007
"But we'll still need volunteers to provide extra services. Volunteers will perform duties like staffing the front desk, answering the phone, showing prospective families around and running errands for patients and nurses, Schaefer said. As well as four roomy patient rooms, each with a private bathroom, the new house offers a living room, kitchen, chapel or meditation room, and laundry room, as well as specialized medical rooms and storage areas. While the patients' food and laundry services... (Buffalo Reflex, MO)
Trauma complication rates high among diabetics Jul 18, 2007
The risk for infectious complications -- including urinary tract infection, wound infection, or bedsores -- was roughly twice as likely among diabetics as among patients without diabetes. Significantly increased rates of lung, heart, and kidney complications were noted as well. (Scientific American)
Did Ronnie get a death sentence? Jul 15, 2007
Yet the family wonders why it is that Ronnie walked into the jail in early February but came out on a stretcher in early May, covered with festering bedsores and a frozen expression on his face. He could not communicate with them; his smile never returned. (Daytona Beach News Journal)
