95-year-old Australian woman dies after police shoot her with stun gun; officer faces charges
May 24, 2023 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A 95-year-old Australian woman died Wednesday, a week after a police officer shot her with a stun gun in a nursing home as she moved toward him using a walker and carrying a steak knife, in a tragedy that has outraged many Australians.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Police shocked a 95-year-old woman with a stun gun as she approached them using a walker and carrying a steak knife in an Australian nursing home, sending her to the hospital in critical condition after her head hit the floor.
Court reinstates charges against leaders of veterans’ home
April 27, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts’ highest court overruled a lower court judge Thursday and reinstated criminal neglect charges against two top former officials at a veterans’ home. Nearly 80 veterans died at the Veterans’ Home in Holyoke after contracting the coronavirus in one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in a long-term care facility in the nation.
Indiana nurse in mask case avoids jail time with plea deal
April 18, 2023 GMTJEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A southern Indiana nurse facing a criminal charge for allegedly removing a nursing home resident’s oxygen mask hours before his death from COVID-19 will avoid jail time under a plea bargain.
Nevada is the state with the most superbug fungus infections
April 3, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal public health officials have identified southern Nevada as the place in the U.S. with the highest number of cases of a potentially lethal fungus that is resistant to common antibiotics, and can be a major risk for hospital and nursing home patients.
Woman reported missing 31 years ago found in Puerto Rico
March 3, 2023 GMTSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Pennsylvania woman who went missing more than 30 years ago in a case that stumped authorities who later declared her legally dead has been found living in a nursing home in Puerto Rico.
Ex-UK health chief defends record after COVID messages leak
March 1, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Britain’s former health minister on Wednesday denied wrongdoing after a newspaper published extracts of private messages he sent in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Daily Telegraph said the exchanges show that then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock ignored scientific advice to test everyone entering nursing homes for COVID-19.
Judge upholds acquittal in 9 hurricane nursing home deaths
February 27, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida judge rejected a prosecutor's impassioned plea Monday, saying he would not reconsider his acquittal of a nursing home administrator in the overheating deaths of nine patients after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility's air conditioning in 2017.
Nursing home chief acquitted in patients’ hurricane deaths
February 24, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge acquitted on Friday a Florida nursing home administrator accused of causing the overheating deaths of nine patients after Hurricane Irma in 2017, saying that his employees had provided care and prosecutors had not proven he should have known their lives were in danger.
Health care vaccine mandate remains as some push for an end
February 19, 2023 GMTLOWRY CITY, Mo. (AP) — At Truman Lake Manor in rural Missouri, every day begins the same way for every employee entering the nursing home's doors — with a swab up the nose, a swirl of testing solution and a brief wait to see whether a thin red line appears indicating a positive COVID-19 case.
Governor signs bill for Bowling Green veterans center
February 15, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed legislation Wednesday that allocates more than $16 million in a final round of funding to build a veterans nursing home in Bowling Green.
The bill signing at the statehouse culminated efforts spanning more than a decade to put a state veterans home in the fast-growing city in south-central Kentucky.
Nebraska considers medical conscientious objection bill
February 10, 2023 GMTLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska lawmakers are following the path of other conservative states in considering a bill that would allow medical providers, facilities and insurers to cite their religious, ethical or moral beliefs in denying some medical treatments.
Hurricane deaths at nursing home: accident or manslaughter?
February 6, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla (AP) — A Florida nursing home administrator charged with causing the overheating deaths of nine patients after Hurricane Irma in 2017 went on trial Monday, with a prosecutor calling him a “captain who abandoned ship” while his attorney said he's a “scapegoat” for failures of the electric company to restore power.
Funeral home finds woman breathing hours after declared dead
February 6, 2023 GMTMILLER PLACE, N.Y. (AP) — An 82-year-old woman was pronounced dead at a New York nursing home but found to be breathing three hours later at the funeral home where she had been taken, authorities said.
Feds to investigate nursing home abuse of antipsychotics
January 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government says it will begin a targeted crackdown on nursing homes’ abuse of antipsychotic drugs and misdiagnoses of schizophrenia in patients.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is launching investigations this month into select nursing homes, aimed at verifying whether patients have been properly diagnosed with the psychiatric disorder.
Police: Fire that killed 3 in German home could be arson
January 18, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Police on Wednesday said a fire that killed three people in a psychiatric nursing home in southern Germany late Tuesday could have been set intentionally by one of the home's residents.
Missouri governor proposes 8.7% pay raise for state workers
January 11, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is proposing an 8.7% pay raise for all state workers — plus a bonus for some in strenuous jobs — as a way to offset inflation and discourage employees from leaving for better paying jobs.
Germany’s governing coalition argues over COVID restrictions
December 27, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Germany's governing coalition is arguing over whether remaining COVID-19 restrictions should be dropped after one of the country's top virologists was quoted as saying that the pandemic is over.
Hospitalizations signal rising COVID-19 risk for US seniors
December 11, 2022 GMTCoronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.
5 deaths at NYC nursing home blamed on Legionnaires’ disease
November 14, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Five people died of Legionnaires' disease over the summer at a New York City nursing home that had been cited repeatedly for improper maintenance of the cooling towers where the Legionella bacteria can spread, The New York Times reported.
Failing US nursing homes to face tougher federal penalties
October 21, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The worst-of-the-worst nursing homes will face tougher penalties if conditions don't improve at their facilities, the Biden administration announced Friday.
Deadline to close nursing home extended by 1 year
October 13, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The deadline to close a nursing home administered by the city of San Francisco has again been extended after city and federal regulators reached an agreement that allows the embattled facility to continue caring for patients, officials announced.
Trucker strike raises concerns about disrupted food delivery
October 4, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — More than 300 truck drivers at New England's largest wholesale food distributor have gone on strike, raising concerns about disrupted food deliveries to schools, hospitals and nursing homes.
Nursing home complaints rise in Wisconsin, staffing is cited
September 26, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Complaints against Wisconsin nursing homes continue to pile up and could surpass a record number filed last year as the state struggles to find enough nurses and nursing home inspectors.
Boston’s challenge says census missed students, inmates
September 13, 2022 GMTThe city of Boston on Tuesday joined the ranks of other major cities challenging their 2020 census figures, claiming the once-a-decade U.S. head count which determines political power and federal funding missed university students, the foreign-born and inmates at correctional facilities.
Strikers settle contract at 13 Pennsylvania nursing homes
September 9, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Hundreds of striking nurses prepared to return to work as their union announced a tentative contract agreement Friday with 13 of 14 nursing homes across Pennsylvania.
After reaching agreement with Comprehensive Healthcare on Thursday, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania announced Friday that bargainers had come to terms with a second operator, Priority Healthcare.
Deal reached with strikers at 4 Pennsylvania nursing homes
September 8, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Workers at four Pennsylvania nursing homes reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday, nearly a week after going on strike over pay and staffing, the workers' union said.
Regulators try to stop unlawful nursing home debt collection
September 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Nursing homes and debt collectors are flouting a law that prohibits them from requiring friends and family of care home residents to shoulder the costs of the facilities, according to a federal report issued Thursday.
Workers at 14 Pennsylvania nursing homes go on strike
September 2, 2022 GMTHundreds of workers from 14 Pennsylvania nursing homes went on strike Friday after contract negotiations failed to produce a deal, frustrating state officials who recently approved an aid package meant to bolster staff recruitment and retention in the long-term care industry.
Kentucky offers cost-effective care program for older adults
August 19, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's administration has unveiled an initiative aimed at providing comprehensive, cost-effective care for people age 55 and older.
People voluntarily enrolling will receive a variety of medical and social services.
Deadline to close nursing home extended by 2 months
August 16, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The deadline to close a nursing home administered by the city of San Francisco has been extended by two months and patients will no longer be transferred or discharged as part of a federally-mandated closure plan, local, state and federal officials said Monday in a joint statement.
Widow of man who died at WI vet’s home sues state, others
August 15, 2022 GMTUNION GROVE, Wis. (AP) — The widow if a man who died at a Wisconsin veterans nursing home is suing the state as well as some of the facility's employees who she said failed to properly care for her husband.
San Francisco sues feds over forced nursing home closure
August 4, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco officials said Thursday they have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over its decision to cut funding to a nursing home run by the city and the tight deadline it set to move all patients out of the facility that state and federal officials deemed was providing “substandard care.”
Nursing home to stop discharging patients after deaths
July 29, 2022 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A nursing home run by the city of San Francisco will stop discharging patients as part of a federally-mandated closure plan after at least four patients died within days or weeks of being moved from Laguna Honda Hospital, officials said.
Wolf, nursing homes come to agreement to boost staff
July 11, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Nursing home trade associations in Pennsylvania said Monday they have agreed to boost staffing levels as part of a deal with Gov. Tom Wolf to increase aid to an industry struggling with high turnover.
Norway joins neighbors, offers extra booster shot to elderly
June 29, 2022 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway on Wednesday joined fellow Scandinavian countries in offering a second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine to some of its population, to be available from July 1 to people aged 75 and over, because of a rise in infections.
Denmark to offers fourth COVID-19 shot to some
June 22, 2022 GMTCOPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose will be offered to nursing home residents and people age 50 and over in Denmark later this year, the prime minister said Wednesday.
The reason for the move is a rise in cases of the BA.5 coronavirus variant in Europe, and Denmark's government says it wants to move swiftly to avoid potential restrictions or a lockdown.
Census Bureau invites appeals of counts of dorms, prisons
May 31, 2022 GMTGovernments across the U.S. can start challenging the counts of prisons, dorms and nursing homes in their jurisdictions starting next week if they believe they are incorrect, the U.S. Census Bureau said Tuesday in mailings sent out to communities.
Pandemic, staffing challenges cited in nursing home closure
May 26, 2022 GMTMOTT, N.D. (AP) — After more than 50 years of providing care to the elderly and others, operators of a nursing home in southwestern North Dakota will soon close their doors for good.
The Good Samaritan Society home in Mott plans to close in July, leaving families of its residents searching for new senior living options.
Nursing home owner loses US funding after Ida evacuations
May 24, 2022 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A nursing home owner in Louisiana who lost the state licenses for his seven facilities after moving hundreds of residents to a poorly equipped warehouse as Hurricane Ida approached has now been barred from federal health care programs.
Inflation triggers California minimum wage increase in 2023
May 13, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's minimum wage will jump to $15.50 per hour next year, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration announced Thursday, an increase triggered by soaring inflation that will benefit about 3 million workers.
Bill allows nursing homes to consider flu shots in hiring
May 3, 2022 GMTDOVER, Del. (AP) — The state Senate has unanimously passed a measure that allows nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Delaware to fire employees who do not get flu shots.
The legislation approved Tuesday eliminates language in the existing law that states that employment in such facilities will not be contingent on influenza immunization.
Vaccine mandate prompts officials to eye nursing home sale
April 16, 2022 GMTBEDFORD, Va. (AP) — Local officials are citing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers among reasons for selling a county-owned nursing home in southwestern Virginia.
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a special meeting to consider selling the nursing home.
Order to expire requiring masks in nursing homes, hospitals
April 15, 2022 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — People will no longer be required to wear face masks in Connecticut hospitals, outpatient health care settings and homeless shelters, once a state masking order expires early Friday.
DeSantis signs hospital visitation bill, other legislation
April 7, 2022 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a COVID-19-linked bill requiring health care centers to allow in-person visitations, as the Republican announced he approved dozens of other measures passed during this year's legislative session.
Nursing home care, funding system need overhaul, report says
April 6, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Nursing home residents are subjected to ineffective care and poor staffing, while facility finances are shrouded in secrecy and regulatory lapses go unenforced, according to a report Wednesday that called for wholesale changes in an industry whose failures have been spotlighted by the pandemic.
Kansas won’t enforce vaccine rule for nursing home workers
March 31, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's says Kansas won't enforce a federal mandate that nursing home workers get vaccinated against COVID-19, acknowledging Wednesday that it conflicts with an anti-mandate state law she signed four months ago.
State: Nursing home residents to be moved due to violations
March 15, 2022 GMTWALLINGFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut health officials have ordered the immediate transfer of all 94 residents of a Wallingford nursing home to other care centers after finding dangerous safety violations during an investigation spurred by two resident deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Report: Nursing home put residents in jeopardy during storm
March 15, 2022 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina nursing home put its residents in “immediate jeopardy” when it failed to enact an emergency plan, leaving just three people to take care of 98 residents during a January storm, according to a state report released Monday.
Nursing home for elderly Blacks in Cleveland to close
March 11, 2022 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — What is believed to be the nation's oldest nursing home for Black people in Cleveland has announced it is closing because of financial problems.
Eliza Bryant Village on the city’s east side was incorporated in 1896 to provide long-term care to Black residents living in the Cleveland area who were not welcome at white nursing homes.
SD nursing homes still struggling with staffing shortages
March 4, 2022 GMTSIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A new report from the American Health Care Association shows just how challenging the coronavirus pandemic has been for long-term care providers who have struggled with staffing and other issues.
New Mexico hospitals seek new financial support
March 4, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Hospital executives on Thursday urged New Mexico's governor to sign off on a health care spending proposal that would devote $171 million to shoring up labor costs at hospitals and nursing homes.
Missouri bill would allow hospital visitors during pandemics
March 3, 2022 GMTCOLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri hospitals and nursing homes would have to allow visitors, even during a pandemic, under a bill advanced Wednesday in the Republican-led state House.
Lawmakers gave the measure initial approval in a voice vote, meaning it needs another vote to move to the GOP-led Senate.
Biden to launch ambitious overhaul of nursing home quality
March 1, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union speech to launch a major overhaul of nursing home quality, including minimum staffing levels and steps to beef up inspections while continuing to keep COVID-19 at bay.
Czechs to lift all limits on gatherings as infections drop
February 23, 2022 GMTPRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government agreed Wednesday to further ease coronavirus restrictions as the wave of infections caused by the highly transmissible omicron variant has been receding.
Health Minister Vlastimil Valek said all limits on the number of people attending any public gatherings, including sports matches and concerts, will be lifted on March 1.
NY won’t enforce booster mandate for health care workers
February 18, 2022 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York will not enforce its mandate requiring health care workers to get COVID-19 boosters in light of concerns about staffing shortages, state health officials said Friday.
Incentives aim to curb nursing shortages at nursing homes
February 4, 2022 GMTBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Health Department is offering a cash incentive for people who obtain a temporary certification to work in a nursing home in the state.
The goal of the “emergency recruit program” is to help curb staffing shortages amid the coronavirus pandemic.
California moves to toughen state’s nursing home oversight
January 31, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday moved to strengthen the state's oversight of nursing homes, barring anyone from operating a skilled nursing facility without a license.
Democratic Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi said his bill would give the California Department of Public Health stronger authority to block unqualified and unethical owners by shutting down what he said is an increasing number of for-profit nursing home chains operating unlicensed nursing homes.
Pennsylvania adding long-term care beds to ease COVID crunch
January 31, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania is setting up four regional support sites with as many as 120 beds to help hospitals and nursing homes under strain from COVID-19, state officials said Monday.
The temporary sites will be located in existing skilled nursing facilities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as in Blair and Clarion counties, and will allow hospitals to more rapidly discharge patients in need of long-term care.