Jordan Rau

Casey Shively sits in his family home in Cody, Wyoming, last month. In caring for his father with vascular dementia, "it got to the point where we couldn’t do this anymore,” he says. | JESSICA PLANCE/KFF HEALTH NEWS

‘Scared to death’: nurses and residents confront rampant violence in dementia care facilities

Violent altercations between residents in long-term care facilities are alarmingly common

Aug 15, 2024

Lori DiBiasio (right) found her mother, Mary, who had a hip fracture, sitting on the toilet unattended at her nursing home, hanging onto the grab bar. Mary’s granddaughter Keri Rossi-D’entremont (left) was her health care power of attorney. | JOSEPHINE SITTENFELD FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS

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.

Jul 16, 2024

Anne Palm visits with her parents, Donald and Florence Reiners, at the Waters of Excelsior, an assisted living facility outside Minneapolis. Donald Reiners has since had to move away from his wife to a less expensive facility. | TIM GRUBER/NEW YORK TIMES

Extra fees drive assisted living profits

About 850,000 older Americans reside in assisted living facilities, which have become one of the most lucrative branches of the long-term care industry

Nov 22, 2023

SHUTTERSTOCK

Nursing homes drained cash during pandemic while residents deteriorated

The facilities’ made payments to companies run or controlled by their owners, often paying them well above the cost of services.

Feb 1, 2023

patient lies in bed next to a female medical worker who is examining a reading on a medical device.

FERNANDO ZHIMINAICELA/PIXABAY

Medicare Fines For High Hospital Readmissions Drop, But Nearly 2,300 Facilities Are Still Penalized

The average payment reduction was 0.43%, the lowest since 2014.

Nov 8, 2022

people in surgical scrubs in hospital hallway

SHUTTERSTOCK

Medicare Fines Half of Hospitals for Readmitting Too Many Patients

The latest fines, based on readmissions between July 2016 and June 2019, will lower reimbursements for the hospitals.

Nov 4, 2020

NURSING HOMES HAVE HAD TO COBBLE TOGETHER PROTECTIVE GEAR./COURTESY OF PAMELA BLACK/KAISER HEALTH NEWS.

Federal Help Falters As Nursing Homes Run Short Of Protective Equipment

Jun 11, 2020

GUNDULA VOGEL/PIXABAY

Coronavirus Stress Test: Many 5-Star Nursing Homes Have Infection-Control Lapses

Mar 4, 2020

ALISHA COLYER APPLIED FOR ST. JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER’S CHARITY CARE AROUND 2007 WHEN HER HUSBAND WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR PNEUMONIA. BUT THE ISSUE WAS NEVER SETTLED AND YEARS LATER A COLLECTION OF MEDICAL BILLS HELPED PUSH THE COUPLE INTO BANKRUPTCY./DAN DELONG FOR KAISER HEALTH NEWS