DON'T YOU HAVE A MOM? A dad? Are you sure you'll never be old?

Until a nurse I met demanded to know why I was going to a nursing home instead of rehab, I was scheduled to be sent to a nursing home or skilled  nursing home facility (place intended for short term stay) after spine surgery.

Then at the end of rehab, because of insurance technicalities, I was again told I would have to go to a nursing home until my daughter could pick me up. Luckily, they found a way to avoid that.

Yesterday medpage had a notice of a government report on serious, ongoing dangers, including medical error and death, to skilled nursing facility patients.  Apparently the medical care world has been wrapped up in hospital problems, ignoring other patient care facilities with the same dangers that are not adequately policed.  They are getting paid, just the same. 

What's in this report could have happened to me.  Let's not pretend it can't happen to you.  

Go to medpage March 4, scroll down to "medical treatment harmed." Click on "third of nursing home residents'' to see exec summary of the DHHS report.  Or perhaps better yet, click on the link to ProPublica article. 

How can we get existing standards enforced? Will you call or write your state about this? Before you need it?

Medical treatments harmed nearly a third of nursing home residents, to a government watchdog report. ProPublica has the story.

from medpage March 4)

PATIENT SAFETY

One Third of Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed in Treatment

by Marshall Allen
ProPublica, Yesterday, 9:47 a.m.

A study by Medicare’s inspector general of skilled nursing facilities says nearly 22,000 patients were injured and more than 1,500 died in a single month — a higher rate of medical errors than hospitals.