Author: Charles Adams

A shocking case of medication tampering and theft has rocked a Pella, Iowa nursing home, raising serious concerns about patient safety and the integrity of care. Jessica Lynn Emerson, 36, of Albia, is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly swapping residents’ Zofran, an anti-nausea medication, with Oxycodone, a powerful opioid painkiller. Emerson, a nurse at Hearthstone nursing facility, is also accused of intercepting Oxycodone deliveries intended for residents. “This is a deeply disturbing case that highlights the potential for drug diversion within healthcare facilities,” says Professor Sarah Johnson, a geriatric care specialist at the University of Iowa. “The alleged actions…

A devastating midair collision between an American Eagle regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter occurred Wednesday evening, plunging into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The crash has claimed the lives of dozens, prompting a large-scale recovery operation and mourning across the nation. American Eagle Flight No. 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, from B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training flight with three soldiers aboard, according to the Defense…

Sligo, PA. – Two long-standing senior care facilities in Sligo will permanently close their doors, displacing 86 residents and further highlighting the growing crisis facing elder care facilities across the state. Clarview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Country Springs Personal Care Home will cease operations within the next 60 days, according to an announcement from their Board of Directors. The closure affects 61 residents at Clarview and 25 at Country Springs. The adjacent care centers, which have served the C1000larion County area for over 45 years, cite mounting financial pressures as the primary reason for shutting down. A significant gap between…

A 66-year-old man residing in a Utah nursing home has been arrested in connection with the 1977 murder of a 16-year-old girl in Hawaii, marking a significant victory for cold case investigations and the power of DNA technology. [Salt Lake City, Utah] – Gideon Castro, a former classmate of the victim, was apprehended on Tuesday following a DNA match linked to evidence from the crime scene. The arrest brings a potential resolution to a case that has haunted the Honolulu community for nearly five decades. A Crime Unsolved for Decades In March 1977, Dawn Momohara, a sophomore at McKinley High…

The skilled nursing industry was rocked this week by the news that KBWB Operations, operating as Atrium Health and Senior Living, and its CEO, Matthew Breslin, pleaded guilty to charges of healthcare fraud and tax conspiracy. This case, stemming from a complex scheme that defrauded investors, staff, and vendors, serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for ethical and responsible conduct within the long-term care sector. According to the Department of Justice, Atrium, which once operated facilities across Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Jersey, prioritized payments to investors while neglecting essential operational needs. This included failing to pay vendors,…

In the early hours of Saturday morning, a water main break at the Montgomeryville Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, forced the facility to close indefinitely. Emergency crews were called to the scene to evacuate the building’s 142 residents. The NJ EMS Task Force, a non-profit organization that provides emergency medical services in New Jersey, responded to the request for assistance. Over 200 career and volunteer emergency medical professionals were deployed to the scene to help evacuate the patients and relocate them to other healthcare facilities. The evacuation process was completed successfully, with all 142 patients safely…

The Nathaniel Witherell skilled nursing facility in Greenwich, CT, has been a fixture in the community for over a century. But its future is now uncertain, as years of financial losses have forced town officials to consider selling or closing the facility. The Witherell, the last municipally-owned nursing home in Connecticut, has lost roughly $51 million over the past decade, according to town budget documents. This has led to calls for change from local leaders like Harry Fisher, chair of the Board of Estimate and Taxation. “I think it’s time for the Board of Estimate and Taxation and Nathaniel Witherell…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has delayed the implementation of its updated surveyor guidance to March 24, 2025. This move gives nursing homes additional time to prepare for the significant changes to how surveyors will assess compliance with key regulations. Originally slated to take effect in February, the new guidance, detailed in Appendix PP of the State Operations Manual, was pushed back due to its extensive nature. The revisions impact a wide range of areas, including staffing, antipsychotic medication use, discharge planning, and infection control. “My assumption about the delay is that they don’t have the surveyors…

The recent halt in external communications from federal health agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has sent ripples of concern throughout the nursing home industry. This pause, initiated as part of the presidential transition, has resulted in darkened websites, canceled public health meetings, and a chilling effect on critical data sharing. “This is all very scary and crippling for public health,” says Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, a seasoned infection preventionist and long-term care consultant. “As infection preventionists, we rely on the CDC and other local public health entities to provide us with this information in a timely manner.…

On his first day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump issued sweeping executive orders aimed at dismantling Biden-era policies, signaling a potentially significant shift for the healthcare sector. Among the most notable moves was a freeze on new federal regulations—a decision that has left skilled nursing providers hopeful for a reprieve from the Biden administration’s controversial nursing home staffing mandate. The freeze, which temporarily halts any proposed or recently finalized regulations, gives the Trump administration 60 days to review existing rules for compliance with its priorities. While this moratorium does not directly affect the nursing home staffing mandate,…