Negligence in Nursing Homes
An investigative series of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Articles Courtesy of the STL.TODAY.com
Day 1 -- Nursing homes are killing thousands
Nation's nursing homes are quietly killing thousands
Survivors of lost loved ones tell stories of broken trust
Day 2 -- Inadequate staffing results in patient neglect
Woefully inadequate staffing is at the root of patient neglect
Inadequate Medicaid payments squeeze homes' level of care
Operator has toiled to rescue troubled home in University City
Day 3 -- Neglect can continue even after death
Many nursing home patients are neglected even after death
Fraud units employ the element of surprise in protecting elderly
Army of advocates keeps up the pressure for reform
Day 4 -- Regulators are losing the fight against neglect
Ombudsmen often feel powerless in efforts to blow the whistle
Regulators are losing war against neglect, if they're fighting at all
Day 5 -- Legislative efforts try to make things better
Inadequate laws are blamed for lack of prosecution in 4 heat-related deaths
Nursing home industry wields clout in state capitals
Congress renews an old battle for nursing home reform
Day 6 -- An innovative program at St. Louis University
SLU physician has cure for ailing nursing homes
Innovative home lets people take control of their lives
Day 7 -- One family's decision
Planning and a grasp of options can ease the stress of uprooting a life
Day by day he lost a little bit of her