Medication theft in nursing homes is potentially a really big problem

More than 100,000 doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers are abusing drugs—mostly, narcotics. The healthcare industry is aware of the serious implications of widespread “drug diversion.” (“Drug diversion” is a nice way to say “stealing medication from sick people”.) Any facility that handles drugs will have diversion going on… But the industry is focused on the assumption that this prescription abuse mostly occurs in overworked hospitals and by doctors and medical staff at these hospitals. The odds of medication theft in a nursing home So if tens of thousands of hospital workers have both the will and opportunity to steal patient medication, how many nursing home workers are doing committing this act? Consider these facts: The most widely abused prescription drugs

Ignoring the real problems with long-term elder care insurance

This morning, NPR ran a story on How to Shop for Long-Term Care Insurance. The crux of the story: look for a good monthly benefit, protection from inflation, and many years of coverage. This was troubling, as there was no question as to whether or not you should even buy long-term care insurance. It is just assumed that insurance is the solution to the crisis we are facing in elder care. By 2030, about 20% of the U.S. population will be over age 65. The average cost of elder care in a basic room in an assisted living facility is $3,022 per month. The monthly bill for full nursing home care averages $7,165. The fact is many of us won’t

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