National Long-Term Care News Bites: Senior Housing Pet-Banning Policy Results in Settlement

Here’s a collection of news bites pertaining to the senior housing and long-term care industries, gathered from around the nation. Many of the articles are state-specific, but could eventually have national implications or influence senior care trends. Click the links to access the full article. 

From The National Law Journal—Co-Op to Pay Settlement Over Pet-Banning Policy

“The owner of a senior housing development has agreed to pay $58,750 to the surviving husband of a woman who died soon after the landlord refused to make an exception to its no-pets policy to let her keep her dog, Mikey, which her doctors said she needed for her mental and physical health,” according to The National Law Journal. “Woodbury Gardens Redevelopment Co. Owners’ Corp., a 214-unit residential co-operative in Nassau County, N.Y., also agreed to notify U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch in Brooklyn, N.Y., every time it denies a request from a resident for an accommodation for the next three years. All of Woodbury Gardens’ employees will undergo training in compliance with the federal Fair Housing Act, which requires property managers to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities.” 

Advertisement

From Middletown Journal (Ohio)—Workplace Violence Prompts Rising Concern

“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is cracking down on employers that are not doing enough to protect their employees from workplace violence as a Fairfield nursing home recently learned, reports the Middletown Journal. “ResCare Inc., which has a residential care facility in Fairfield called Camelot Lake, was fined $8,700 last month by OSHA for exposing its employees to workplace violence. OSHA’s investigative report on the nursing facility found it wasn’t sufficiently protecting employees from potentially violent residents and situations that could lead to serious injury. ResCare Inc. contested the findings and is looking to resolve the matter with OSHA, said Felicia Hall, the ResCare executive director. The company declined to comment further.” Read more

From Diakon: Pocono Lutheran Village to Close in January

Advertisement

“Leaders of Diakon Senior Living Services yesterday announced that Diakon will discontinue operations at Pocono Lutheran Village effective Jan. 14, 2013. Diakon leadership members met with village residents and staff to discuss efforts to make the transition as painless as possible for everyone affected, says Diakon on its website. “To deal with declining census, Diakon had closed the third floor of the building in anticipation of launching a new catered living-style program called Senior LivingPlus. “While we were able to acquire an initial number of depositors, doing so took longer than anticipated,” Pile said, making the potential new service less viable. In total, Diakon experienced a $4.6 million loss at the village from 2007 through September of this year, a result that could no longer be sustained, particularly in the current economic period.” Read more

From WFMZ News (Pa.)—Golden Ridge Senior Care Community Closing

“The owner of Golden Ridge [Personal Care Home in Robesonia, Berks Co.] said the facility is closing due to taxes owed to the I.R.S,” reports WFMZ News. “The Department of Public Welfare will be at Golden Ridge on Tuesday to help identify places where residents can move. Also, the owner said the doors will remain open until all the residents have a decent place to live.” Read more

From Dayton Daily News (Ohio)—Nursing Home Work Among State’s Most Dangerous Jobs

“In Ohio, nursing home workers account for the largest number of serious workers’ compensation claims in the private sector, largely because employees must lift and move disabled, uncooperative and elderly patients, experts said. Nationwide, state-run nursing homes and residential care facilities have the second highest rate of occupational injuries and illnesses for similar reasons,” reports Dayton Daily News. “In Ohio, sprains and strains account for about 40 percent of injuries that result in workers’ compensation claims, according to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. About 30 percent of lost-time claims are caused by overexertion, while another 30 percent are caused by slips, trips and falls, the bureau said.” Read more

From The State—South Carolina Cuts Long-Term Nursing Home Coverage

“The state health plan will stop providing coverage for long-term nursing home care after June 2013. The change does not affect the 11,000 people who currently have the insurance. And anyone who signs up for the insurance before June would keep it. But after June 2013, the state health plan will stop providing long-term care insurance,” reports The State. “Prudential, the state’s provider for long-term care insurance, is not offering the coverage anymore. State officials said they could not find another insurance company that would provide the coverage.” Read more