One third of nursing home patients harmed by caregivers

The finding by the Health and Human Services Inspector General emphasizes the extent of medication errors, preventable infections and other care issues in skilled nursing facilities. Also, California's Sutter Health system says it has developed a program to make end of life care both more caring and more economical.

ProPublica: One Third Of Skilled Nursing Patients Harmed In Treatment 
One in three patients in skilled nursing facilities suffered a medication error, infection or some other type of harm related to their treatment, according to a government report released today that underscores the widespread nature of the country's patient harm problem. Doctors who reviewed the patients' records determined that 59 percent of the errors and injuries were preventable (Allen, 3/3). 

The California Health Report: Taking AIM at End-of-Life Care: Kinder, Gentler, and More Cost-Effective
Imagine you are old and dying, told by doctors you have less than a year to live. As you face one health crisis after another, you crave to be held in the loving embrace of a warm healthcare system. Instead, you face a confusing maze of revolving physicians, recurring hospitalizations, and rising frustration. ... To combat this maddening and expensive problem, northern California's Sutter Health has developed an Advanced Illness Management program (AIM) to make the last 6-18 months of life more personal, caring, and economical (Perry, 3/3).