abuse

Among the more shocking statistics about domestic violence is that African American women die at the hands of a spouse or family member much more often than men or women of other races. Domestic violence happens year round, so let’s remain aware of the signs.

As nursing homes have moved away from using physical restraints, there is evidence that some institutions are substituting antipsychotic medications to sedate residents with behavior problems.

The rate of overdose deaths from powerful painkillers has nearly quadrupled since 1999, but new government figures show that since 2006, the rate of increase has finally slowed — except among older adults.

Every now and then, a jury reaches deep into a defendant's pockets to punish it for its reprehensible conduct and to deter others from engaging in similar acts.

Say there's an older adult - let's call her Judy - who has difficulty caring for herself. Judy's son, Charles, is her primary caretaker, but he abuses her, pinching her and refusing to give her dinner if she doesn't stay quiet during his favorite TV show.  Judy's doctor notices that she has bruises on her arms and is rapidly losing weight; she reports Charles to family services, and Charles is eventually convicted of felony abuse.

New legislation proposed with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill aims to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid.