Pleasant Care Napa nursing home failed Bob Harrison.

In 2004 his wife, Marilyn, pulled the 77-year-old Alzheimer's sufferer out of the home and placed him an another local facility. "He was not getting the care that he needed," she said. "And I saw other patients that were being neglected."

Federal health officials later took over management of the facility and Pleasant Care officials shut down the home.

Over the next three days the Register will examine a range of nursing home issues, including: Findings from six years of safety reports on local nursing homes; delays in reports reaching the public; a rise in nursing home costs and a drop in homes that accept Medicaid; the high-pressure role of family members; a turnaround at Napa Nursing Center; rising complaints as investigative activity falls; who to contact for nursing home info, and more.