Nursing Home's Conduct In Wrongful Death Case Angers Jury---- To The Tune Of $200 Million
After hearing the evidence in a wrongful death lawsuit involving an elderly woman's fall at a Florida Nursing Home, a jury became so enraged by the conduct of the facility--- that they chose to punish them the only way they could-- by handing down a huge verdict against the facility. The trial centered around the care--- or perhaps lack thereof-- that a 92-year-old woman received at Pinellas Park Care and Rehabilitation Center during an admission to the facility in 2004. It was during that admission, that the staff at the facility allowed the woman to wander in her wheelchair to...
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Nursing Home Injury Laws: Florida
Number of nursing homes in Florida : 673 Patients living in Florida nursing homes: 71,373 Occupancy rates of Florida nursing homes: 87.8% Average number of deficiencies at each Florida nursing home: 10.7 Percent of Florida nursing homes with serious deficiencies for actual harm to patient: 8.2% Most common deficiencies at Florida nursing homes: Professional Standards, Food Sanitation, Comprehensive Care Plans Distribution of ownership of Florida nursing homes: 71 % for profit, 26% non profit, 2 % government Most populated cities in Florida: Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Tallahasse Staffing levels at Florida nursing homes (daily hours): Above average, 4.6...
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Failure To Keep Bed Elevated To Blame For Nursing Home Patient's Death From Aspiration Pneumonia
The failure to follow basic doctor's orders is to blame in a recently filed wrogful death lawsuit filed by the family of a patient in a Florida Nursing Home. William Foster's family claims that Miracle Hill at Miracle Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was negligent when they ignored orders to keep the head of Mr. Foster's bed elevated. The failure to elevate the bed resulted in Mr. Forster's feeding tube becoming backed up and filling his lungs with fluid. Ten days later, Mr. Foster died from aspiration pneumonia. Read more about this pending wrongful death lawsuit here. Aspiration...
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Florida Nursing Home Earns Spot Amongst Nations Worst
If you are a nursing home operator, I suspect you'd cringe when you hear about Medicare's list of Special Focus Facilities. Special Focus Facilities (SFF) are nursing homes identified by Medicare that have a pattern of problems related to poor patient care. Earning a spot on the SFF list really should be a major wake up call for the facilities to quickly improve patient care or risk losing funding from Medicare and Medicaid--- the primary source of all nursing home funding. Put another way: improve your care or go out of business. Oak Manor Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, a Florida...
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Proceeds: New Court Decision Says Medicare Not Entitled To Portion Of Recovery
A new court decision by the Eleventh Circuit in the matter of Bradley v. Sebelius, 2010 WL 3769132 (11th Cir. Sept. 29, 2010) helps clarify the murky area of the law as to who is exactly entitled to the proceeds from a wrongful death settlement proceeds in nursing home cases. In making its decision, the court ruled that the proceeds from a wrongful death settlement are the property of the decedent’s family exclusively and the proceeds are exempt from Medicare recovery. Bradley involves a wrongful death claim initiated by the family of Charles Burke who allegedly died due to the...
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Nursing Home Neglect: Failure To Change Bandages Results In Maggot Infestation In Patient's Eye Socket
If you're looking for another prime example of nursing home neglect, you need look no farther than to take a look at a news story in The Palm Beach Post regarding an elderly patient at Gainesville Health Care Center, a Florida nursing home. After losing an eye to cancer, the patient was admitted to Gainesville for medical care that included changing the dressings covering the eye socket. Despite physician orders to change the dressings twice daily, staff apparently failed to do so claiming that that patient wouldn't cooperate. During an examination at a Veterans Administration facility, following a stay at...
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Food At Florida Nursing Homes & Hospitals Not Subject To Inspections
"Frightened' is the best way to describe my reaction to a news story regarding Florida's decision to end food preparation inspections at nursing homes and hospitals in the state. In the past, nursing homes and hospitals were inspected on a quarterly basis with respect to safe food handling. Budget cuts are the reason cited by state authorities for the hault in food-safety inspections. Similar food inspections at day care centers will continue and will be taken over by the Florida Department of Children and Families. Read more about this food safety issue involving Florida nursing homes and hospitals here....
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Rather Than Improve Poorly Performing Nursing Homes, Why Not Just Re-Categorize Them?
Last fall, we discussed the problems state inspectors found at Emeritus at Crossing Pointe, a Florida nursing home, that posed an immediate threat to resident safety. During an inspection at the nursing home, inspectors discovered: An 82-year-old patient who died after staff failed to provide her heart medication for four days Inaccurate resident counts by facility managers Residents with infected bed sores (also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) Neglected patients- some Alzheimer's patients had toe nails so long that they curved around their toes Falsified medical records Staff administering the wrong medications to patients that resulted in injury The...
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Another Sexual Assault Of A Nursing Home Patient At The Hands Of A Convicted Felon
Sadly, the most recent episode of the sexual assault of nursing home patient at the hands of convicted felon-- who happens to be a fellow patient--- occurred last week in a Florida Nursing Home. 57-year-old Larry Donneal Evans, admitted to the sexual assault of a disabled female patient at the nursing home. The nursing home staff caught Mr. Evans in the act of assaulting the disabled woman and immediately reported the incident to police authorities. In addition to admitting to his inappropriate behavior, Mr. Evans stated that he did not stop his groping because the woman never said 'stop'. Prior...
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Disabled Nursing Home Patient 'Dumped' At A Homeless Shelter
Lots of chatter on Twitter over the weekend about Thai Hodges, a disabled woman who was taken to a homeless shelter by the good folks at ManorCare after her funds had apparently dried up. Hodges was admitted to ManorCare for rehabilitation and skilled nursing care after she suffered a stroke and became paralyzed. The good news about the story (if there really is any) is that Sylvia Negley, the shelter coordinator realized that Hodges was clearly in need of medical care and refused to take her in and sent her back to the nursing home for additional care. Negley says...
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