Group Homes Plagued By Patterns Of Abuse & Lack Of Employee Accountability
The New York Times ran a troubling article "At State-Run Homes, Abuse and Impunity" recently chronicling the abusive care-- and lack of accountability-- encountered by residents in the more than 2,000 group homes scattered throughout New York. Of the more than 13,000 cases of alleged abuse reported in 2009, less than 5% of the cases were transferred to law enforcement for follow-up. Just a handful of the cases reported to law enforcement resulted in criminal prosecutions or employee discipline. Rather, a strong group home employee union consistently opposed any abuse charges brought against employees-- even when the evidence presented against...
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Hospitals Fined For Preventable Medical Complications Such As Bed Sores
Disgusted by the high rates of unnecessary medical complications patients were experiencing during admissions to many hospitals, Maryland has implemented a new system to penalize these poorly performing facilities. Under the new plan to improve the quality of care, Maryland Hospitals with medical complication rates higher than the state's average would be penalized by having lower rates of reimbursement provided by the state. Utilizing a list of 49 types of medical complications (including common problems such as: bed sores, falls, urinary tract infections and accidental nicks and cuttings during medical procedures), Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission would then look...
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Will The Resignation Of DePuy Executive Signify New Accountability At Troubled Artificial Hip Manufacturer?
Over the past several months, news headlines have not been kind to DePuy Orthopedics. The Johnson & Johnson subsidiary was forced to recall an entire line of hip-replacement products following reports of product defects which resulted in: Hip dislocation Inflammation of tissue Pain in the area surrounding the hip implant News reports confirm that David Floyd, the worldwide president of DePuy Orthopedics since 2007 will resign later this month to “pursue interests outside the company” according to a company spokesperson. In the fourth quarter of 2010, DePuy took a $280 million charge related to the recall of its products. The...
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims That Assisted Living Facility Failed To Care For Vulnerable Patient
The family of a resident at a Wisconsin assisted living facility has filed a lawsuit against the facility and it parent company, Assisted Living Concepts LTD, in relation to the events leading up to her death in 2010. In particular, the lawsuit claims that Marilyn Brown was admitted to Cedar Gardens in July, 2008 for assistance with her dementia and repeated urinary tract infections. Over the course of her stay at the assisted living facility, the staff gradually provided less and less assistance for Ms. Brown's daily living needs. In addition to lack of daily care, the lawsuit further claims...
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Child Injury Laws Blog Promises To Assist Families Seeking Information Regarding A Medical Malpractice Or Personal Injury Claim For Their Child
Growing up in Chicago, I was always rooting for the Blackhawks of yesteryear--- when they were--- well, certainly average at best. As school kid, I no doubt was drawn to the fights and hard-hits-- but looking back on things, I really think I was drawn to the fact that the Hawks were the under-dogs and they really had to fight hard to win their games. There's something not just exciting-- but a sense of fulfillment and-- what's just right--- when the little guy is able to overcome apparent deficits to take-on and take-down the big-guys. Times have changed. While...
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Family Of Attorney Who Fought For Justice Of Those Wrongfully Accused, Now Seeks Restitution From Nursing Home Where Father Was Abused
By all accounts, Attorney Don Brown was the kind of guy I sure would have liked to know. As a smart and tenacious lawyer, Mr. Brown stood up for the little guys to make sure justice was done. In the most well-publicized case he worked on, Mr. Brown exonerated Clarence Lee Brandley St., was was wrongfully charged, convicted and sentenced for murder. Even after he received well-deserved recognition in the Brandley matter, Mr. Brown continued to serve the less fortunate in the community by representing those whom he believed deserved zealous representation. Despite his legal accomplishments and community recognition, Mr....
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Morphine Intoxication Of Nursing Home Patient Results In Significant Jury Verdict
Following a three week trial, jurors in Michigan awarded the family of a deceased nursing home patient $4.85 million. The nursing home negligence lawsuit alleged Mercy Memorial Nursing Center was negligent in administering morphine, a commonly prescribed pain medication, to a man who was admitted to the facility for physical therapy following a non-displaced hip fracture. A coroner's report concluded that the man died from 'morphine intoxication'-- essentially an overdose of the medicine. According to the lawyer representing the nursing home patient's family, the facilities poor charting was probably to blame for the man's morphine overdose. "The document stuck out...
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Bed Sore Prevention May Require Nursing Homes To Obtain Pressure Relieving Devices For Their Patients
Today marks the 6th entry in the collaborative series I am doing with David Terry regarding the Six Common Causes of Bed Sore & What Caregivers Can Do To Improve Care. For this final entry David addresses the use of pressure relieving devices to combat the development of bed sores. As a lawyer who sees a significant number of cases where nursing home or hospital patients have developed bed sores (also referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) during a short or long-term admission, I feel as though the most progress has been made with respect to...
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Did Assisted Living Facilities Neglect Result In Patient's Impacted Bowel & Death?
Well, according to a Tennessee jury, the answer to the above question is a resounding 'yes'! Evidence was presented to the jury regarding the circumstances that led up to the death of a resident at Celebration Way, a Tennessee assisted living facility in 2004 due to an intestinal obstruction and sepsis. Among the claims presented by the family of the deceased was that the facility was so understaffed that they could not provide adequate care for the woman. This claim was substantiated at the trial against the facility when it was demonstrated that despite orders for 60 doses of MiraLax,...
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Now That We Rate Nursing Homes, Is It Time To Rate Other Adult-Care Facilities?
Families looking for facilities to care for their loved ones in North Carolina may begin having an easier time selecting an adequate adult day care, assisted living facility (ALF) or residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE) after the state implements a new rating system. Similar to the well-publicized Medicare-rating system for nursing homes, North Carolina will rate assisted living centers and adult group homes on a four star system. Unlike a current three-star system currently in place, the four-star system is intended to more accurately categorize facilities according to the quality of the care they provide. Additionally, the newer...
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