Wheelchair Patient Falls To Death Down Un-secured Staircase In Nursing Home
Without a doubt, one of the most frustrating aspects of litigating cases involving nursing home injuries is that many of them derive from the failure of staff to implement the most common sense safeguards. Unlike situations where a facility may be negligent providing poor medical care for a patient (which is plenty disturbing), the emergence of cases involving reckless carelessness is something that I am beginning to see with more frequency as facilities look to stock their facilities with the least qualified staff--- at the lowest concentrations. I was again reminded that the real tragedy associated with this uptick in...
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More Improvements At Medicare's 'Nursing Home Compare' Website
We spend a lot of time talking about the problems with modern-day nursing homes, but I find the most important improvement in U.S. nursing homes is the development of Medicare's nursing home compare website. The site provides a one-stop-shop for families seeking information on a particular facility or when researching facilities within a particular area. Last week the site underwent some subtle-- yet important changes that I optimistically believe will help make families gather important care information and ultimately improve the care that's ultimately provided to patients. On April 23rd, CMS implemented the following Nursing Home Compare Changes: Easier...
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Improper Transfer Leads To Broken Arm
A lawsuit has been filed against the Edwardsville Nursing & Rehab Center in Illinois by the family of a nursing home resident who was dropped in the process of being transferred from her bed to a wheelchair. The incident resulted in the fracture of the resident's arm. The lawsuit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court alleges the nursing home failed to: Properly notify and consult with the resident's physician Notify family of her fall Hire sufficient staff to provide adequate care for the resident Timely notify Illinois Department of Public Health of the injury The real problem with...
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Wandering
"Wandering' refers to a cognitively impaired person moving about a nursing home or long-term care facility aimlessly and without appreciation for what he or she is doing. A nursing home resident's propensity to wander should be identified in an initial care plan. Residents who are most likely to be wanderers are those who suffer from dementia, Alzheimer's or who may be heavily medicated. Most frequently a nursing home resident who wanders, falls and gets injured. It is up to the nursing home staff to provide a safe and secure environment for all residents. In the case of a nursing...
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Elopement
'Elopement' is when a nursing home resident leaves the nursing home itself without staff knowledge and gets into harms way. Elopement in nursing homes is most common amongst residents who suffer from dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and who are on medications (psychotropic drugs) that cause confusion. In order to prevent situations where a resident may elope, it is important for the nursing home to conduct an assessment for every resident. Assessments should trigger the nursing home staff to take precautions. If a nursing home resident is determined to be a risk for wandering, the following precautions should be in place: Door...
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Burns In Nursing Homes
The National Fire Center, reports an annual average of 2 million fires in the United States. Those fires resulted in an annual average in excess of 27,000 civilian injuries, more than 4,000 deaths. Nursing home residents may sustain burns while at a nursing home facility. Common situations involving residents sustaining burns include: Baths- Staff failing to monitor the water temperature Smoking- Smoking especially around oxygen tanks can be disastrous Lighters- Senile patients playing with lighters Fires in the nursing home. Often nursing homes do not have proper alarms or fire-sprinklers Electric blankets- Staff failing to monitor patients who may...
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Definition: A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow to the head that results in a disruption of the normal brain functioning. TBI's may range from a brief change in cognitive functioning to an extended period of unconsciousness. (Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control) TBI's are some of the more common injuries sustained by nursing home residents. TBI's are most common in the elderly population. Facts: How common are TBI's: 1.4 million American have a TBI each year 52,000 deaths per year 235,000 hospitalizations 1.1 million emergency room treatments It is a surprise to most people that people...
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