Nursing Home Operator To Reimburse Government For Double Billing
In a settlement agreement with the U.S. Attorney, the operator of 18 nursing homes in Tennessee and Mississippi has agreed to reimburse the government $ 2 million related to allegations of fraudulent billing practices at its facilities. Further, according to the terms of the settlement, the nursing home will implement an internal fraud-monitoring program and will train its employees on compliance with Medicare rules. The Medicare fraud settlement was achieved after an operations manager confronted his employer, Vanguard Healthcare about its illegal billing practices at skilled nursing facilities that it owned. Soon after the charges were made, the company turned...
More
What Can Nursing Homes Do To Protect Patients From Violence Within Facilities
Nursing homes are supposed to be quaint places for the elderly to relax and recreate with each other. Right? Sure, I guess it depends upon the circumstances, but most people would be shocked to learn that episodes of violence do occur on a regular basis. Just recently, and 89-year-old man at a Tennessee nursing home died after he got into an altercation with a new roommate. According to news reports, the man who suffered from Alzheimer's became upset when a new roommate was brought into his room and a fight ensured. Shortly after the fight was broken up he became...
More
What good are nursing home fines when they're not enforced?
It seems like we hear about nursing homes getting fined for safety problems or patient injuries on a daily basis. After learning of the underlying reasons why the fine was imposed, many of us sit back and sigh thinking to ourselves "serves them right." At some point there is an assumption that the fine will serve as the inspiration for the nursing home to correct the underling problem and improve the safety conditions for other patients at the facility. Right? Ideally, fines would serve their intended purpose and get poorly performing nursing homes to change their ways. However, what many...
More
Tennessee Court Helps Establish Standard Of Care In Nursing Home Negligence Cases
An important court decision Tennessee Supreme Court decision helps clarify what is necessary for injured parties to prove their care in a nursing home negligence lawsuit. The case stems from the lawsuit initiated by Kimberly S. French, the daughter of Martha S. French. Ms. French brought a wrongful death case against the Stratford House nursing home alleging: Ordinary negligence Negligence per se based on violations of state and federal nursing home regulations Violations of the Tennessee Adult Protection Act In response to the lawsuit, the defendant nursing home filed a motion for partial summary judgment, dismissing the negligence per se...
More
Authorites Suspend Admission Of New Patients At Life Care Nursing Home After Authorities Discover Conditions That Threaten Patient Safety
On July 31, 2009, the Tennessee Department of Health suspended any new resident admissions to Life Care Center of Athens nursing home due to violations. Life Care Center of Athens is a large 128 bed nursing home facility located in Athens, TN. The Department Commissioner can suspend admissions to a nursing home if conditions are or are likely to be detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of the resident. The Tennessee Department of Health’s decision was based on conditions that investigators discovered during a complaint investigation conducted and annual survey conducted from June 14 to July 21. ...
More
Social Worker Indicted After Financially Exploiting Tennessee Nursing Home Resident
A grand jury indicted, Douglas Harris, following allegations relating to the financial exploitation of a mentally disabled resident at the nursing home where he was a social worker. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Harris was director of social work at Brookhaven Manor. During a period between November, 2007 and March, 2008 Harris unlawfully persuaded the resident to give him: a $20,000 check, cash, and a luxury van. A statement from a TBI spokesman reads, "Harris was employed as the director of social work at Brookhaven nursing home located in Kingsport Tennessee when he obtained property and cash...
More
Grandson Alleges Poor Nursing Care Results In Bed Sores "You Could Stick Your Fist" In
Harriman Care and Rehabilitation Center is under investigation after the grandson of a resident claims the facility provided such extraordinarily poor care that his grandfather developed advanced bed sores so big, 'you could stick your fist in'. The grandson, William Brummitt claims the care Harriman provided to residents was so poor that it resulted in harm to both his grandfather, William Williams and his grandfather's roommate, Larry Waldo. Brummitt claims the facility mistreated Waldo so severely that he 'had laid in bed for seven days without a sheet being changed.' 'Flies were swarming around his left leg stump, where the...
More
"Life Care Center" Permitted To Accept New Patients After State Finds Poor Living Conditions
After a week where the facility was banned from accepting new residents, Life Care Center of Red Bank is now permitted to accept new patient admissions. One June 17th, the Tennessee Department of Heath Commissioner suspended new patient admissions to this Tennessee nursing home because of conditions encountered during a survey (inspection). During the survey inspectors found heath and safety violations concerning: Nursing home administration Performance improvement Physician services Nursing services Medical records Pharmaceutical services In addition to suspending admission of new patients, Life Care was issued a one-time civil penalty by the state and $6,150 per day until...
More
Lockdown: New Admissions Suspended At Tennessee Nursing Home
Tennessee Department of Heath officials have suspended new resident admissions at the Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center. The suspension of new admissions follows the identification of problems related to the facilities administration, performance and resident rights observed during an inspection of the nursing home between April 20 and May 11. In addition to the suspension on new admissions, Tennessee officials imposed a $3,000 fine and recommended a daily fine of $4,550 until the conditions are corrected. A monitor has been assigned to the facility to keep track of the nursing home's progress. In addition, a copy of the order...
More
Medical Examiner Rules Tennessee Nursing Home Death A Homicide
Labels frequently get tossed around when describing nursing home lawsuits. Admittedly, some of these descriptors such as 'abuse' or 'neglect' get overused by people who may have a 'vested interest' in the matter-- family members, friends and attorneys. When an independent investigator applies 'neglect' to his findings, more people should take notice. "Nursing home neglect" resulting in dehydration is what a Tennessee Medical Examiner ruled as the cause of death following the autopsy performed on 46-year-old Linda Carter. Carter died on March 27th at the at the University of Tennessee Medical Center following a nine day admission to Hillcrest North...
More
