Recent Blog Posts
- Signs and Forms of Abuse
Here is a very good website on recognizing the signs and forms of abuse and neglect that commonly occur at nursing homes across the country. The website also offers advice and tips on choosing the right nursing home. If you have a loved one in a nursing home or are considering making such a move, I'd recommend you take the time to review this website. Click Here to view the website. .... - Last Acts of the Bush Administration: Closing off the Public's Access to Vital Nursing Home Information
Here is an article about the recent Bush administration's change in federal rules on nursing home inspection records. To read the full article click here. (PDF) .... - Woodbury Nursing Home
Nursing Aide strikes an 89-year-old patient with his soiled diaper at a Woodbury Nursing Home. To read the full article click here. .... - Nursing Home Industry Worries About New Ratings
Here is a recent article about the Nursing Home Industry and the new federal government rating system. To read the full article click here.(PDF) .... - Nursing home workers need to be treated fairly and with respect
As reported recently, a New Jersey Labor Union recently narrowly avoided a strike. The article referenced three nursing homes - Manhattan View Nursing Home in Union City, Teaneck Nursing Center in Teaneck, and Amboy Care Center in Perth Amboy. All three are operated by Michael Konig. As we have noted in this blog, the first order of business in caring for nursing home residents is to hire qualified staff - and treat them well. To read the full article click here. (PDF) .... - 3 Patients Found Dead in Brooklyn Nursing Home
Early this morning 3 patients were found dead at Carlton Nursing Homes located in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY. The 3 patients were on the same floor and died within an hour of each other. The men- ages 77, 72, and 61 were found unconscious and unresponsive in their separate bedrooms on the third floor. The medical director Lawrence Diamond of Carlton Homes located on 405 Carlton Avenue was quoted saying “ There’s nothing usual about old people dying”. Police are currently investigating these mysterious deaths. Click here to read more at MSNBC and The Daily News. .... - Poor Medical Records in Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Unnecessary injuries and deaths
I had a deposition earlier this week involving a horrible bedsore/starvation claim. After being underfed in the hospital for two weeks because the physicians never saw the three recommended feeding plans from the registered dietician, our very sick client was sent for rehabilitation to a local nursing home. Upon her transfer, the hospital staff then understated the never-implemented diet. Our client was supposed to be a tube feeding product called Jevity-Plus - because it has more nutrients than regular Jevity. The transfer documents just indicated Jevity. So, the nursing home began under-feeding her right out of the gate. Not to be outdone by the hospital, though, the nursing home also ignored the recommendations of it's own dietician for the next two weeks. The document was completed and placed in the chart - without the doctor ever seeing it. No physician's order was ever generated to implement the feeding plan. For a .... - Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals
Here is a recent article I came across on pressure ulcers in hospitals. Undoubtedly, nursing homes are seeing the same rise. If you are concerned that a loved one may run the risk of developing a pressure ulcer, be vigilant about the care they receive. Make certain your loved one in being turned and repositioned regularly; being cleaning thoroughly and routinely; and being nourished properly. Almost all pressure sores are preventable with proper care. Pressure ulcer hospitalizations skyrocket December 05 2008 Hospitalization rates as a result of pressure ulcers have risen dramatically over the last 15 years, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospital admissions for which pressure ulcers were either a primary or secondary diagnosis rose 80% between 1993 and 2006, according to the report. Primary diagnosis hospitalizations reached nearly 45,000 in 2006, compared with 35,800 in 1993, and secondary diagnosis hospitalizations jumped from .... - Nursing Homes Hidden Expenses
Although all experts agree that the primary cost faced by nursing homes is labor, studies and articles often fail to obtain the full picture of the expenses that many facilities face. This is the financial drain that flows through many facilities right to the owners. In many facilities, profit is hidden in extraordinarily high rent being paid to real estate investment trusts (REIT's), excessive management fees and other costs - all to the same people who own the nursing home. This has been reported by the New York Times and is currently being investigated by congress. Here is an article about the highest nursing home costs in the United States. .... - Assisted Living Facilities
I have given a number of talks over the years about assisted living facilities and the dangers they pose to an unsuspecting public. My concern is based upon the fact that these organizations face much less regulatory control than long term care facilities and often are purely profit oriented. I have taken a number of depositions in cases surrounding what I consider to be questionable bonus structures - which focus on what is known as census (i.e. filling the beds) more than providing quality care. This story involves allegations of evicting residents after bleeding their assets dry. If the allegations are true, it is reprehensible. You can read the full story here (PDF) .... - Seminar : Dealing with The Surge in Nursing Home Litigation
David R. Cohen, Shareholder of Stark & Stark’s Nursing Home Litigation group, will be a speaker at the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar Dealing with The Surge in Nursing Home Litigation with A Special Presentation on Pressure Ulcers. This seminar deals with learning how to deal with the recent surge in Nursing Home litigation, including: medication errors, medical directors, pressure ulcers, physical abuse, failure to address fall downs/broken bones, financial abuse , a discussion on the distinction between attending physicians and medical directors , elderly abuse, Assisted Living Evictions,and a review of the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2008. Date: Thursday, December 4, 2008 Time: 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm Location: Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ Click here for more info. .... - Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home
The centers for Medicaid and Medicare have put together a wonderful step-by-step guide to choosing a nursing home. It is highly recommended reading for anyone contemplating entering or putting a loved one in a nursing home. It addresses everything from individual nursing home comparisons to costs associated with care, resident rights, and who to call in the event neglect or abuse occurs. If you are trying to decide on a nursing home, do yourself a favor and review this material. Being well informed is the best way to prevent neglect and abuse. Good luck! Click here for the Step-by-Step Guide. .... - Publicly Owned Nursing Homes Typically Provide a Higher Quality of Care
As reported in this blog, most studies confirm that publicly owned nursing homes typically provide a higher quality of care than those driven by profit. Here is a story about a quality facility in Warren County, NJ, which resisted the temptation to privatize. You can read the full story here (PDF) .... - National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform
Normal 0 The National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform is a prominent national .... - AAJ Releases Insurance Report
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