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Posted on June 28, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The L.A. Times reported that State officials have fined two nursing homes in Orange County for providing care so inadequate that it caused the deaths of two patients.
In one case, a woman died from dehydration. This is clearly a preventable death. The nursing home failed to give a resident sufficient fluids, causing her to suffer dehydration and acute kidney failure. A doctor ordered that the patient's fluid intake and urine output be monitored during every shift. A review of the patient's intake and output of fluids was blank or illegible. The woman's condition had deteriorated so much that she was transferred to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, dehydration and an "altered mental status."
The patient died six days later, on Christmas Day. Alamitos West Health Care Center in Los Alamitos was fined $100,000
In the other, staff failed to provide CPR to a man suffering a heart attack because they mistakenly believed he was under orders not to be resuscitated. A registered nurse supervisor did not call 911 as a patient was dying "because she thought the patient had orders" not to be resuscitated. In fact, the patient's medical record included an advance directive form from a family member on which was marked the option, "I DO WANT C.P.R." in an emergency situation. A licensed vocational nurse called to inform a family member that the patient had died. The nurse told the family member that the patient was dead and that paramedics were not called because the facility had orders not to resuscitate the patient. The family member told the nurse to hang up and call 911. By the time paramedics arrived, they found the patient in bed with no heartbeat. He was covered with a sheet with no signs that CPR had been initiated.
State officials levied an $80,000 fine on the Huntington Valley Healthcare Center in Huntington Beach.
Posted on June 26, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Journal Times had an article about a recent settlement between a nursing home and an abused resident. The Racine County Board passed a resolutions which settled the case for $25,000.
Arthur Woiteshek, a resident at Ridgewood Care Center, sued the county because of abusive treatment by the nursing home’s certified nursing assistants. Woiteshek, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, was living at the center. CNA Amelia Clay twisted his ear so violently that it caused three cuts on one of Woiteshek’s ears, two of about one-half inch and the other of slightly more than 2 inches. Doctors used 19 stitches to close the wounds.
The $25,000 settlement will be made with Woiteshek’s estate. He died at Ridgewood on May 17 at the age of 88. Clay was fired from her job at Ridgewood but filed a grievance which is now in arbitration. The incident also resulted in additional training and the reinforcement of training at Ridgewood, said Geoff Greiveldinger, the county’s chief of staff.
Posted on June 22, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Palm Beach Post had an article about nursing home neglect that really pissed me off. The nursing home resident that was neglected was a bilateral amputee with bed sores on his stumps and buttocks. When a state inspector saw him, he was sleeping unattended in a wheelchair on the front walkway of the Azalea Court nursing home in West Palm Beach. She noticed a lit cigarette smoldering on a towel covering the resident’s left stump. A 1-inch hole had burned into the towel and the edges of the fabric were glowing red. “Smoke was actively rising from the towel,” according to the inspection report. The man had been labeled a “safe smoker.” The patient had been found asleep with a lighted cigarette on prior occasions. Two weeks earlier, a nurse found the man sitting outside the facility, sleeping with a lit cigarette in his mouth.
The incidents reflect the nursing home’s “intentional or negligent failure to provide adequate and appropriate health care,” state officials said in a complaint that called for a $31,000 fine against Azalea Court. As part of a settlement agreement, the fine was lowered this year to $11,000.
Azalea Court was also fined $5,000 this year when after state inspectors last year found maggots crawling out of the leg cast of a resident. That fine was initially $10,000. Azalea Court has appealed both fines to an administrative law judge.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration also has cited Azalea staff last year for failing to respond to an alarm connected to the front door of the facility that signals if people are leaving the facility. In addition inspectors interviewed six residents who said they were scared to voice grievances with the facility for fear of retribution. This is a common complaint in most nursing homes. Residents are scared that the care will get worse if they complain or get a nurse in trouble.
Posted on June 21, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Kristi Nelson at Knownews.com had an article about the nursing home employee who was caught taking nude pictures and videos of residents and sharing them with others. This is a violation of the residents' privacy and dignitiy. The unauthorized cell-phone photos and videos resulted in a state penalty for Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center, a ban on staff members using cell phones in resident areas, and, according to state surveyors, multiple violations of at least a dozen residents' privacy and dignity.
The photos and videos were found when a cell phone was left at a local restaurant. A restaurant worker turned on the phone in an attempt to identify its owner, recognized one of the photos of a resident and gave the phone to a family member employed at the nursing home. That person gave the phone to the director of nursing, who turned it over to the facility's administrator after seeing the photos and videos. Administrator Jon Bowers gave the phone to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and immediately fired the certified nursing assistant to whom the phone belonged. A second certified nursing assistant who appeared in some photos was later fired, and two others believed to be involved had earlier left the facility's employ.
The Tennessee Department of Health conducted an investigation at the nursing home. In its report, the state determined Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center failed to protect the residents from having unauthorized photos and videos taken - compromising their dignity, privacy and safety from abuse - and suspended admissions to the nursing home for a week.
Twelve residents appeared in 47 pictures and 27 videos, taken between July 2007 and March 2009, found on the phone. They included:
-- A photo of a male resident sitting on a shower chair, nude, with a string of beads around his neck.
-- A photo of a female resident sitting on a bed wearing only a brief and a hat, with one breast fully exposed.
-- Photos of a female resident wearing, at various times, a bib, a feathered mask, strawberry-shaped sunglasses and a wicker basket on her head.
-- A photo of a male resident lying nude on the floor.
-- Photos of a resident being fed, "wearing a bib and food running down (his) chin and neck."
-- Videos of residents being fed or attempting to feed themselves.
-- A video of a resident eating a cookie without dentures.
-- A video of a resident lying in bed with one hand down his pants.
-- A video of a resident in a wheelchair, using a broom in a motion similar to rowing a boat.
-- A video of a moaning resident in a bed being shaken by two certified nursing assistants, in an apparent attempt to get him to make a certain noise.
-- A video of the certified nursing assistant repeatedly telling a resident "I love you" and coaxing the resident to say it back.
The report states that the worker showed the photos to fellow employees. Meanwhile, the resident council president told state investigators that residents had first complained about staff cell phone use in October 2007.
Posted on June 20, 2009 by Ray Mullman
State regulators have fined a West Palm Beach nursing home $16,000 after a patient was found injured on the floor with maggots crawling out of his leg cast.
The state issued the fine in March against Azalea Court. The nursing home somehow denies responsibility and has appealed the penalty. They will probably either argue that the maggots were benficial or that the family put them there so they can sue!
An August 2008 report states that the 120-bed facility failed to provide the necessary care and services to a resident with the cast on his lower leg, which led to an infestation of maggots. The report says the patient's leg was supposed to be treated every three days, but the documentation proved that the nursing home only cared for the wound about once a week.
If this isn't evidence of neglect and understaffing, I'm not sure what it!
Posted on June 18, 2009 by Ray Mullman
What kind of sicko nutjob can even imagine doing this kind of disgusting thing. A Chesapeake nursing home, Chesapeake Health and Rehabilitation Center, is being sued by the guardians of a comatose woman who was sexually assaulted by a male nurse while a patient there. It is unclear which for profit chain owns this facility.
The lawsuit filed in Norfolk Circuit Court claims the nursing home should have known Mark S. Albright's conduct would violate the woman's privacy and dignity. It is unclear if other complaints about this nurse was known or if th facility did any kind of background check or supervision of this nurse.
Center administrator Gregory Yanta declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Albright formerly worked as a licensed practical nurse at the nursing home. Police say another employee observed Albright with his mouth on the woman's breast. Albright pleaded guilty in November to aggravated sexual battery. Last week, he was sentenced last week to only six months in prison, with another nine years and six months suspended.
Posted on June 3, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Dunn Police in North Carolina are investigating a nursing home after a 78-year-old patient was sexually assaulted by a male staff member, according to reports. A 43-year-old, male CNA at Magnolia Living Center is under investigation relating to the sexual assault of two female residents. The first incident involves an elderly female resident at Magnolia Living Center who reported that on May 2 around 10 a.m., a CNA at the nursing home touched her inappropriately.
Nursing Home Director Shelley Tinsley reported the incident to police on May 5, three days after the assault allegedly occurred and one day after the victim initially told another CNA what had happened. The second incident involving a 51-year-old resident was reported to police on May 12th. The incidents are currently under investigation as aggravated assaults with sexual motives. The suspected CNA has finally been removed from his position while the investigation continues.
According to other media outlets, the victims remain at Magnolia Living Center for now.
Posted on June 1, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The family of a 69-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against a Chicago nursing home for failing to protect her from being sexually assaulted by a 21-year-old mentally ill resident. Maplewood Care's administrator tried to cover up a rape by calling it consensual sex. It is an example of how mixing frail senior citizens and younger mentally ill residents in nursing homes can lead to violence if facilities do not monitor potentially dangerous residents.
"The only possible reason that you would be in this situation is a profit motive," attorney for the family said. "You want more residents in your facility, but you're unwilling to pay for the necessary elements to protect all the residents."
Christopher Shelton had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with aggression when he was admitted to the nursing home in November. Shelton, a convicted felon and a former resident of the Elgin facility, was readmitted to the nursing home without a proper review of his criminal history. Had the facility checked, it would have discovered Shelton had an outstanding arrest warrant on felony battery charges. The state report showed he had told the nursing home staff in December that he was sexually frustrated, but the facility failed to monitor him.
Shelton was missing at bed check, but no search was made or alarm sounded to alert residents and staff that a young, aggressive, sexually frustrated, convicted felon was prowling the halls of the nursing home. Later, a night shift nurse heard an elderly woman moaning and crying. The nurse found Shelton in her bathroom, where he was calling 911 to report that someone was attacking the woman. Paramedics and an emergency room doctor later examined the woman and noted signs of sexual trauma. Doyle who was the Administrator at the facility downplayed the encounter as consensual sex in a report to the state and encouraged employees to lie about it to cover it up.
The state and federal governments only fined the nursing home $44,400 for violations related to the incident.
Posted on May 31, 2009 by Ray Mullman
John Ette, a certified nurse assistant is charged with abusing an 88-year-old bed-ridden resident at Adirondack Medical Center's Mercy Nursing Home. He is accused of hitting, grabbing and punching the visually and dementia-impaired woman last October, leaving her with a broken collarbone and facial bruising. Officials say John Ette hit and pushed an 88-year-old bedridden woman while working at the Adirondack Medical Center and Mercy Nursing Home in Tupper Lake. The woman had multiple bruises and a fractured clavicle in October 2008.
Shortly after midnight on Oct. 20, 2008, Ette struck the bedridden patient in the face, grabbed her arm and pushed her down into her wheelchair, according to the court complaint filed against him. The patient suffered a broken collarbone and some facial bruising. Her condition is now stable, and she still lives at the nursing home, said David Doyle, spokesman for the state Office of the Attorney General.
Ette admitted the act to state investigators on Nov. 12, 2008. Nursing Home staff noticed the woman's severe injuries the next morning and notified administrators and her family. Ette was fired following an internal investigation last October. Ette was charged Wednesday by the Attorney General's Office with second-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and willful violation of health laws.
"Nursing-home care must be administered with the respect and professionalism that New York's seniors deserve," Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. "It is appalling when our dependent and vulnerable loved ones are victimized by the very people who are entrusted with their care."
AMC goes through an extensive screening and background check process before it makes a hire.
Ette's estranged wife, Jodi Ette, told the Enterprise John Ette had displayed violent tendencies in the past. She said he had never been violent toward her but had lashed out at inanimate objects. She said that when the incident happened, it took John Ette several days to divulge the details of the alleged abuse. "He wouldn't tell me the full story for quite some time," she said.
"We want to reassure families that we are taking the proper steps to protect the safety and well-being of our residents, patients and staff," AMC's Chief Financial Officer Patrick Facteau said.
He had worked at Mercy since Feb. 21, 2006.
Posted on May 16, 2009 by Ray Mullman
N.Y. Newsday had an article about a nursing home employee abusing an 80-year-old female patient by tying her legs together during an eight-hour shift, without supervision or authorization. CNA Candice Pelzer was assigned to care for the patient on the midnight to 8 a.m. shift in November 2008. Pelzer bound the woman "without advising anyone of [the] restraint. Pelzer, who was working at the Berkshire Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, surrendered to Medicaid fraud unit, and was charged with endangering the welfare of a physically disabled or incompetent person and violating the public health law.
"The conduct alleged in today's arrest is despicable - a disheartening violation of the trust Long Islanders put in health care professionals to care for their loved ones," Attorney General Cuomo said in a statement.
The worst and most intriguing part of the article is the fact that several unnamed witnesses saw the elderly patient with her legs tied together but did nothing to assist her or intervene on her behalf. Pelzer initially admitted tying a sheet around the woman but later said she only used it to wrap her legs.
Posted on May 6, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Knoxnews.com had an article about the death of Hillcrest North nursing home patient Linda Darlene Carter. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation labeled the death as "suspicious" after the Knox County medical examiner labeled the death a homicide, blaming poor treatment. TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said "We are looking into it as a suspicious death." "We met with the (district attorney general) and he asked us to look into it more, to review it and come back and meet with him again."
Carter was 46 when she died March 27, 2008, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center after a nine-day stay at Hillcrest North. The autopsy report by Knox County Medical Examiner Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan concluded, "Because of the nursing home neglect, the manner of death is homicide." The report states, "Linda Carter died of dehydration due to inadequate care following multiple blunt force injuries due to (an) automobile accident."
Carter suffered injuries including a closed head injury in a Feb. 8, 2008, car crash and was recovering at the University of Tennessee Medical Center before being transferred to Hillcrest on March 18, 2008, to continue her recovery, according to the March 9 lawsuit against Hillcrest Healthcare North and Hillcrest Healthcare LLC.
Hillcrest "failed to provide adequate fluids for the decedent to survive, not to mention heal and/or attempt to heal from her injuries.," the lawsuit claims. The suit also alleges that Hillcrest "failed to maintain accurate medical records, develop and implement a nursing care plan regarding her condition during her stay, and to properly track the progress and treatment of her health care issues."
The lawsuit was filed "just to prevent it from happening to anyone else, to make sure no one else's mother, grandmother or grandfather" go through the same thing. "You expect better care under someone who is professional. You would expect to be taken care of - not neglected."
Posted on April 28, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Traverse City Record Eagle had a story about a pattern of abuses uncovered at Tendercare Health Center-Birchwood resulting in fines and prompting an ongoing criminal investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's office. Several residents suffered repeated physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their fellow residents in 2006-07, a pattern of violence that nursing home management failed to stem or report. Victims included both male and female residents at Birchwood, which in November was named to a federal government list of the nation's most troubled nursing homes.
Ellen Miller lived at Birchwood for just more than a year, until November 2007, and knew several residents who were harassed and assaulted. Miller moved into Birchwood in November 2006 while she underwent rehabilitation and physical therapy following a leg amputation. She warned a male resident who sexually assaulted her neighbors that he'd have to pick himself off the floor if he laid a hand on her. "I wouldn't send a dog there," said Miller, 68, of Bear Lake. Nursing home employees didn't prevent aggressive patients from striking time and again, she said, an allegation backed up by state reports.
More recently, state regulators cited Birchwood for problems with patient confidentiality, incomplete medication records, improper care for bedsores and not preventing residents from falling. The nursing home was fined less than $38,000 in 2007-08 for all the violations. Birchwood is owned by Milwaukee, Wis.-based Extendicare Health Services Inc.
Michigan Department of Community Health personnel inspected Birchwood in July 2007 and found an extensive history of physical and sexual assaults dating to 2006. Nursing home staff didn't investigate the incidents as abuse or report them to the state. Inspectors said Birchwood employees neglected to protect the residents, often leaving them to fend for themselves.
Some men groped and grabbed women who couldn't physically defend themselves. One man exposed his genitals; another touched women's legs while he sat next to them playing bingo. State officials found that nine female residents were sexually harassed and/or assaulted by five male residents. One of the repeat sexual assault victims also was physically attacked multiple times, state documents show. At least three other residents, including men, were physically assaulted by fellow residents.
Nursing home staff recorded most of the incidents on residents' personal history charts, but did not report them to state regulators or local law enforcement.
"Despite the facility's knowledge of residents with a history of sexually aggressive behaviors and of ongoing sexual and physical assault of several facility residents, they neglected to investigate and report these incidents and to intervene to protect facility residents from the pervasive and continuous abuse/assaults being perpetrated on a regular basis," the Department of Community Health report stated.
The report detailed several attacks from a 71-year-old male resident with dementia, behavior disturbance and "high-risk sexual behavior." A female resident told inspectors the man grabbed her breast while she was in the hallway. She said the facility's social worker told her she needed to watch how she spoke to men, "because some of them might consider it an invitation." "That's like telling me if I'm a little girl in a pretty dress that I'm asking to be raped," the woman told state inspectors. "I'm not stupid. They should have stepped in and protected me. They should have stood up for me. Do I have no rights? Do I matter to anyone?"
The man also targeted a 52-year-old woman with Huntington's disease, a neurological disorder. The woman's chart indicated the man molested her five times. One time, the man was found in bed with the woman. He was clothed, but the woman's pants and underwear were around her thighs. She said "He hurt me," according to the woman's chart.
The man lived in the section of the nursing home reserved for residents who require additional care and supervision. Employees later moved him to a different wing because residents there were more alert and could better defend themselves. "They thought residents would handle themselves, and that's really not the residents' role. They're there to protect the residents," said Alice Turner, director of nursing home monitoring for the Department of Community Health.
A 70-year-old male resident with schizoaffective disorder committed at least 13 physical assaults over a three-month span in 2007, nursing home records show. Most attacks were violent, unprovoked and involved repeated punches to the face or head.
State inspectors asked Birchwood Administrator Kim Kloeckner if she investigated those incidents. Kloeckner, the report stated, told state officials she didn't think incidents involving a man with dementia needed to be investigated or reported as abuse. Birchwood may have had "more behavior problems than they could manage," Alice Turner said. Probably because of understaffing and the inability to supervise all the residents.
Nursing homes are required to notify residents' families of significant incidents, but Birchwood didn't do so in the assault cases.
Posted on April 25, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Tulsa World had a story about a sick nursing home employee who abused and mistreated residents at a nursing home. Jason Lynn Pearl who worked at the Silver Lake Care Center was charged with two felony counts of caretaker abuse and one misdemeanor charge of verbal abuse, all stemming from his employment as a certified nursing assistant.
The wife of a resident complained to police Feb. 28 that she found a scratch on her husband. According to a court affidavit, the elderly male victim repeatedly complained that Pearl stripped off his clothes and touched him inappropriately, spit in his face and threatened to hurt him.
The victim's family members told authorities he had complained for weeks about being abused by a nursing aide. The nursing home ignored the complaints because they assumed the complaints were a result of dementia. Upon further investigation, police learned that situations involving three patients at the nursing facility were videotaped on Pearl's cell phone and had been seen by several witnesses before they were erased. Why didn't these witnesses report him? were the witnesses employees of the nursing home? There is no mention of how long he worked there or if a criminal background check had been performed.
The videotapes showed Pearl yelling at one elderly patient and violently jerking the shirt of another, the affidavit stated. The charges against Pearl are based on victim testimony, as well as the testimony of witnesses who saw the cell-phone videos.
The family of the man who had been scratched reportedly said he had difficulty sleeping, was hard to calm down and had been fearful for his wife's safety at their home.
Posted on April 22, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The St. Paul Star-Tribune had a tragic story about abuse in local nursing homes, and new measures used to protect residents. After state investigations at two homes last year, three former aides were charged with 10 or 11 counts of physically and sexually abusing residents with dementia. Ashton Larson and Brianna Broitzman were accused of abusing seven residents at Good Samaritan Albert Lea. Maria J. Bjerke was charged with abusing six residents at Luther Haven in Montevideo.
The episode started when the doctor of a resident in Cerenity's 30-bed dementia unit reported Oct. 13 that she had trichomonas, a sexually transmitted disease. Cerenity's investigation swung into high gear 16 days later, when a different resident with dementia said she had been attacked.
The home notified regulators and began to investigate. The medical director and nurses from other homes started to examine every woman on the unit, and by nightfall six were sent to a hospital for sexual assault exams. Doctors there found that three showed "lacerations and physical findings consistent with recent sexual assault."
The home reported the allegations to the state and to police, and launched a two-prong plan to investigate the case and protect residents from a potential sexual predator.
The Cerenity Bethesda nursing home stationed guards at its doors to register and escort visitors, sent eight male employees home with pay and called in national experts to examine all male and female residents in the 117-bed facility. It also retrained staff on how to spot sexual abuse and for more than a month used a "buddy system'' to ensure that no resident was alone with an employee or visitor. The Department of Health cited Cerenity Bethesda twice during its investigation for inadequate measures. The "immediate jeopardy'' citations faulted the home for failing to adequately protect residents and failing to take immediate corrective action.
There has been growing public awareness in the past year that Minnesota nursing home residents with dementia are particularly vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.
Posted on April 17, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Illinoishomepage.net had the story of a nursing home employee who punched a demented resident in the face. Sharoia Hill is now behind bars. She is an aide at the nursing home. She works in the Alzheimer’s unit. Police arrested 28-year-old Sharoia Hill when they discovered that she punched an 87-year-old Alzheimer’s patient twice in the face.
“Apparently the patient had an item that she wanted back and that prompted her to assault him," said Lt. Ed Ogle from the Champaign County Sheriff's Department.
Now Hill could face up to 5 years behind bars and 25 thousand dollars in fines. It is unlikely she will get anything except a slap on the wrist. Nothing in the article mentions if she was reported to the Board of Nursing or if she will lose her certification.
Posted on April 16, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The L.A. Times reported another story about a nursing home fined for allowing a resident to choke to death. This is the third story about choking deaths in nursing homes in the last couple of weeks. The nursing home was fined $80,000 after a 54-year-old schizophrenic patient choked on a meatball and died.
Raintree Convalescent Hospital had known the patient had problems swallowing. The spaghetti meatball served to him needed to be chopped or sliced before being given to him. Both the cook and the nursing assistant who served the meal failed to grind up the meatballs, as required. The cook failed to follow the directions for the patient's meal by not mashing up the meatball. He also said the nursing assistant failed to look at the meal card on the patient's tray -- which would have been a second chance to catch the error -- before serving the lunch.
"I just did not think to chop up his meat that day," the nursing assistant told state investigators. The facility was probably understaffed which did not allow her time to do her job properly.
The man stumbled out of his room, pale and unable to speak. After a nurse unsuccessfully attempted the Heimlich maneuver, paramedics were able to suction the meatball out of the man's airway, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital emergency room.
Posted on April 12, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The L.A. Times reported that a nursing home was fined only $75,000 for the wrongful death of a resident. The nursing home was well aware that the resident had a history of swallowing problems but did nothing to prevent him from choking to death on a snadwich that never should have been given to him. . In fact, the nursing home failed to immediately treat the resident when he began choking.
The patient had dementia and a known history of having difficulty with swallowing. The patient's care plan at Anaheim Crest Nursing Center said he should only be given pureed food. The state investigation documented two incidents Sept. 9 when the patient ate solid food. At dinner, he was fed an incorrect meal and given a spoonful of vegetables and rice. After he started coughing, a nursing assistant performed the Heimlich maneuver and a "tomato-like" material was coughed up. Later that same evening, the patient got a sandwich and began to eat it and began choking and turning colors.
According to the state, there was no documented evidence that the patient received emergency treatment for choking. It is the standard in all nursing homes that if something was not documented then it wasn't done. Nurses are trained in school on this principle and every nursing home in the country abides by the principle. Despite this standard, the nursing home is now claiming that the staff did attempt the Heimlich maneuver, administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called 911.
The nursing home tried to claim that the death was a result of a heart attack, and that they had not been informed the patient had a choking incident just before his death. If that is true, then why did they allegedly try to do the Heimlich maneuver. They can't keep their lies and cover-up straight!
After the coroner determined that the patient had choked on a piece of food found in his larynx, a subsequent internal investigation uncovered the second, and ultimately fatal, choking incident.
Posted on April 11, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Fox8.com out of Cleveland had a recent story about a nursing home resident who was left unattended and allowed to leave the facility unsupervised. The resident ended up walking on the road and getting hit by a car. She died from injuries sustained in the "hit and run" accident. What is amazing about this story is how the article concentrates blame on the driver of the vehicle instead of the nursing home which was responsible for keeping this resident safe and out of harm's way. The nursing home should have been watching her and not allow her to leave the premises unsupervised.
Citing declining health, her family recently convinced her to check into the nursing home. She was very unhappy there and wanted to return home. This is a clear sign of a risk for wandering. Her family says she was supposed to be staying in a "locked-down area" when she somehow was allowed to escape.
"There was a security door in her room that she was able to disable at 87 years old. They appear to be very short staffed at night. We were told there was a loud alarm going off but no one went looking to see what was going on," says Meldrum.
According to the Avon Police Department, several 911 calls came in Friday evening alerting them of a car versus pedestrian crash in front of the Good Samaritan Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Detroit Road. When officers arrived to the scene, they found Warren lying on the side of the road. Police say the suspect vehicle did not stop after the accident and drove away from the scene.
Is there any investigation as to why and how she was able to leave the nursing home without being noticed? how long was she missing? Why didn't anyone hear the alarm or respond to it? Was the nursing home short-staffed?
Posted on April 10, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The San Diego Union-Tribune had an article about a nursing home which received the most severe citation and a $90,000 fine after an investigation found that poor treatment and supervision resulted in a resident choking to death last year. Escondido Care Center, a 180-bed facility, failed to adjust the patient's meal plan to meet his changing dietary needs. The resident suffocated when food became stuck in his windpipe and the right main bronchial stem. He was eating a lunch of beef with barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes, and steamed cabbage and carrots. During lunch, the patient coughed repeatedly until he became unresponsive and slumped over in his wheelchair. The patient died.
The facility was well aware that the resident had swallowing problems and was at risk for choking. His physician had ordered a strict diet to avoid problems with chewing and swallowing.
On two occasions in November, the facility's dietary supervisor, registered dietitian and a nurse wrote in the patient's file that he was having difficulty chewing and that he was coughing while drinking “thin liquids.” No records exist to show that any staff member alerted the resident's doctor or tried to alter the man's diet or supervise it more closely.
Posted on April 7, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Keloland.com had an article about the sexual abuse allegations at an elderly home in Hot Springs, S.D. Many family members are appropriately concerned. The DCI is finally looking into reports dating back to January at the Castle Manor Nursing home. Hospital officials say they know of more victims. Board President of Castle Manor Rich Nelson knows of at least three victims and has received several other complaints. The suspect is a male nursing assistant. Family members of the alleged victims claim Fall River Health Services tried to cover up the abuse.
When sisters Sharon Deboer and Gwendolyn Ketterer needed a long-term care facility for their mother two-and-a-half years ago, they had no doubts about the care at Castle Manor. That changed when the 84-year-old dementia patient started acting out of character late last year when a male nursing assistant began taking care of her.
"I just felt that there was something with him that I just couldn't put my finger on. I couldn't put my finger on it but I suspected that type of thing. It was just a feeling," Deboer said. On January 17, Deboer's suspicions were confirmed. "One of the staff called me and told me she had to talk to me, that she had something to tell me. She told me right when we met that this CNA, this male CNA, had been molesting my mom," Deboer said.
That was the only type of notification the sisters received from Castle Manor, despite an abuse report filed with the Department of Health three days earlier. The suspect stayed on as an employee for weeks before Manor officials say he was finally let go. That was part of Fall River Health Service's efforts to cover up the abuse.
How many others suffered abuse silently while Manor staff looked the other way.
Posted on March 22, 2009 by Ray Mullman
BakersfieldNow had an interesting article on the prevalence of elder abuse in nursing homes. The article cites an investigator and ombudsman for the elderly. They stated elder abuse in the nursing home industry happens more often than people know.
Nona Tolentino is an ombudsman for the elderly. Tolentino's job is to investigate cases of suspected elder abuse in the nursing home industry. Trying to verify it, however, can prove elusive, because people refuse to talk about it for a number of reasons.
"I call it the conspiracy of silence, (because) no one is able to talk for them," said Tolentino.
Under California law and in most states, nursing home employees are mandated to report any cases of suspected elder abuse. Tolentino finds that's not always happening, though, as employees keep quiet out of fear of losing their jobs.
Tolentino is adamant about patients' rights to a safe environment. It was only back in 1987 when the Older Americans Act established a legislative framework for reform to better protect the elderly in nursing homes. It is based on the premise that it is a resident's right to be free of verbal, mental, sexual and physical abuse, unnecessary physical and chemical restraints, and involuntary seclusion in a nursing or residential care facility.
Posted on March 19, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Cincinnati Enquirer had an article about the death of a woman who was found outside of he rnursing home. The woman died three days after she was found outside a Hyde Park nursing home on a day when the low temperature was 23 degrees. Records do not say what time she fell or how long she was outside before she was found. It was dry that day, with a low of 23 and a high of 40 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Pasquale was brought inside, taken to University hospital where she was treated for an eye injury and then moved to Hospice. She suffered from advanced dementia and stayed in a locked unit.
It is unknown how she escaped from the locked unit and left the facility. Pasquale was found by an employee of the nursing home who was being dropped off for work. An alarm was set off when Pasquale walked out of the facility into a courtyard. From there, she had to open a gated area. She was found sitting on the ground outside the nursing home.
Pasquale was moved to hospice because she grew very ill and “clearly didn’t have long to live.”
Cincinnati police said they were not called to the nursing home.
Such incidents, in which nursing home residents are found outside in the cold, are not common but not unheard of.
On Feb. 5, Dorotha Mae Gifford, 87, died outside Heartland of Woodridge nursing home in Fairfield. She was found face-down in the snow. She died of hypothermia, her death ruled an accident, the Butler County Coroner’s Office said Friday.
In January 2007, Shirley Galvin, 78, was found dead in the snow outside Sunrise Assisted Living in Finneytown. Her death resulted from heart disease, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office said.
Posted on March 18, 2009 by Ray Mullman
WiredPRNews.com had an article about a nursing home owner in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was found guilty of felony abuse and neglect in connection to charges stemming from an incident on Christmas day in 2005.
Richard Gerhardt, a 76-year-old resident at the nursing home, who was recovering from a broken hip, was placed on a bed pan and left there for 24 hours. According to reports, the bedpan became imbedded in his skin, causing an open wound that became infected and resulted in his death 5 days later.
The nursing home faces a possible $5000 fine and/or exclusion from federally funded health care programs. The case is rare, and may be the first of its type to lead to a conviction. Elizabeth Staley, director of the New Mexico attorney general Elder Abuse and Medicaid Fraud Division is quoted in the report as stating, “Nursing home and care facilities are paid to provide round the clock care to those who cannot care for themselves… Protecting this population is of paramount importance to the New Mexico attorney general and similar violations will be prosecuted vigorously.”
Sentencing for the case is set for March 13.
Posted on March 5, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Youtube.com has some video stories regarding surveillance cameras used in nursing homes to discover abuse and neglect. One of the stories involves a 91 year old resident of assisted living facility assaulted by night shift care provider. Assault captured on a hidden surveillance camera. Lawsuit to hold care provider and owners of assisted living facility accountable for abuse of vulnerable adult has been initiated. Off on the right side are links to several more videos regarding nursing home abuse stories.
Posted on February 27, 2009 by Ray Mullman
A worker at a Sudbury nursing home has been charged with sexually molesting a patient while another patient slept in the same room. Prosecutors said that 46-year-old Kofi Agana sexually assaulted the 62-year-old woman who had recently suffered a stroke at Sudbury Pines Extended Care. Agana was held on only $500 bail after pleading not guilty.
Agana has worked as an aide at Sudbury Pines since August. Agana went into the room of a 62-year-old woman who had a stroke which greatly limited her ability to speak. Agana closed the bedroom door nearly all the way which is a violation, and began rubbing the woman’s breast. He then grabbed her arms and held them down when he touched her genitals area, the prosecutor said. The assault was discovered when another aide noticed the victim acting strangely toward Agana. "She was acting agitated - she was trying to get away from him."
"She’s very responsive to questions asked to her," said investigators. "She pointed to various areas of her body and she indicated it involved the defendant."
Prosecutors asked Judge Robert Greco to set bail at $10,000, noting the seriousness of the crime. He also said there was another allegation where a patient being transferred from a bed to a wheelchair said Agana fondled her. He was not charged for that, the prosecutor said.
Posted on February 25, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Daily Herald had a story about another woman found dead outside a nursing home. Nursing homes have a duty to properly staff and supervise the residents especially when they know a resident is demented or confused and attempts to wander off the premises.
The article mentions that authorities are investigating the death of an 89-year-old Itasca nursing home resident, found in her nightgown and bare feet outside in subfreezing temperatures. Sarah Wentworth died last week at the Arbor of Itasca.
Police said they received a 911 call and rushed to the private facility at 5:43 a.m. By that time, the resident was unresponsive but covered in blankets, lying on a gurney inside the facility. Nursing home staff reported they tried to revive Wentworth after finding her in an outdoor courtyard. She was pronounced dead shortly later. She had dementia, but the nursing home never documented a history of wandering off.
The circumstances that led to her tragic preventable death have sparked at least three investigations. Itasca Police Chief Scott Heher said police uncovered conflicting information after interviewing the nine Arbor employees who were on duty. He said police were told Wentworth was sleeping in her bed during a 3 a.m. well-being check, but that she disappeared by 5 a.m. when staff looked in on her again. An employee reported hearing an alarm door sound, but Heher said it was not investigated beyond a cursory hallway check.
Police question whether the 3 a.m. check ever occurred. Furthermore, Wentworth was not dressed in the same clothing when police arrived as she was earlier that morning. Her clothing could not be found.
"I think she wandered out there alone," Chief Heher said. "It's an absolute tragedy. There are a number of mechanisms in place at the Arbor to ensure these things don't happen. Obviously, there was a systems breakdown that night. We're investigating to see if criminal charges apply."
Reports on more than a dozen other unrelated Arbor complaints are listed on the state's Web site. The facility has a one-star rating, much below average, based on prior complaints, staffing levels and the results of its three most recent inspections, according to the Federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Posted on February 16, 2009 by Ray Mullman
MPNnow.com had an article about an employee of a nursing home accused of abusing an elderly resident. I have seen more and more articles about employees abusing residents. I am wondering if the abuse occurs often or have the incidents gotten more media attention lately?
Nellie Weller is accused of tying a 76-year-old resident’s nightgown around his neck and legs, leaving him unable to move or even use his urinal at the Edna Tina Wilson Living Center on Island Cottage Road. The nursing home is part of the Unity Health System, which includes Unity Hospital in Greece.
Weller, who was a certified nurse assistant, was charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and willful violation of the health laws.
The Attorney General’s Office announced a second arrest in an unrelated case. Monique Jones, 32, of Rand Street in Rochester, is accused of kicking an 88-year-old resident in his ribs while she was employed as a certified nurse aide at the Kirkhaven Nursing Home on Alexander Street in Rochester.
Posted on February 14, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Tulsa World had an article discussing another nursing home employee accused of sexually assaulting a nursing home resident. Something needs to be done about the hiring practices of these nursing homes. There are hundreds of incidents like this every year. It is disgusting and the nursing home industry ignores and covers up the problem. I think videotaping should be the norm in nursing homes despite the alleged privacy issues that may arise.
The article states that a nursing home worker was charged with caretaker abuse amid accusations that he sexually assaulted a resident he was bathing. Edward Lee Marshall faces a felony charge of sexual abuse by a caretaker after allegedly fondling a physically and mentally disabled man at the Southtown Nursing Home. He was arrested after an honest nurse reported the allegation, police said. Marshall worked as a restorative aide and provided various types of "therapy" to residents. Marshall was giving a blind patient a bath when the abuse is alleged to have occurred, police said.
Posted on February 8, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The CantonRep.com had an article about an unsupervised visitor to a ManorCare nursing home who was accused of fondling a physically disabled female patient at Cincinnati facility. Alvin Meyer was charged with gross sexual imposition by force. The allegation was made by the patient at the Heartland of Mount Airy facility in Springfield Township, which has about 105 patients. Nursing home spokeswoman Julie Beckert said the alleged fondling happened in the patient’s room and that the patient was able to immediately tell staff what happened.
ManorCare Health Services of Toledo owns the facility. ManorCare has policies and procedures in place that should have protected the resident, including training and in-service of staff.
Meyer’s address is listed on the same street as the home, about a mile-and-a-half away.
Posted on January 30, 2009 by Ray Mullman
A night shift nurse accused of sexually abusing patients at an Ohio nursing home entered a plea arrangement for 12 1/2 years in prison. John Riems entered an Alford plea to four counts of sexual battery and one count of gross sexual imposition. In an Alford plea, a defendant acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction but does not admit guilt.
Riems, 50, was videotaped last January telling authorities that he abused about 100 patients at various nursing homes since the 1980s. Defense attorney Troy Wisehart tried to keep the videotape out of the trial arguing that Riems was coerced into the confession by aggressive detectives.
I hope he has to serve every minute of that time. You can find the entire story here.
Posted on January 29, 2009 by Ray Mullman
WTOC in Savannah, Ga. had a story about a nursing home employee charged with elder abuse and stealing the identities of as many as 40 residents from nursing homes. Police say Tamara Smith used her job as a certified nursing assistant to gain access to patients' personal information. She is accused of using the information of 43 former and current nursing home residents to buy computers, cell phones, and open credit cards. The victims range in age from 60 to as old as 100.
For every victim over the age of 65, Smith is being charged an additional count of elder abuse. "You wonder how someone can do this to people in nursing homes who have nothing at that point in their life anyway," said Thunderbolt police chief Irene Pennington. "She had been getting away with it, but it took good investigations to catch up with her." I certainly don't agree with Chief Pennington's comments that residents "have nothing at that point in their life anyway."
The investigation started 15 months ago after a single complaint to police from one resident's family. The number of victims continues to grow and more arrests are expected.
How could this happen? Why didn't the Administrator realize what was going on?
Posted on January 27, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Tulsa World had an article about the recent arrest of a nursing home employee. Edward Lee Marshall was arrested for committing a sexual offense on a blind and physically handicapped patient, and caretaker abuse.
“The complaint was that Mr. Marshall was giving a patient a bath and he was actually masturbating the person,” Choate said. “The incident was reported by another employee who allegedly saw the incident.”
Scott Pilgrim, Southtown Nursing owner, tried to explain away the sexual assault and battery.
“Our nurse saw something that might have been inappropriate and this was a male to male situation. ... Because we felt something might have been inappropriate, we called the police to investigate,” Pilgrim said. “There might be nothing to this, but we felt the authorities must make that call,” Pilgrim said. “Because our resident safety and well being is what we stand for, we took this action.”
Marshall worked as a restorative aide and provided various types of therapy to residents, but nursing home owner Scott Pilgrim said Marshall is no longer employed there.
In 2006, Marshall was arrested for driving under the influence and other traffic offenses, jail records show.
How long had he worked at the nursing home? Did any other resident ever complain about his care? Why did they fire him if they think nothing happened? Did they offer to give him a polygraph test?
Posted on January 25, 2009 by Ray Mullman
STLtoday.com had a tragic story about the rape and abuse of a resident at the hands of a nursing home employee. Why aren't these people checked and supervised? How can this happen to the most vulnerable citizens? How many others were raped and abused by this villian? Was a criminal background check done?
The accused employee was a former janitor at a nursing home in Normandy. He has been accused of raping an elderly resident. Santonio McCoy of St. Louis is charged with forcible rape. He is accused of attacking a woman at the home.
McCoy turned himself into Normandy police on Wednesday last week. He is being held in lieu of a $200,000 cash bond. McCoy had worked at the nursing home for about a year, Madigan said. The attack was interrupted when three workers at the home walked by.
Posted on January 23, 2009 by Ray Mullman
The Tampa Tribune had an article about a resident missing from a nursing home. How can the facility allow a vulnerable elderly person to wander way from the facility? Who is supervising the residents? Why didn't the door alarm go off? Or did the staff fail to respond to the alarm? Were they short-staffed?
A search is under way for Carl Seiden who disappeared from The Fountains, his assisted living facility in North Tampa. Seiden suffers from dementia. The sheriff's office describe him as 6 feet tall with a thin build and beard. He walks with a cane and was last seen wearing brown pants and a beige shirt, the sheriff's office said.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office at (813) 247-0929.
Posted on January 22, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Colleen Jenkins of the St. Petersburg Times had an article on the conditions of abused residents and the failure to prosecute the health care providers to the fullest extent of the law. The article explains the living conditions in Daphne Jones' boarding home in West Tampa. After finding elderly and disabled people crammed into windowless bedrooms without air conditioning or enough drinking water in August 2007, authorities arrested Jones on 18 felony counts of adult abuse. Jones pled guilty to a single misdemeanor count, for which she will serve six months of probation and 25 hours of community service. Her attorney said the whole ordeal had been overblown.
Prosecutors offered little explanation for the lack of a jail sentence.
Jones had pulled a bait-and-switch scheme. Some residents' family members said they thought their loved ones were living in Jones' 6,000-square-foot gated mansion in Temple Terrace. The property was licensed by the state as an adult family care home. The families were upset to learn their loved ones had been moved to the boarding house, sharing one bathroom and sleeping on bunk beds.
Tampa police officers arrived on Aug. 9, 2007, after receiving a tip about neglect. The air conditioning had been broken and the residents were dehydrated. Goudie said she took the deposition of one former resident who had bad things to say about the boarding house. The woman substantiated the information about the air conditioning.
Elrod Curry, 64, of Plant City, said his family had suspected that "something strange" was going on at the boarding house where his sister, Rosa Wilson, lived, but she couldn't tell them much because her mind came and went. He said Thursday that Jones' sentence seemed too light.
In 2003, a federal judge sentenced Jones to 24 months of probation and ordered her to pay $41,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration after she misrepresented her financial situation when applying for benefits for her son, who has cerebral palsy.
After her most recent arrest, the state Agency for Health Care Administration fined Jones $20,000 and revoked her license for not cooperating with the agency.
On Thursday, she pleaded guilty to culpable negligence. That charge resulted from one elderly female resident who had to be hospitalized for severe dehydration after police arrived.
Posted on January 17, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Vermont's WCAX.com had an article about another employee of a nursing home stealing resident's pills. There seems to be an epidemic of nurses stealing narcotics and other medications to ingest or sell on the black market. Should they routinely drug test nursing home workers?
Dawn Ash was indicted for possession and theft of the narcotics. She worked as a nurse at a New London, N.H., nursing home. Investigators suspect her of stealing Percocet and Vicodin from residents at the William P. Clough Center. It's a 58-bed nursing home attached to New London Hospital.
Last April, shortly before she was hired at the Clough Center, the state of Vermont suspended Ash's nursing license. She was accused in Vermont of illegally obtaining regulated substances with false prescriptions.
How in the world was she hired at a nursing home? Why didn't the nursing home check to make sure she had a license? I wonder how many residents had to suffer in pain because this nurse took their pain medication. I hope they throw the book at her.
Posted on January 9, 2009 by Ray Mullman
MSNBC had a tragic story about an investigation into the sexual assault of a resident by a staff member in Rochester, N.Y. News 10NBC called the Shore Winds Nursing Home to find out what happened. Not surprisingly, the man who spoke with the reporter said nothing happened, and when pressed with more questions he hung up. The reporter headed to the nursing home to find people who would answer questions.
The complaint came into State Health just before Christmas. It said a nursing home worker had sexual contact with a resident. The New York State Department of Health said it inspected the nursing home that day and found the claim was serious enough to warrant a full investigation.
It's still not common knowledge inside the home. Rochester Police said they say they're investigating along with the state, but so far no one has been arrested or charged.
The nursing home is quoted saying nothing happened. Over the course of the last three years the state has investigated 46 complaints at Shore Winds and cited them four times. Most of the complaints had to do with medical or structural complaints, nothing like this.
Posted on January 7, 2009 by Ray Mullman
Lehighvalleylive.com had an article from the Associated Press discussing the abuse and torture of a resident by a nursing home nursing supervisor and four staffers. They were charged with abusing a 94-year-old Alzheimer's patient for months, including punching her in the face and stamping on her feet. How could anyone do this to a vulnerable adult? If this was done to a child, there would be a national outcry for their heads!
The employees worked together on overnight shifts at Kane Regional Center's Glen Hazel facility. The five were charged in the abuse of Thelma Bryant, who uses a wheelchair and is unable to care for herself. The abuse spanned about six months, until another employee reported it. Thank God for that honest employee. I wonder how many other staff members were aware but looked the other way in fear for their jobs.
Mary Ann Bower was the licensed practical nurse in charge of four nursing assistants who are charged with assault, neglect and harassment. Bower was charged with harassment for allegedly throwing objects at the elderly woman and pouring water on her head. It sounds like they were water-boarding this poor resident. The others were accused of elbowing Bryant in the chest, punching her in the eye, stamping on her feet and throwing oranges at her face.
Posted on January 5, 2009 by Ray Mullman
St. Louis Post dispatch had a story about another resident who died of exposure when the facility failed to supervise her. The resident was left alone outside for hours and died of exposure. Interviews of employees at the Northgate Park Nursing Home provide no explanation for how the resident ended up dying of exposure right outside the door to the facility. Fannie Mae Rooks was found dead in her wheelchair in the cold and rain. Officers have talked with much of the staff, trying to learn how Rooks got to an outside smoking area sometime after the 9 p.m. rounds. Investigators are trying to figure out how Rooks remained unnoticed there for several hours.
CommuniCare Heath Services owns the nursing home. No employee has been disciplined or fired.
Rooks was found in a courtyard about 2 a.m. in the cold rain. Temperatures that night were between 36 and 40 degrees. Rooks was outside for several hours because she was last seen by nursing staff at 9 p.m. rounds. The family believes that the staff tried to cover up the circumstances by bringing her body inside and trying to "clean her up and dry her off" before calling authorities.
Posted on December 30, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Fort Worth Star Telegram had an article about a nursing home facility that allowed a resident to wander away from the facility unsupervised. The resident is a 67-year-old woman with an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease who walked away from a Fort Worth nursing home.
The woman was last seen about 5 a.m. at the Tanglewood Oaks nursing home. Police described the woman, Linda Kay Eichelberger, as white, 5-feet 3-inches tall, weighing about 135 pounds, with blond hair. Police think she may have tried to walk to her home near TCU.
Anyone with information about Eichelberger can contact Fort Worth police at 817-335-4222.
I am not sure how this happens when the facility knows that the woman suffers from dementia. Why weren't they keeping an eye on her? How long was she missing before they even noticed? Did they have a wanderguard on her? Were the doors locked to the facility? Did they have enough staff to watch her?
Posted on December 26, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Sarasota Herald Tribune had an article recently about a Bradenton caregiver arrested for leaving her post as the only caretaker at a Bradenton nursing home where a resident later suffered heat stroke and seizures while she was gone.
Linda Shaw, 48, was employed by Personal Care II, an assisted living facility located at 120 8th Ave. E. in Bradenton. Shaw was responsible for providing care and supervision to the victim and 15 others at the facility. Authorities say Shaw left the residents unsupervised during an overnight shift in July.
During that time, a 47-year-old resident fell ill, and his roommate had to call 911 for help. The patient was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Posted on December 23, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Clarion-Ledger of Mississippi had an article about nursing home employees abusing and torturing residents. Two of the nursing home workers were arrested for crimes including one nurse accused of pouring aftershave on a patient's genitals, Attorney General Jim Hood said.
Hood said that the women worked as licensed practical nurses at Graceland Care Center in New Albany. Cynthia Hunt of New Albany was charged Thursday with two felony counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult after being indicted by a Union County grand jury.
Hood accuses the 46-year-old Hunt of "pouring aftershave on the genitals of a patient" and administering medication that caused pain. Kathy Brooks, 59, of Blue Mountain is accused of taking the pain medication hydrocodone that was meant for more than one patient, Hood said.
"Any person found guilty of torturing a disabled person or stealing their pain medications leaving them to suffer should receive little mercy for such sinful crimes," Hood said.
How did the nursing home Administrator or Director of Nursing not know what was going on? Who is supervising the LPNs?
Posted on December 20, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Another nursing home employee was arrested by Florida authorities on charges she abused an elderly nursing home resident under her care. Karlene Brown was arrested by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Brown was employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant by Bay Pointe Terrace, a in Broward County.
Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit's Patient Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation (PANE) team had investigated. They wee acting on information received from the Department of Children and Families. According to investigators, Brown became angered at an 88-year-old resident who suffers from dementia. She grabbed the resident by the collar and forcefully dragged the elderly woman into the woman's room. The events were captured by a video recorder which was in the resident's room.
Did the facility train her on how to handle demented residents? Was the facility short-staffed leading to frustration and burn-out? Did she have too much responsibility and not enough help? How long had she worked there?
Posted on December 19, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Minneapolis Star Tribune had an article recently about the 8 teenagers involved in the abuse and taunting of nursing home residents. The young women attended high school together and worked at the Good Samaritan nursing home in Albert Lea, Minn. They also laughed together early this year as they spat in residents' mouths, poked and groped their breasts and genitals and at times taunted them until they screamed.
The allegations became public when state Health Department inspectors concluded that four aides, to make their "work fun," had abused 15 frail residents. The State claims that prosecuting the aides could prove difficult because the evidence is largely based on their own statements and those made by another aide who blew the whistle to the home's administrators while she was being fired for swearing in front of a resident. That aide was among those charged as a juvenile.
According to the complaint: "MRW stated that they openly discussed things among themselves. She stated the girls were confident they would not get caught because 'residents did not have their minds.'"
Another aide, identified as RMM, said the group gathered at breaks at work or school to "talk and laugh about the incidents," the complaint said.
The Health Department's findings were turned over to the Minnesota Nursing Assistant Registry, which bars aides who have maltreated nursing home residents from continuing in that line of work. Last year the department substantiated 68 cases of maltreatment in Minnesota nursing homes. Three of the aides have challenged the Health Department's findings and their subsequent disqualification to work with vulnerable adults.
Posted on December 18, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Lexington Herald-Leader had a story recently about how many families feel compelled to videotape loved ones residing in nursing homes. I know many State Attorney Generals use surveillance videotaping top prove allegations of abuse and neglect. There are some concerns about privacy but that is hard to argue if your loved one is being abused and neglected.
The article discusses the family of an 84-year-old resident of a Richmond nursing home owned by Extendicare. The family hid a video camera in the woman's room after they discovered dozens of unexplained bruises all over her body and didn't get answers from the staff. The videotape proved that nursing assistants at Madison Manor physically abused and taunted Armeda Thomas of Irvine. The tape also proved neglect because the staff often failed to feed and clean her.
The Kentucky Attorney General's Office is conducting a criminal investigation. After the criminal investigation began, evidence revealed "injuries of unknown origin" on 17 residents who were cognitively impaired.
A review of the incidents videotaped between Aug. 17 and Sept. 8 "demonstrated actual incidents of physical abuse and neglect by the staff," the state's citation said. The citation said that bruises — which the family first photographed in July — were handprint bruises and not injuries caused by the patient's own behavior.
The videotape captured the staff "pulling the resident out of bed by her wrists and neck," and "roughly moving the resident from side to side," the investigation showed. Three days after an incident in which certified nursing assistants handled the resident roughly, X-rays showed fractures in Thomas' lumbar vertebrae.
The videotape also showed instances where nursing assistants did not clean or feed the woman. And they falsified records about how much she ate. On two occasions, a nursing assistant ate the food herself. One of those times she recorded that Thomas ate all of her food. At one point, records show, Thomas lost 19 pounds in two weeks.
The videotape also showed nursing assistants mocking and taunting Thomas. One staff member showed her fist to Thomas after Thomas was combative. In another incident, a nursing assistant danced in front of Thomas while other staff forcibly held the resident down, state records show.
Posted on December 4, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Wisconsin State Journal had an article about a nursing home employee charged and arrested for abusing residents. Eric Larrabee slapped an 85-year-old hospice patient only 10 days before she died at a Stoughton nursing home. The resident suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He had only worked there for about two months before he was fired on Feb. 12. The woman died on Feb. 20.
The complaint states that another worker at the home heard Larrabee yell at the woman telling her to be quiet before seeing him slap her with an open hand. The woman appeared to be stunned by the blow, the complaint states.
State Department of Health Services Investigator Michelle Dutkiewicz said Larrabee admitted that he struck the woman out of frustration but said he only "tapped" her face.
Posted on December 1, 2008 by Ray Mullman
WBBM, News Radio 780, out of Chicago had a tragic story about a senior citizen who was missing from a nursing home weeks ago. He was discovered dead just 20 feet from the scene of his disappearance. Arthur Vaughn, 72, was found face down with his nose and mouth submerged in a wooded marsh area behind Robbins Supportive Living. An autopsy determined Vaughn drowned.
The article did not mention how the resident was able to leave the facility? Was their a Wanderguard in place? How long was he missing when the facility finally noticed? Why weren't they able to find him since he was only 20 feet away from the facility?
Posted on November 25, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Kristen Davis wrote a story in the Virginian-Pilot about a nursing home employee pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a comatose resident.
Mark S. Albright faces up to 20 years in prison, Albright, a licensed practical nurse, was working at Chesapeake Health and Rehabilitation Center when a female employee entered the room of a 43-year-old comatose patient the night of July 3. She saw Albright “with his mouth on” the woman’s breast, according to a police affidavit filed in court.
This is a sick and tragic story but at least the witness came forward and reported it. Many times this kind of assault is covered up by the nursing home.
Posted on November 2, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Philadelphia Daily News had a news report of a amn who was allowed to take a resident out of a nursing home and rape her. Yeadon police have charged a Northeast Philadelphia man with raping a dying 70-year-old nursing-home patient with Alzheimer's disease and a brain tumor. Doctors say she may have had less than six months to live.
Timothy Patrick White, 46, waived his preliminary hearing yesterday and was held for trial on 15 counts of rape and related charges. White took the victim from the Manor Care Nursing Home to a Southwest Philadelphia bar for rum-and-cokes, then to Cobbs Creek Park, where they drank beer until 5:30 a.m. on July 22. When he drove the woman back to the nursing home, staffers noticed that White was "not wearing a shirt and his pants were unbuttoned," according to the affidavit for his arrest. They also found bruises on the victim's mouth, neck and arms, and discovered that she was not wearing any underwear. White told workers he was "a friend of hers," then drove away, police said. It was unclear how White was able to leave the home with the woman.
How did he have access to the resident? How did the nursing home not notice that she was missing for all those hours? This is disgraceful on the part of the nursing home.
A DNA sample taken from White matched semen recovered from the victim's anal cavity, according to police.
Posted on October 3, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Koco.com, a news website from Oklahoma City, had an article about a resident being physically abused with video evidencing significant bruises. The article states that the resident's family is looking for answers after a woman was found covered in bruises while she was staying in a Norman nursing home.
The workers at the Whispering Pines Nursing Home said Carol Crow, 60, was injured when she fell but did not provide any details to support this conclusion. The family doesn't believe the injuries could come from a fall. The family is offering a reward for information because the Department of Human Service has refused to investigate.
"It was very traumatizing. She just cried the whole time," said Julie Glass, Carol's daughter. "She had bruising all the way around her face, all the way completely down her chest and around her neck."
"Her story is that a man knocked her down, got on top of her and beat her unconscious," said Jack Crow. The family said they took their story to DHS, which sent them a letter saying that it wouldn't open a case because there was no indication of abuse.
The Crow family offered a $2,500 reward for information. They posted signs around Norman and in front of the nursing center. The sign posting led to a confrontation with Whispering Pines representatives.
"I'm angry at the fact that I don't know what they're covering up," said Glass. "The people that are left there have no one. They have no one to protect them."
Posted on September 12, 2008 by Ray Mullman
ABC News, the Denver Channel, had an article about a nursing home employee beating a sick and vulnerable resident of a nursing home. This story disgusts me. I hope they throw the book at this guy. I hope he will never be able to work in the health care industry again. This kind of assault happens far too frequently and typically gets covered up by the nursing home or regulatory agencies.
The article mentions thar Kalen Randolph was arrested for nearly beating to death an elderly patient in his care. He physically assaulted a 74-year-old stroke victim at Ashley Manor. "He struck him repeatedly. Turns out, he had serious bodily injury, according to one doctor. (Randolph) also then fled the scene leaving eight of these elderly patients at the home without supervision," said Aurora Police spokesman Detective Bob Friel.
Because of a 911 hangup call, police responded quickly to the attack at 3:40 a.m., but Randolph was not in the area. "We know that he ended up meeting with a girlfriend and having sex in her car. And that's what he was doing at the time when these elderly patients were left in the home," said Friel.
Randolph, a certified nurse's assistant, is charged with eight counts of neglect and one count of second-degree assault. Ashley Manor is a small facility for Alzheimer's and brain injury patients. It has only nine patients.
Where was his supervisor? Was he the only person working on third shift? The nursing home should be held accountable for the actions of their employees.
Posted on September 11, 2008 by Ray Mullman
KAALtv.com had a disturbing article on residents being abused in a Minnesota nursing home. The conduct of these "professionals" is outrageous and disgusting. They should be arrested and thrown in jail and never work in the health car eindustry again. I would be surprised if anything happens to them. They will probably get rehired easily knowing how the nursing home industry works.
The article mentions that an investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health found that at least 15 nursing home residents were abused mentally and physically. The abuse actually could have been prevented months earlier.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health 15 residents at the Good Samaritan Society nursing home were verbally and or physically abused by several nursing assistants, some of them are not even 18 years old. The abuse was discovered back in December of 2007, but could have been earlier than that.
The 5 perpetrators were responsible for caring for the residents. The Freeborn County Attorney's office says dealing with vulnerable adults makes it difficult to prosecute when they don't have statements from the victims. It sounds like the prosecutor is making excuses for his own incompetence. Why doesn't he ask the nurses to take polygraph tests?
The Freeborn County Attorney says the five women face gross misdemeanor charges, which means only one year in jail, a $3-thousand dollar fine or both as a maximum plenty. There is no mention in the article if the nurses licenses have been revoked or if they work at another nursing home now.
Posted on September 4, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Deseret News had an article about the sentencing of a nursing home employee who molested an 85 year old resident where he was employed. This is a tragic and preventable situation. Why didn't anyone supervise this CNA? How could they have hired this guy? Why did they allow him to plea to a lesser crime? How could they give him such a light sentence?
Jacob Mut Bolith was charged in July 2007 with first-degree felony rape, second-degree felony forcible sex abuse and class A misdemeanor lewdness. However, in a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to forcible sex abuse, a second-degree felony, and the other two charges were dropped. He was only sentenced to serve a one-to-15-year sentence and ordered him to pay restitution.
"To do this to my mother ... is unconscionable," one daughter said. Her other daughter said a medical exam showed that the defendant did more than "what he admitted."
The article doesn't mention if the facility knew or should have known about their employee's tendencies or if they did a background check or if they recieved prior complaints about his behavior or if the State even investigated the nursing home.
Posted on August 28, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Fort Worth Star Telegram had an article about a tragic situation where an abused resident died before the grand jury was able to indict his tormentor.
Elaine Doores, a retired biology professor diagnosed two years earlier with Alzheimer’s, struggled to find the right words to describe the abuse she survived. "He has hurt me a lot. Every time he bathes me. He puts things in me. . . . He had sex with me more than once. It’s all the time in the bath."
The 68-year-old woman’s statement led to the arrest of Donald Gene Shelby, a certified nursing assistant at the James L. West Alzheimer’s Center where Doores had been living.
Her daughter says the district attorney’s office stalled in handling the case. "They sat on it while the victim got worse," Pitt said. "That’s the disservice they did to my mom and my family."
She believes that prosecutors dealing with victims who have dementia or Alzheimer’s should try to present the case to a grand jury without delay.
Elaine Doores was placed in a nursing home Jan. 23, 2007, two years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Pitt said Doores had difficulty speaking and performing motor skills but recognized relatives.
Pitt said that on Feb. 18, Shelby told her that her mother was upset the day before because the pajamas that she wanted to wear were dirty. Pitt said she was puzzled because her mother had never seemed to care what she wore. Later, during the same visit, Pitt said that when she suggested getting "Donald" to help Doores go to the bathroom, her mother became agitated. When questioned, Doores told her daughter that Shelby was "bad" and had done something "wrong."
Pitt said she sought the help of a floor nurse, who asked Doores whether Shelby had touched her. Doores answered, "Yes." When the nurse asked where, Doores replied, "Everywhere," Pitt said.
Pitt went home and told her husband, Deven Pitt, a Fort Worth police detective. At his suggestion, the two contacted Detective S.L. Schloeman, the on-duty investigator with the sex crimes unit, and filed a police report.
Afterward, Doores provided a statement to Schloeman, a copy of which Pitt gave to the Star-Telegram. Doores described Shelby as "scary" and said she was afraid of him. She said he made threats and told her not to tell anyone what he had done.
Schloeman, now a sergeant in patrol, said that to determine Doores’ mental state, she had asked Doores questions, including some about her daughter’s birth date, the current year and where she lived. Doores answered every question correctly, Schloeman said.
"She displayed symptoms of having just a minor case of Alzheimer’s," Schloeman said. "She was able to give me a clear, concise description of what had happened to her. She was able to identify the suspect in a photo spread and identify him by first name."
On March 2, 2007, Schloeman obtained an arrest warrant for Shelby on suspicion of aggravated sexual assault. The next day, Shelby surrendered at the Tarrant County Jail and was released after posting $50,000 bail.
Tarrant County court records show that Shelby was indicted in March 1987 on a charge of indecency/fondling. The state dismissed that case in January 1988 after the accuser, a male minor, committed suicide.
How could he get a job at a nursing home when he had been arrested for abusing a vulnerable person? Did the nursing home do a criminal background check?
Posted on August 25, 2008 by Lara Pettiss Harrill
Okay - I think I'd be filing a lawsuit too. Actually, I think I'd have been raising all sorts of hell prior to filing this lawsuit. I don't have much information on this other than the Complaint, which doesn't have a lot of details (probably because its not required), but I cannot imagine how this happened. The injuries cited are "including but not limited to cellulitis in his scrotum and penis and gangrene in his penis which required the removal of his left testicle." This complaint is against an Eldercare facility in Illinois. My first question (and this is an unusual stance for me) is how on earth did this gentleman not complain long before he had gangrene? And if he did complain, how on earth did no one do anything about it? And of course, what could have been done? What causes something like this?
Honestly, I think answers to those questions are far more than I truly want to know, but those are my first thoughts.
Bottom line is, this gentleman was in a nursing facility, presumably because he needed nursing care - presumably because he needed assistance with activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. What on earth were the employees doing (or not doing) that they could miss something like gangrene . . .
It boggles the mind.
Posted on August 20, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The body of a nursing home resident was found dead, The man had been missing from a Caroline County nursing home since Aug. 3. The date and cause of death are still under investigation and how he exited the nursing home where he was supposed to be supervised. Additional information about where the body was found, and by whom, was not available from the sheriff's office last night.
Richard Eddie Robertson was found Friday morning. Cenk Kalemdaroglu, an administrator at Bowling Green Healthcare Center released a statement: "We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic outcome of the exhaustive search to find Mr. Robertson, Our sincere condolences go out to his family and loved ones. We would like to thank all of the individuals and volunteers that have assisted in this search effort."
Robertson suffered from dementia and was known to wander. Wandering is a major problem in demented residents and why staffing and supervision are so important. The nursing home should have had a Wanderguard on or even a simple GPS unit. They are cheap and would not bother the residents.
Posted on August 6, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Updated sentinel event statistics
The Joint Commission’s sentinel event statistics have been updated on The Joint Commission website. Since the sentinel event database was implemented in January 1995 through June 30, 2008, The Joint Commission has received 5,208 reports of sentinel events. A total of 5,336 patients were affected by these events, with 3,713, or 70 percent, resulting in patient death. The 10 most frequently reported sentinel events are:
Wrong-site surgery 691
Suicide 641
Operative/post-operative complication 598
Medication error 470
Delay in treatment 390
Patient fall 307
Assault, rape or homicide 198
Patient death or injury in restraints 183
Unintended retention of foreign body* 175
Perinatal death or loss of function 159
* Added to reviewable events in June 2005; data represents events reviewed since that time.
Posted on August 5, 2008 by Lara Pettiss Harrill
There's lots of chatter out there about corporate run nursing homes. When OBRA was passed in 1987, many of the locally owned nursing homes realized that financially, they couldn't keep up with the new regulations, either because of the survey process or becuase they couldn't compete with larger nursing homes. Here's a brief article about it. Go there, and you'll find other links to additional articles. I found one little blip particularly interesting. It is a chart of corporations that run nursing homes in Wisconsin, and says that the largest nursing home chains were citing for actual harm and immediate jeopardy more frequently than the statewide percentage in the last three years. In fact, out of 11 homes owned by Kindred, 10 of them were citied for serious violations.
One wonders, how long will it take for the states to crack down on these sorts of results?
Posted on June 29, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Chicago Sun times had a sad article about an elderly resident beaten to death at a nurisng home. The nursing home hasn't explained how it happened or who assaulted the man. Instead they are trying to blame the victim by stating he had "prior altercations" in an "other nursing home." So? What does that have to do with preventing him from getting assaulted at your nursing home? The autopsy showed he was beaten to death and it was ruled a homicide.
The nursing home had a history of negligence and state-mandated fines .
The nursing home's attorney said: “He was only in [the Renaissance] facility for four or five days before he expired,” Meehan said. “He had an altercation of some kind at a previous nursing home.”
Expired? He was beaten to death. Why is the attorney making statement sinstead of the Administrator or Director of Nursing?
Meehan said she did not know who assaulted Jackson at the Giles Avenue nursing home.
Posted on June 26, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The DesMoines Register has an article about a woman who complained about the care her mother ws recieving at a nursing home being arrested after the nursing home stated that she was "abusing" her mother. This lack of accountability by the nursing home is astounding. Trying to quiet the family of a neglected resident who had every right to complain about the poor care given to her mother is ridiculous. Obviously, the nursing home did not want the family to witness other acts of neglect and wanted to protect their mother. Below are excerpts of the article.
A Cedar Falls woman who claims she was jailed in retaliation for complaints about her mother's care at a Waverly nursing home has sued the home and the city. Maxine Veatch, 64, and her sister, Christine Price, 57, of Mason City sued Bartels Retirement Community, at whose nursing home their 94-year-old mother, Agnes Bell, has lived since 2004.
Co-defendants include the home's administrator, Debra Schroeder; its director of nursing, Brianna Brunner; and Police Sgt. Jason Leonard. Veatch and Price allege false imprisonment, negligence, defamation and malicious prosecution. Police and nursing home officials could not be reached for comment. The sisters have asked for at least $75,000.
The federal lawsuit alleges the sisters noticed problems such as medication errors and a lack of cleanliness in 2006 when they visited their mother at Bartels' Woodland Terrace nursing home. When they raised their concerns with managers, administrators compiled "a book of false and/or misleading accusations" against the sisters, the lawsuit claims.
The state has cited the home for 11 violations since 2004. Last year, inspectors alleged a high rate of medicine errors and problems with nursing services.
Bell allegedly collapsed in Veatch's arms on Sept. 27, 2006, while she walked with her daughters to the home's dining room. Veatch swung her 145-pound mother into the nearest wheelchair, and Bell recovered within a few minutes, according to the lawsuit. A worker at the home reportedly complained to her bosses that she saw Veatch shove her mother into the wheelchair. Veatch was summoned two days later to the police station, where Leonard allegedly issued her a citation for assault and put her in jail for 23 hours. Veatch was then barred from the nursing home for 13 months. Price was denied visits for eight months.
Veatch was acquitted of the criminal charge. After Iowa Department of Human Services officials classified her as an abuser, Veatch appealed the decision, and her mother testified on her behalf. Administrative Law Judge Mark Lambert overturned the department's finding and stated that Veatch had "prevented a potentially much more serious injury to her mother."
Posted on June 16, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Salt Lake Tribune had an article about response times to call lights. This is a major problem in many nursing homes leading to falls or loss of dignitiy. Typically, a resident who needs assistance to go to the bathroom hits the call light. No response. The resident then has two choices: 1. Attempt to get up without assistance and risk falling, or 2. Relieve themselves and sit in their own urine and feces.
Call lights are little red buttons next to every bed and bathroom in every nursing home. When pushed, an alarm should sound at the nurse's desk and a light flashes over the bedroom door.
These call lights are how the frail and elderly summon for urgent help. But all too often, caretakers are slow to respond, if they respond at all. This is a common complaint from most if not all of our clients.
A Salt Lake Tribune examination shows that state inspectors have cited nearly one-third of Utah's nursing homes for a call light violation in the past two years.
At the Hurricane Rehabilitation Center, the call lights didn't work in 10 rooms.
At the Bear River Valley Care Center, a man confined to a wheelchair waited 25 minutes for help getting into bed. "Sometimes it takes half a day," he told regulators.
At the Willow Wood Care Center, a woman pushed her call light to get pain medication. She received her pills three hours later.
A slow response to a call light not only can impact a person's medical care, but also steal their dignity. In a number of cases, people waited so long for help that they ended up soiling themselves.
Utah inspectors receive more complaints about call lights than anything else, said Greg Bateman, who heads the state certification team. Often, call light problems are a symptom of inadequate staffing.
Because caretakers usually respond faster when they know inspectors are watching, Bateman said he often relies on resident complaints to identify a problem. There is no hard and fast guideline for responding to a call light, but state regulators want to see someone at least assess the person's needs within the first five minutes.
Advocates for the Disability Law Center keep track of this problem.
Eileen Maloney, who is a member of the center's abuse and neglect team, said she visits some homes where call lights are constantly ringing and staff members ignore them.
The industry is teaming with state inspectors to create a new incentive program next year that will encourage nursing homes to replace their old call light system with the latest technology.
The system would allow homes to document response times, providing proof that either resident complaints are valid or not.
Posted on June 11, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Birmingham Mail had an interesting
article about a nursing home administrator defending the care provided to residents despite the fact that 27 of her resdients died in one year! The former manager of a Birmingham nursing home has hit back at allegations she didn’t look after residents properly.
Kathleen Smith, who ran the Maypole Nursing Home, in Kings Heath, until it was shut down by inspectors told a Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing yesterday that she adequately managed residents’ incontinence.
Defending herself, Smith, described it as not "unusual" to see residents seated with incontinence pads showing above their trousers. But, she said: "It’s different to say you’re leaving them walk around with a pad out – that’s undignified."
Smith also dismissed claims she allowed a resident with chest problems to be inappropriately restrained in a bucket chair. "It’s rubbish," she said, "I totally, totally disagree with that. The chair didn’t tilt back, it was a semi-recumbent chair."
Smith also refuted accusations she had allowed a resident’s nails to grow curled and yellow. "It’s absolutely ludicrous," she added.
The misconduct probe into Smith, who said she currently worked as a community psychiatric nurse, is also looking into allegations against her former Maypole nurse colleagues Carol Estelle Bushell and Mary Kathleen Casey.
Bushell, 48, of West Heath, and Casey, 70, of Harborne, have already admitted allowing drugs to be given to the wrong patients.
Posted on May 20, 2008 by Ray Mullman
CBS affiliate KDKA in Pittsburgh had an article about another sexual assault at a nursing home facility. Do they even bother to do background checks or supervise their employees?
A nursing home employee is facing charges after he allegedly sexually assauted a patient who uses a motorized wheelchair. Allegheny County Police have charged Marc Lane, 37, of Kittaning, with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, two counts of indecent assault, indecent exposure and criminal attempt.
The 65-year-old male victim who suffers from Parkinsons Disease said in a police report that Lane came into his room at the Consulate Health Care facility on Saxonburg Boulevard in Indiana Township between April 11 and April 25 and drew the curtain for privacy.
Lane allegedly told the patient he would treat a skin condition, but that in fact led to a sex act. The victim is refered to as "John Doe" in the affidavit.
"Lane then asked Doe if he had ever been with a man," according to the affidavit. The resident told police he resisted the advances but that led to another sex act until a nurse walked into the room.
After a mini mental status exam, the victim scored 28 out of 30. Police determined the victim is of sound mind.
Posted on May 20, 2008 by Ray Mullman
KPTV.com has a video and story showing a nursing home worker stealing from the residents. A worker at an assisted living center was arrested and charged with theft after she was caught on camera stealing from patients, police said.
Deputies arrested the woman at the Regency Park Assisted Living Center. The Washington County Sheriff's Office received multiple reports of thefts going on at the center, so they set up a hidden camera to try and catch the thief. Police set up a hidden camera and plant a purse with money in it in order to catch the thief. Three days after setting up the camera, Quanecka Thompson, 23, was caught on camera going through the purse, pulling out the wallet, taking money, putting it in her pocket and leaving the room, police said.
Detectives said they set up the purse a second time, and again, Thompson was witnessed stealing money from it. Deputies arrested Thompson last week.
I wonder if they did a background check on this nurse?
Posted on May 19, 2008 by Ray Mullman
San Mateo Daily Journal had an
article about a settlement three years after a mentally disabled woman was scalded nearly to death in a Redwood City nursing home. The resolution came May 13, one day after the county was set to square off in court with Res-Care and employees, including Oretha Ocansey who was criminally convicted for her role in the severe burning of Theresa Rodriguez in May 2004.
The county, which is Rodriguez’s legal guardian, sought both punitive and actual damages for Rodriguez who was left so badly injured her hospital care costs $3,000 a day. The lawsuit was filed after Ocansey was sentenced for placing the woman in the boiling hot stream of water but the defendants argued the entire company was not responsible for the actions of the single employee.
On May 4, 2004, Rodriguez was seated in the shower at Res-Care, located on McGarvey Avenue, when 145-degree water poured onto her lap. Rodriguez, who is unable to speak or walk, suffered third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body. Nurse’s aide Oretha Ocansey placed a diaper on Rodriguez and did not alert a supervisor for two hours. An hour after the supervisor learned of the situation, Rodriguez was airlifted to a Santa Clara County hospital and spent more than two hours on life support.
During the investigation in Ocansey’s role, prosecutors learned that Res-Care forbid workers from calling 911 until they first contacted a supervisor. Prosecutors still considered Ocansey culpable, however, for waiting two hours before even contacting her boss. In August 2004,
Ocansey pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse in return for an immediate sentence of the 34 days she had already served plus probation and a ban from working at health-care facilities. The plea bargain spared her trial and up to four years in prison if convicted by a jury.
The county went after the nursing home and its corporate owners the following January, claiming the facility knew of the water temperature problem for six days before Ocansey placed her in the shower.
Posted on May 19, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Knoxville News had an article about a nursing home resident who lost a leg due to the nursing home's neglect. Neglect of a resident at Hillcrest-West nursing home led to the amputation of her leg last month, according to state reports quoting a doctor who consulted on the case.
The state has censured Hillcrest nursing homes for providing substandard care three times in the past two years. Obviously the corporate managers ignored the problems and did nothing to correct them.
Now, as in the past, Hillcrest is in danger of losing federal funding if problems aren't corrected. Hillcrest-West has until May 25 to submit a detailed plan of correction, said Lee Millman, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. During a survey conducted April 28 through May 2, the state found violations of "resident protection, administration, records and reporting, and nursing services standards."
Details in the recent state report on Hillcrest-West state that the amputee's pressure wound was at the most severe level when first noted by staff Feb. 7. The leg was amputated above the knee April 22. Doctors said the bone likely was infected and the wound was "exquisitely (intensely) painful" when manipulated.
A podiatrist said the pressure wound was the "result of neglect ... the worst wound I have seen in 12 years," and the surgeon who removed the leg concurred, the report states. The same patient didn't get the amount of tube-fed nutrition and saline ordered by her doctor, with feedings skipped repeatedly, the report notes. Also, the family was not informed of the pressure wound and was shocked when they learned of the pending amputation, the state report said.
State inspections from 2006 and 2007 report Hillcrest-West patients found on the floor after apparently falling from beds or wheelchairs, failure to properly use restraints or alarms, patients who were unclean, and inadequate staffing.
Posted on May 7, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Rome News Tribune has a story about a male resident found dead in the nursing home's utility closet. Typically, these closets are locked and only certain staff members have access. No one knows how the resident got into the closet or how he died.
The man had been missing from a Georgia nursing home for two weeks but was found dead Wednesday in a utility closet at the facility. The body of Walter T. Heath was found in a closet near the dining area of the Tara at Thunderbolt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Heath had been missing since 5 p.m. April 16. He admitted himself into the Thunderbolt facility in February. After he disappeared, the facility's staff and Heath's family members grew concerned about him. Heath's wheechair was left near the dining area the day he disappeared, not far from the utility closet where his body was found Wednesday morning.
Hopefully, the autopsy and investigation will reveal what truly happened.
Posted on May 7, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Alabama NewsChannell 19 had a horrendous
story of neglect on their website. NewsChannel 19's Carson Clark reported that a Marshall County Nursing Home is in trouble with state and federal officials after a patient died there. A doctor says the Golden Living Center in Boaz
allowed a young woman to scream for help for more than six hours, before finding her dead.
The patient, 20-year-old Felicia Ann Engle of Boaz, suffered from kidney disease. She had to be placed in Golden Living because her father was no longer capable of taking care of her needs.
According to state records obtained by NewsChannel 19, Engle began to yell for help around 3:00 p.m. on April 3, 2008. The records quote nurses at the facility, with one saying Felicia was, "...begging us to call her doctor that something was really wrong this time. She was hurting so bad it was unbearable."
The nurse tells investigators she went to another nurse to tell her of Engle's request. The nurse reportedly replied, "Yes, we know, we've heard all about it four times at least."
NewsChannel 19 contacted Dr. Tom Geary with the Alabama Department of Public Health in Montgomery. He says the way in which Engle was treated violates the law.
"If the patient requests to go to the hospital, [if] they say something is wrong, I need to go to the emergency room, they are supposed to take them to the emergency room. They are not supposed to make a judgment that the person is just trying to disrupt the normal services in the facility, close the door and leave them alone," he says.
The director of Golden Living, Kevin Cogan, refused an on-camera interview and asked NewsChannel 19 to leave the property when they visited.
Posted on April 22, 2008 by Ray Mullman
WIStv.com had a
story by Jack Kuenzie about a resident being neglected in a Prosperity, S.C. nursing home. The owner of the Southside Residential Care Facility, Roy Lee Bowers, 64, has been arrested and charged with felony neglect of a vulnerable adult, resulting in the death of a patient. His health care administration license was also suspended Friday by the state.
Investigators started looking into the facility when they found 59-year-old William Sealy malnourished and only weighing 94 pounds. Sealy had injuries to his legs, bed bugs, a toenail rotted off and a toe beginning to rot off, and his socks had been left on for so long that his skin was pulled off when his sock was removed. They said he also had a scalp disease, appeared as if he hadn't been bathed in over a week, and was severely malnourished. He weighed 94 pounds and officials said he should have weighed at least 160 pounds.
Sealy died on Saturday, April 12th. Autopsy results show he died of pneumonia and severe infection. Until he died, Sealy's family had no idea he was even there. A spokeswoman says the family had been told by his guardian to avoid contact with Sealy for fear of damaging his fragile mental condition.
To those who monitor the state's system for protecting sealy and others like him, it's another indication of just how weak that system can be.
Posted on April 7, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Today we have a guest writer, Heather Johnson. who is a regular contributor to RNCentral.com, a great site for nurses and others interested in the nursing field. We thank Heather for help insightful contribution. Below is her entry.
Nursing Home Workers Face Neglect, Fraud Charges
Chicago Sun-Times reports that Nurse Marty Himebaugh and nursing director Penny Whitlock of a Woodstock, Illinois nursing home have been charged with criminal neglect of their patients and fraud. Police are currently investigating the deaths of six patients, which may be related to Himebaugh's reputation for playing "Angel of Death" to her patients. Allegedly, she gave patients overdoses of morphine when she worked at the nursing home and Whitlock failed to reprimand her.
Complaints had been filed against Himebaugh many times before she was eventually put on leave from her job in 2006. Some allege that Whitlock not only failed to discipline Himebaugh in a timely manner, she could have been encouraging the illegal actions. Authorities exhumed the bodies of three patients to determine if they had died as a result of an overdose, though results have not been made public.
In addition to criminal neglect, Whitlock has been charged with obstruction of justice after she allegedly ordered the destruction of drugs in the nursing home. Himebaugh also faces additional charges for fraudulently obtaining and illegally dispensing morphine. Police are not expected to file any more criminal charges against current or former employees of the nursing home.
According to attorney Steven Levin, who was hired by the family of an alleged victim, "It was flat out an attempt to kill people. I mean we don't kill old people in nursing homes in this country."
By-line:
Heather Johnson is a freelance writer as well as a regular contributor for RNCentral.com, a site which covers all things related to RN. Heather welcomes your comments and emails related to job inquiries at her email address, heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.
Posted on April 3, 2008 by Ray Mullman
WBLT in Jackson, Ms. has an article about a resident who was so neglected in her diabetic monitoring that she will now lose her leg. Below are excerpts from the article.
A nursing home's responsibility is to care for those in need. On Friday, March 28, Willie Mae Coleman was admitted to University Medical Center in Jackson for gangrene. Her left leg will be amputated. The family blames the Pine Crest Guest Home for neglecting to give her mother the care she needed.
"It could have been avoided if her leg had been properly elevated and proper procedure would have been done," she says. "It wouldn't have come to her having surgery."
"I think vascular disease is always preventative on several levels," said Coleman's doctor, Huey McDaniels.
Sandra says although her mother was admitted to UMC on Friday, nobody from the nursing home that brought her here notified them. In fact, her family didn't know she was there until Sunday. Sandra says her siblings went to visit Coleman at Pine Crest Guest Home on Sunday, but Coleman wasn't there. That's how they found out she was in the hospital.
Sandra Coleman says there's no excuse for allowing her mother to get to a point where amputation is the only option.
"If it's happening to us, it could be happening to others there, too," said Sandra.
Posted on March 20, 2008 by Ray Mullman
WFTV in Florida had an article about a nursing home allowing one of their residents to fall NINE times from a her wheelchair. This is neglect. Why didn't they try a safety device like a tray or belt? I wonder if they were given her the right amount of medication or if they were using the medications as a chemical restraint? Hopefully the family will get some answers during the lawsuit.
The falls caused Ruth Boelke to prematurely die. The nursing staff failed to follow the doctor's orders and best safety practices by failing to use a safety device to prevent Ruth from falling out of her wheelchair. The home's director said it did call her doctor a few days before she died and sent her to the hospital. The family claims the nursing home should have called for help sooner.
Posted on March 10, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Santa Cruz Sentinel has an
article about the tragedy that is all too common for many nursing home residents. Nursing homes fail to train on what DNR status means, and far too often simple care is not provided that would save a resident's life. Below are excerpts from the article.
The Tragedy: On Sept. 11, 2007, a 71-year-old woman with cancer was transferred to Pacific Care Manor, a nursing home in Capitola. Just prior to her admission, the woman's doctor noted that her patient was lucid and responsive and "could have years to live." Most importantly, the patient had also expressed a desire to live.
Shortly after her admission, the woman began refusing food, water and any treatment. Within two days, she was screaming and combative. On day three, the nursing staff suggested that lab work be ordered to determine the cause of the resident's distress.
The facility's director of nursing overruled the suggestion because "once we know what is going on then we will have to treat her." Instead, the nursing director asked the facility doctor to prescribe pain medication and a "do not resuscitate" order. The doctor complied and, despite the woman's documented opiate intolerance, he prescribed a Fentanyl patch, Haldol, morphine. He also wrote an order for "no CPR, no hospitalization."
His patient cried out "you are all going to kill me" after the forcible administration of the prescribed medications. On Sept. 16, just five days after her admission, the resident died.
All residents of nursing homes have the right to grant or withhold consent to any proposed treatment. Residents have the right to refuse or consent to treatment and to receive all information relevant to making their treatment decisions. Providing such information is part of any responsible nursing home's assessment and care planning process. Federal regulations also reaffirm residents' rights to informed consent and to refuse treatment.
Regardless of a resident's mental capacity, no facility may administer treatment unless the resident has agreed or has been specifically adjudicated incompetent by a state court judge. Even after a court has determined that a resident is incompetent, it must make additional findings before terminating a resident's right to refuse treatment.
Without a court order, the provision of any treatment over a resident's express refusal is a violation of several residents rights and is criminal battery.
Similarly, doctors cannot order "Do Not Resuscitate" orders without the written authorization of their patients. For DNR orders, designated health care agents may sign for the patient. However, doctors may not unilaterally impose DNR orders without a resident or resident representative signature.
Nursing homes throughout California are accustomed to interposing their notions of a resident's best interests over the expressed wishes of their residents. The Department of Public Health and resident advocates have been generally weak in preventing this illegal conduct. Hopefully, the tragedy in Capitola will serve as a warning to both facilities and advocates about the deadly consequences of disregarding residents' critical rights to direct their own treatment.
Anthony Chicotel is an attorney for the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform in San Francisco.
Posted on March 10, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Santa Cruz Sentinel has an
article about the tragedy that is all too common for many nursing home residents. Nursing homes fail to train on what DNR status means, and far too often simple care is not provided that would save a resident's life. Below are excerpts from the article.
The Tragedy: On Sept. 11, 2007, a 71-year-old woman with cancer was transferred to Pacific Care Manor, a nursing home in Capitola. Just prior to her admission, the woman's doctor noted that her patient was lucid and responsive and "could have years to live." Most importantly, the patient had also expressed a desire to live.
Shortly after her admission, the woman began refusing food, water and any treatment. Within two days, she was screaming and combative. On day three, the nursing staff suggested that lab work be ordered to determine the cause of the resident's distress.
The facility's director of nursing overruled the suggestion because "once we know what is going on then we will have to treat her." Instead, the nursing director asked the facility doctor to prescribe pain medication and a "do not resuscitate" order. The doctor complied and, despite the woman's documented opiate intolerance, he prescribed a Fentanyl patch, Haldol, morphine. He also wrote an order for "no CPR, no hospitalization."
His patient cried out "you are all going to kill me" after the forcible administration of the prescribed medications. On Sept. 16, just five days after her admission, the resident died.
All residents of nursing homes have the right to grant or withhold consent to any proposed treatment. Residents have the right to refuse or consent to treatment and to receive all information relevant to making their treatment decisions. Providing such information is part of any responsible nursing home's assessment and care planning process. Federal regulations also reaffirm residents' rights to informed consent and to refuse treatment.
Regardless of a resident's mental capacity, no facility may administer treatment unless the resident has agreed or has been specifically adjudicated incompetent by a state court judge. Even after a court has determined that a resident is incompetent, it must make additional findings before terminating a resident's right to refuse treatment.
Without a court order, the provision of any treatment over a resident's express refusal is a violation of several residents rights and is criminal battery.
Similarly, doctors cannot order "Do Not Resuscitate" orders without the written authorization of their patients. For DNR orders, designated health care agents may sign for the patient. However, doctors may not unilaterally impose DNR orders without a resident or resident representative signature.
Nursing homes throughout California are accustomed to interposing their notions of a resident's best interests over the expressed wishes of their residents. The Department of Public Health and resident advocates have been generally weak in preventing this illegal conduct. Hopefully, the tragedy in Capitola will serve as a warning to both facilities and advocates about the deadly consequences of disregarding residents' critical rights to direct their own treatment.
Anthony Chicotel is an attorney for the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform in San Francisco.
Posted on March 10, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Santa Cruz Sentinel has an
article about the tragedy that is all too common for many nursing home residents. Nursing homes fail to train on what DNR status means, and far too often simple care is not provided that would save a resident's life. Below are excerpts from the article.
The Tragedy: On Sept. 11, 2007, a 71-year-old woman with cancer was transferred to Pacific Care Manor, a nursing home in Capitola. Just prior to her admission, the woman's doctor noted that her patient was lucid and responsive and "could have years to live." Most importantly, the patient had also expressed a desire to live.
Shortly after her admission, the woman began refusing food, water and any treatment. Within two days, she was screaming and combative. On day three, the nursing staff suggested that lab work be ordered to determine the cause of the resident's distress.
The facility's director of nursing overruled the suggestion because "once we know what is going on then we will have to treat her." Instead, the nursing director asked the facility doctor to prescribe pain medication and a "do not resuscitate" order. The doctor complied and, despite the woman's documented opiate intolerance, he prescribed a Fentanyl patch, Haldol, morphine. He also wrote an order for "no CPR, no hospitalization."
His patient cried out "you are all going to kill me" after the forcible administration of the prescribed medications. On Sept. 16, just five days after her admission, the resident died.
All residents of nursing homes have the right to grant or withhold consent to any proposed treatment. Residents have the right to refuse or consent to treatment and to receive all information relevant to making their treatment decisions. Providing such information is part of any responsible nursing home's assessment and care planning process. Federal regulations also reaffirm residents' rights to informed consent and to refuse treatment.
Regardless of a resident's mental capacity, no facility may administer treatment unless the resident has agreed or has been specifically adjudicated incompetent by a state court judge. Even after a court has determined that a resident is incompetent, it must make additional findings before terminating a resident's right to refuse treatment.
Without a court order, the provision of any treatment over a resident's express refusal is a violation of several residents rights and is criminal battery.
Similarly, doctors cannot order "Do Not Resuscitate" orders without the written authorization of their patients. For DNR orders, designated health care agents may sign for the patient. However, doctors may not unilaterally impose DNR orders without a resident or resident representative signature.
Nursing homes throughout California are accustomed to interposing their notions of a resident's best interests over the expressed wishes of their residents. The Department of Public Health and resident advocates have been generally weak in preventing this illegal conduct. Hopefully, the tragedy in Capitola will serve as a warning to both facilities and advocates about the deadly consequences of disregarding residents' critical rights to direct their own treatment.
Anthony Chicotel is an attorney for the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform in San Francisco.
Posted on March 10, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Warren Wolfe of the Star Tribune in St. Paul, Mn. wrote a great article on the overuse of medications in the nursing home population.
Thousands of nursing homes nationwide are using powerful antipsychotic drugs to quiet disruptive people with mild dementia -- at times a step that's easier and cheaper than training staff to fix the problem. The practice is alarming Medicaid officials so they ordered state nursing home inspectors to crack down on it.
The Food and Drug Administration requires some to carry a "black box warning" that they heighten risk of death for older patients, a warning that it might extend to all antipsychotic drugs. They also increase the risk of confusion and falling. The drugs often are prescribed whether the resident is psychotic or not.
Antipsychotic drugs have become the No. 1 drug paid for by Medicaid, which regulates and pays for nursing home care. It's easy to understand why an overworked and burnt out nurse might want a resident drugged as a chemical restraint. However, unless the resident is combative because of a mental illness such as paranoia, there's always a better way to control disruptive behavior in someone with dementia than with drugs, said John Brose, a Minneapolis psychologist who consults at more than 100 nursing homes, including Hopkins.
"Usually, that person is trying to communicate something -- I'm too cold, too hot, constipated, frightened, tired, thirsty," he said. "Figure that out, then deal with the real problem."
Posted on March 3, 2008 by Ray Mullman
WHEC-TV ran a story about a neglected resident who sued a nursing home for pressure ulcers, bedsores, and gangrene at Blossom South Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The nursing home is already facing nearly $150,000 in fines from the state for other deficiencies.
Resident Ruby Myers' right leg was amputated after gangrene had set in. Myers broke her leg last September. Doctors put her leg into a brace that apparently caused severe pressure ulcers and open sores. The circulation in the leg was stopped. The woman also suffered from bedsores.
D.A. Mike Green has decided to defer to the state health department for possible action but no penalty has been decided yet. Over the last three years, Blossom South had 70 standard health deficiencies, while the statewide average was 16. And deficiencies related to "actual harm" or "immediate jeopardy" were 10 for Blossom South, compared to just one for the state average for a nursing home.
Posted on February 19, 2008 by Ray Mullman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com has an article from Violette King, president of Nursing Home Monitors, a non-profit, all-volunteer advocacy group for nursing home safety about improper discharges and evictions of residents from nursing homes. She encourages the media to put a spotllight on the injustices that occur daily in nursing homes throughout the country because the exposure will hurt the profits and therefore will deter bad behavior.
Long-term care facilities spend a lot of money to make sure that their beds are full. They know very well that bad publicity translates into the anathema of empty beds. Legislation to require facilities to give a reason for discharge should be spurred on by the media to add more protective measures. Legislators are under immense pressure from the many long-term care lobbyists who swarm their offices.
Involuntarily discharging a resident can lead to serious setbacks and even death from what is known as "transfer trauma." There are only three acceptable reasons for evicting a resident: The facility can no longer meet the resident's needs, the resident or Medicaid has failed to pay the bill, or the resident is a danger to him/herself or to others. The burden of proof should always be on the facility to prove its case, which should be done at a proper hearing where legal assistance is provided for residents who cannot afford an attorney.
Good profits and lack of oversight lead to far too many unscrupulous characters going into the nursing home industry. When a resident or the family complain about needs that are not met as agreed, the facility all too often asks them to leave. Threat of eviction has a chilling, silencing effect on families who usually have no other choice for placement.
Posted on February 15, 2008 by Ray Mullman
In many of our neglect and abuse cases, the victim is unable to testify regarding the bad care because of dementia or death. I read an article today about a man who is competent and speaking up for his rights and the rights of others at the facility where he lives. Mr. Crawley is a competent 48 year old man who resides at Sunrise Rehabilitation & Care in Marion, N.C. "I am not being treated like, I feel, as a human being," said Crawley.
Crawley became a paraplegic as a result of a car wreck in 1982. His 81-year-old father, Joe Crawley Sr., can no longer take care of him and he started living at Sunrise Rehab on Oct. 15. For the first two weeks there, the staff didn't give him a bath or shower. "I don't know what is going on here," he said. "It seems like they make a lot of errors in simple things."
Crawley said his elderly roommate will talk incoherently and constantly yell about having to urinate, and, rather than listening to him, the staff will shut the door. With the heater running, that makes the room get hot for both Crawley and his roommate. He said he has called the nurse's station to have the door opened but is ignored.
His sister said the staff once left a feces-soiled blue pad on his wheelchair for more than two hours. His father, who visits him twice a week, found it and thought his son had had an accident. He bagged up the soiled pad and took it to the nurse's desk. "That's an unsanitary condition and that's neglect," said Pilgrim.
Crawley said he's confined in his bed 21 hours a day. This will increase the likelihood of developing pressure ulcers.
Crawley added he's paying $879 a month to stay at Sunrise Rehab, which leaves him with just $30 out of his monthly disability check. He wishes he could go someplace else.
"I don't know if they think I am incoherent or lost my faculties or don't know what is going on," he said. "But I do know what is going on. I need more than anything to be transferred to a place that deals with wound care."
"They are neglecting the people," said Buckner. "That is why there is a waiting list at Autumn Care."
The official Web site for Medicare contains information about nursing homes across the nation. The site states that Sunrise Rehab had 11 health deficiencies, which are above the state and national averages. One of the deficiencies included failure to "write and use policies that forbid mistreatment, neglect and abuse of residents and theft of residents' property." Another deficiency found on May 10 by inspectors was failure to "give professional services that meet a professional standard of quality."
In addition, inspectors found on Aug. 30 that Sunrise Rehab failed to "make sure that residents are safe from serious medication errors" and it also failed to "make sure that the nursing home area is free of dangers that cause accidents."
See full article here.
Posted on February 6, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Here is an
article about a tragic case where a nursing home failed to supervise residents who ended up walking away from the facility and was killed in a car accident. For the second time in six weeks, a resident of the Dover Woods health care facility has been struck and killed by a car.
Township officials expressed frustration at their inability to come to an agreement over safety measures for the facility's residents with its owners, the Erez Health Care Realty Company LLC of Lakewood.
A meeting had been scheduled for mid-January, but it was canceled it because the company wanted its corporate defense lawyer to appear. No new date has been scheduled. The facility doers not seem concerned that two of their residents have died as a result of their failure to properly supervise their residents as they are required and paid to do.
In December, police were called to Dover Woods for more than 37 incidents ranging from residents wandering along the highways picking up cigarette butts to the harassment of customers at a nearby shopping center. The Police Department has responded to the facility 27 times this year.
Posted on January 29, 2008 by Ray Mullman
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has filed a lawsuit against a Fort Worth assisted living center,
claiming its manager threatened residents with a hammer, withheld food and locked some of them out of the building at night. See full
article here.
Abbott says the alleged abuse took place at the Oasis Village assisted living facility, located in Fort Worth's Polytechnic neighborhood. A district judge issued a temporary injunction against the owner of the facility, God's Intercessory Prayer Warriors Ministries, Inc., and its manager, Bertha McCoy.
According to state inspectors from the Department of Aging and Disability Services,
at least five residents at the facility have complained that McCoy abused them.
Some residents said she took the mattresses from their beds and forced them to sleep on metal bed frames, as punishment for soiling their sheets. They also said she locked them out of the building overnight. State inspectors also found evidence that McCoy hit several residents and threatened some with a hammer.
Inspectors reportedly found a hammer in McCoy's office during a recent visit.
The state has filed suit against Oasis Village with the facility facing a punishment of up to $10,000 per penalty. All of the residents at the facility have been relocated.
Posted on January 7, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Naplenews had a frightening article about a recent lawsuit that chronicles severe neglect of a resident.
Sophie Arvigo moved into Lakeside Pavilion Nursing Home in Naples. After several years there, her care and treatment took a dramatic turn for the worse.
There was neglect that led to painful and humiliating medical problems, and traumatic injuries that resulted from physical mishandling by staff. The family contends nursing home staff dropped Arvigo from a Hoyer lift, a sling-like device to move immobile individuals, and wasn’t taken for X-rays until two days later despite outcries of pain. She suffered an impacted hip fracture that was not recognized by the staff despite numerous signs and symptoms of a broken bone.
She was injured a second time while being wheeled in her wheelchair and a third time while being moved again in a Hoyer lift. The complaint said the nursing home staff and administrators were negligent by failing to protect Arvigo against injuries and for failure to properly hire, retain and supervise nurses who were qualified and capable of treating her as expected in the nursing profession.
The nursing staff failed to address Arvigo’s numerous bouts of dehydration and severe weight loss, numerous urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, bed sores and odorous drainage from her left ear, among other medical conditions.
The complaint also says the nursing home failed to notify a doctor about the significant changes in Arvigo’s condition and failed to follow doctor’s orders for her treatment, including monitoring her changes.
Posted on January 7, 2008 by Ray Mullman
The Chicago Tribune has a story about the suspicious deaths possibly caused by morphine overdose at a nursing home. McHenry County prosecutors acknowledge the suspicious deaths at the Woodstock Residence nursing home in Woodstock have been difficult to pursue. Three bodies were exhumed last year, and tissue samples were sent to a Pennsylvania lab for analysis.
The bodies of three others whose deaths investigators consider suspicious could not be examined because they were cremated. Alissa Nataupsky, administrator of the Woodstock Residence, has denied any wrongdoing at the home and has said the investigation was triggered by a former employee.
When Cole, 78, died in September 2006, the cause of death was listed as pneumonia. Cole had been living at the Woodstock Residence for two months.
If lab results do not conclusively show that morphine overdoses caused the deaths of the three former residents whose bodies were exhumed, a grand jury might be used to further investigate the case, a law enforcement source said.
Posted on December 19, 2007 by Ray Mullman
The L.A. Times has an incredible story that is far too common in today's nursing home industry.
Rita Kittower buried her husband last month. She had bade a tearful goodbye to her mate of 49 years, who had passed away in an exclusive assisted living facility in Calabasas. "He just stopped breathing," Kittower said she was told by a staff member.
Then came the anonymous phone call the day after the funeral. A female employee of the nursing home told Rita that her 80-year-old husband's death had been anything but peaceful. She said Elmore Kittower had been beaten to death by someone on the staff.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department asked if they could exhume her husband's body to determine what actually happened.
Mr. Kittower had a stroke which necessitated a stay at a nursing home for rehabilitation. Through a recommendation, Mrs. kittower found a place called Silverado Senior Living in Calabasas. The place specialized in taking care of residents like Mr. Kittower. The price for such service wasn't cheap. Rita said she paid nearly $75,000 a year for her husband to share a room with another patient.
On Sunday, Oct. 28, the Kittower family gathered at Silverado to celebrate Elmore's 80th birthday. The following Sunday, Rita and Elise came back for another visit. It was the last time they would see Elmore alive.
Two days later, a sheriff's deputy told her that her husband had died at 8:30 that morning. When Rita called the nursing home she was told that Elmore had "just stopped breathing."
On Nov. 10, the day after her husband was buried, Rita received the mysterious call from a woman who identified herself only as Maria. The woman said she hadn't slept in three days.
The woman said a staff member had punched Elmore in the eye and wrapped a towel around his head in an apparent attempt to suffocate him.
She hung up the phone, but not before getting the woman's number. Rita asked her son to call the woman back. He elicited more details from the caller. When Rita asked about it, he said, "You don't want to know."
Rita asked her nephew, Paul Zwerdling, to call the Sheriff's Department. As it turned out, sheriff's officials already had their suspicions about Elmore Kittower's death. The woman who called Rita Kittower also made an anonymous call to the Lost Hills sheriff's station and mailed an anonymous letter to a nearby fire station.
Lt. Al Grotefend said detectives gathered sufficient evidence to warrant an exhumation. After consulting with family members, she agreed to the exhumation in order to "find out the truth" and protect any other potential victims.
Sources confirm some trauma to Kittower's remains that was consistent with an assault.
Grotefend said detectives developed a prime suspect in the case -- a caregiver who no longer works at the facility. The suspect was arrested shortly after Kittower's death on suspicion of elder abuse, but the case was rejected by the district attorney's office.
Grotefend said that the arrest was made before the exhumation and that detectives have since gathered additional information and plan to resubmit the case to prosecutors.
Not surprisingly, Mark Mostow, a paid spokesman for Silverado Senior Living, said the company had completed its own "investigation" and "found nothing to substantiate any wrongdoing." However, Mostow admitted that the employee accused of assaulting Kittower had been terminated for violating an undisclosed policy.
Posted on December 19, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Residents at a nursing home in Idaho are alleging the facility is neglecting its residents and has failed to provide hot water for nine days.
A new water pump was ordered Thursday when hot water went out at the home. Hot water was available in the home's kitchen and laundry room. The hot water was temporarily restored Thursday, failed again Friday and was not repaired until Sunday because the replacement pump was damaged in transit. Relatives of some patients deny hot water was available.
"My mom hasn't had a bath since she's been here," said Butch Malone, whose mother arrived at the care center Dec. 10.
The families also say the center's staff is unresponsive when patients call for help. For example, Randy Speaks' 40-year-old daughter said it has taken staff as long as an hour to respond when his daughter is in need.
During the facility's last inspection in September, state inspectors said the home was
deficient in failing to properly treat or prevent bed sores, according to reports posted on the national Medicare Web site.
The inspection also found the home "
failed to prepare food that is nutritional, appetizing, tasty, attractive, well-cooked and at the right temperature."
See full article
here.
Posted on December 5, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Here is an article about a self described "nursing home survivor" who relays his experience in a nursing home. Below are excerpts of his article.
I was an industrial electrician by trade, trained to evaluate current flows and make connections between positives and negatives. Get shocked once and you'll never grab a live wire again. I'm also a Tennessee nursing home survivor, and the same goes for the 5½ years I spent living in a "home." The experience was beyond shocking. I will never repeat it.
Jan. 15, 1984, was the day of the accident that changed my life forever, leaving me with quadriplegia. I began a journey no one would want to take — but many probably will. I was 35, young enough to at least put up the kind of fight that many nursing home residents are too elderly or sick to wage. I survived several life-threatening mistakes by poorly trained staff, years of conflict with unequipped and unsympathetic "caregivers" and countless unanswered calls for help.
I made it my mission to get out of that home, and now work to help others do the same. I wish I could say that conditions have greatly improved since 1984. But 20 nursing homes across the state have had their admissions suspended this year, a 100 percent increase from 2006; and 91 percent of the state's homes had complaints filed against them in 2006.
Yes, nursing homes are inspected every year by the state. But what inspectors never see are the nurses and administrators scrambling after getting notice of an upcoming visit. During one of these frenzies, I told a friend, "Better watch out, you might get run over by somebody doing something they haven't done all year!"
Before these inspections, staff members are like juveniles trying to clean up after a party before their parents get home. Bedsores are dressed, soiled linens are washed, meds are — quite generously — given, the stale scent of sickness is replaced with that of disinfectant.
Lobby keeps funds flowing
Despite their miserable track records, nursing homes receive 99 percent of the $1 billion in tax dollars that Tennessee dedicates to long-term care. Eighty percent of these homes are private, for-profit entities. It's no wonder the nursing home lobby gives hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions each year to our state legislators; they're trying to protect what they claim is "their" money.
Only 1 percent of tax dollars goes to home- and community-based care, even though this type of care is usually far better. This completely lopsided allocation of tax dollars makes Tennessee 50th in the U.S. — dead last — in funding for long-term, home-based and community care.
We can change this. Most of us will ultimately need to arrange long-term care for a loved one or will need it ourselves. We must demand legislators redistribute our tax dollars in favor of significantly more funding for home- and community-based care.
We must also demand that, as long as the current system is in place, the state increase the number and quality of nursing home inspections.
And finally, we must bring to a grinding halt the practice of notifying homes of upcoming inspections. The state represents the citizens who have to live in these places. On their behalf, its inspectors should be welcomed at any time.
Posted on November 25, 2007 by Ray Mullman
A family whose mother passed away two years ago after spending just a month in a nursing home says her death should not have happened then and now they're asking for help. "She walked, talked, could eat on her own," said Arnold Trevino, remembering his mother before she checked in," he said, "when she left out of there, she left out of there an invalid, she couldn't talk," he explained. Full article
here.
He says after his mother stayed at the Valley Grande Manor for just 30 days, the damage was done.
Trevino said his problems with Valley Grande Manor began when his sister, a registered nurse, told the staff her mother was suffering a heart attack. He claims the staff refused to take her to the hospital, so he called the state to get her out. "When she was taken to the hospital, doctors told us she had not been fed, given any water and that she had abusive bruising that they don't know how she relieved," said Trevino.
That's when he took pictures he says are even more proof. Natalia Trevino died just weeks later, her death certificate names malnutrition as a contributing factor.
Trevino says he's frustrated, because even though this report shows several violations including LVN staff without a valid license, and others with convictions working there, he can't get anyone to take action.
But Trevino wants someone to take action against the staff that treated his mother. "I want for them to face the same consequences that I would have faced if I would have taken my mother to the hospital in that condition," Trevino said.
Posted on November 25, 2007 by Ray Mullman
This story really upset me. I can't imagine the excuses the nursing home will use to explain this neglect away. Florida police began investigating why an 82-year-old man from the University Center West nursing home was so severely neglected, he ended up in the hospital.
The man was taken to the hospital suffering chest pains and difficulty breathing. What doctors found was so alarming, they had to call DeLand police.
Doctors told police the hospice patient had bed sores, his breathing tube was infected, and they found maggots in his left eye.
JoAnn Grasso, the administrator of the nursing home, declined to comment specifically on the case.
Former University Center West employee Monique Miller said she was not surprised.
"I haven't seen maggots — but bed sores, yes," Miller said. "That doesn't surprise me at University Center West. No, it does not, because I've seen it several times."
Miller said supervisors at the home are lax and allow unhealthy conditions to continue until its too late.
"
You have to be half dead for them to send you out to the hospital, because they're afraid to lose money, or their beds will be empty," Miller said. "That's scary. It's very scary. You have to watch it.
You have to be very careful when you put a family member in a nursing home — all nursing homes."
Posted on October 22, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Kansas City, Missouri Police are investigating the alleged rape of an 80-year-old woman at a Northland nursing home. While management vehemently denies anything happened, a medical examination shows otherwise.
The 80-year-old woman was found naked from the waist down Wednesday afternoon.
According to the police report, the victim's daughter noticed bruising in her private area and asked if anyone touched her there. The victim replied, "Yes, it was hell."
Police said they have not had a chance to talk to the victim because the nursing home has given her sedatives. They hope to speak with her soon.
Posted on October 16, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Huberto Garmon says when his mother died on July 15th no one from the Resort Nursing Home where she was staying contacted him to let him know. “Not only did I find out that she passed away, but she passed two and a half months ago,” said Garmon.
In fact, Garmon claims staffers told him on several occasions that his 86-year-old mother, who was suffering from kidney failure, was either getting treatment at the nursing home or at Peninsula Hospital. He says he found out only this week that she had died.
“I'm thinking that she's at the nursing home,” he said. “I know they're going to call me, because if they contacted me for an authorization for an operation, they'll contact me if it happens, so we didn't know nothing until I called to say I wanted to go and visit her.”
Garmon says when he tried to get to the bottom of what happened, both the hospital and the nursing home began pointing fingers at each other.
“After experiencing what he did, my client wants to make sure no one else will experience what he did and very often that cannot be accomplished unless some appropriate action, some formal action is taken,” said his attorney Everett Hopkins.
Garmon says he also wants to retrieve his mother's body from a cemetery for unclaimed remains, and give her a proper goodbye.
Posted on October 5, 2007 by Angela Lizer
I came across an article discussing the trend of Wall Street investment groups buying nursing homes and the effect it is having on residents and litigation. Check out my summary:
In recent years the Long Term Care industry has seen thousands of nursing homes across the nation taken over by Wall Street investment groups and unfortunately, this change has not been to the advantage of the residents. Many of the nursing homes purchased were struggling financially before ownership changed hands and are now returning millions in profits at the expense of the residents who rely on these facilities for their daily needs.
Take for example Habana Health Care Center in Tampa, Florida. It was purchased along with 48 other nursing homes in 2002 by Wall Street Investors including Warburg Pincus and The Carlyle Group. The Carlyle Group bought out Dunkin' Donuts. (I'm sure that makes them good health care providers.) Since these groups have taken over, costs have been cut to pull Habana out of its struggling financial situation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that the number of Registered Nurses employed at the facility has been cut in half. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration reports that budgets for nursing supplies, resident activities and other services have also been cut. The nursing home was repeatedly warned by regulators that staffing was below the required levels and inspections revealed several violations.
In just three years 15 Habana residents died resulting in lawsuits claiming neglect. Vivian Hewitt is one of the family members who filed a lawsuit against Habana when her mother passed away. Mrs. Hewitt's mother had a bedsore that became infected with feces.
Data collected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that residents at facilities owned by large private investment firms generally do not do as well as residents in publicly owned facilities.
There is another problem created when a nursing home is owned by private investment firms. Typically these companies make litigation difficult for plaintiffs by spreading ownership across many firms, including management, real estate, holding companies, etc. Some companies are created just to hire staff or purchase equipment. Many companies have no actual office or staff. This allows corporations to protect themselves from litigation as well as increase their profits by renting the nursing home from themselves, buying equipment from themselves, and so forth. Many plaintiffs don't know who to sue or end up having to name 10 or 15 defendants to cover all companies involved with the facility.
When Mrs. Hewitt filed suit against Habana over her mother's death, her attorney began investigating the corporate side of the facility. Three years and $30,000 later and they haven't made much progress.
Nathan P. Carter, a plaintiffs' attorney in Florida said he once had to sue 22 companies in a nursing home case. He also said he believes that about 70 percent of plaintiffs' attorneys who used to sue nursing homes no longer do because the complicated corporate structures make it so difficult.
There are currently groups who are lobbying to make the corporate structure at nursing homes simpler and smaller in hopes that resident care will get better and litigation will get easier. One such group is the National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform.
Check out the full story at : http://freeinternetpress.com/story.php?sid=13671#more
Posted on September 24, 2007 by Lara Pettiss Harrill
This weekend, the New York Times published an article about the profitability of nursing homes. The article points out that while profits are rising, quality of care is falling. This may come as a surprise to the nursing home industry who, as a general rule, seems to constantly repeat their litany about how they aren't making any money. I couldn't be happier to see the New York Times say the same thing that we already know . . . someone's making money in the nursing home business. So this is not new news to me. And I'm sure its not new news to many lawyers across the country. However, it is good news to see the press pick up on this and put it front page on Sunday morning.
And, once again, the industry focuses not on the care they provide but the trouble they have with lawsuits . . . and their response is "we made the companies smaller and poorer, and the lawsuits have diminished." The industry takes no responsibility for lack of quality care that results from making the companies smaller and poorer. To be fair, the previous quote was taken from an executive with a company called Formation properties - a company who owns the Habana Health Care nursing home which the article focuses on. However, I'm comfortable that the nursing home industry as a whole would stand behind this quote. There are no comments in the article defending the qualtiy of care that residents receive.
One day, we may all be facing the decision of whether or not to put a loved one in a nursing home, if we haven't already. And one day, we may all be facing the decision of whether or not we will need nursing home care ourselves. I can only hope that some of the executives that have put this grand money making scheme into practice will have to look into the face of their family members or into their own mirrors and decide if that nursing home, the one they have swept money away from, is somewhere they would feel comfortable placing their mothers, fathers, wives, or husbands in. Or even better yet, is that nursing home a place they would want to live out their final days . . . Ultimately, justice can come in many forms.
To read the entire article, click here.
Posted on September 21, 2007 by Ray Mullman
In Moundsville, W.V.a., Police said a mentally handicapped woman was sexually assaulted inside a Moundsville nursing home. The suspect is Roy Reed Sheldon, 22, who was placed into a cruiser and headed to jail after his arraignment Wednesday afternoon.
He sexually assaulted a 57-year-old mentally handicapped woman who was a resident of Dora Allietta Memorial Home on Eighth Street. Police got a call over the weekend from an employee after the victim said Sheldon raped her.
A blanket covers the sign at the nursing home -- and it turns out Sheldon is no stranger to the place. Police said he lives on the top floor and his wife manages the home. Sheldon's wife no longer works there.
Sheldon is facing sexual assault, sexual abuse, and indecent exposure charges. Police said he gave a confession, but denies having intercourse with the woman.
Posted on September 19, 2007 by Ray Mullman
The New York Times has an interesting and scary article about how the elderly are given dangerous and unnecessary medications. The article relays a story about a 78-year-old woman who was found unconscious on the floor of her apartment by a neighbor.
Her medical history included high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and osteoarthritis. She also had a cold with a productive cough. For each condition, she had been prescribed a different drug, and she was taking a few over-the-counter remedies on her own. These were the medications:
¶Lopressor to control high blood pressure.
¶Digitalis to help the heart pump and control its rhythm.
¶Coumadin to prevent a stroke caused by blood clots.
¶Furosemide, a potent diuretic to lower blood pressure.
¶Lipitor to lower serum cholesterol.
¶Baby aspirin to reduce cardiac risk from blood clots.
¶Celebrex for arthritis pain.
¶Paxil for depression and anxiety.
¶Valium, as needed, to help her sleep.
¶Levofloxacin, an antibiotic for the cough.
¶Ibuprofen for body aches.
¶Cough medicine.
This is what doctors call polypharmacy, otherwise known as a “poisonous cocktail” of many drugs that can interact in dangerous ways and cause side effects that can be far worse than the diseases they are treating. Elderly people are especially vulnerable because they often have several medical problems for which they see different doctors, each prescribing drugs, often without knowing what else the patient is taking.
The woman described above passed out because she had a bleeding stomach ulcer from a combination of drugs that irritate the stomach, Celebrex, ibuprofen and aspirin, and thin the blood, coumadin and aspirin, made worse by an antibiotic that raises blood levels of coumadin.
She recovered after a transfusion of two units of packed red blood cells and was sent home with strict instructions to stop the Celebrex, ibuprofen and aspirin and advice to “contact her internist and psychiatrist regarding possible medication changes that might decrease the risk for future adverse events,” Dr. Michael Stern reported in the June issue of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Stern, a specialist in geriatric emergency medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, noted that the elderly took about 40 percent of prescribed drugs, roughly twice what younger adults take, and that they suffered twice as many adverse drug reactions as younger people.
“The average community-dwelling older adult takes 4.5 prescription drugs and 2.1 over-the-counter medications,” Dr. Stern reported. Polypharmacy is responsible for up to 28 percent of hospital admissions and, he added, if it were classified as such, it would be the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
The Effects of Aging
Various drugs taken by the elderly can interact dangerously. Some drugs use the same metabolic pathway and, thus, compete with one another, which can result in hazardous blood levels of one or more drugs. Some drugs cause effects like dehydration that reduce kidney function and the ability to eliminate drug metabolites. The combined effects of some drugs can be more potent than the prescriber intended.
Major organ systems function less efficiently in older people. The heart’s ability to pump blood declines with age, as does absorption by the gut, the breakdown of drugs by the liver and the ability of the kidneys to excrete them. With aging, the percentage of lean body mass declines, and body fat increases. Thus, aging affects how much of a drug reaches the bloodstream, how well it is distributed in the body and how effectively it is cleared from the system.
Drugs like digitalis and coumadin, which are primarily distributed in lean tissues, are likely to reach higher blood levels in people older than 65. So the prescribed dosages should be lowered to reduce the risk of toxic side effects. Other drugs, like Valium and barbiturates, that are distributed in fatty tissue can accumulate in the elderly body and remain active longer, increasing side effects like sedation.
Aging also results in fewer protein binding sites for drugs, resulting in a higher blood level of the drug that loses the competition for sites.
Furthermore, aging can affect the responses to certain medications. This is especially true for those that influence blood pressure and the brain. Drugs like Valium, antidepressants and antihistamines can cause effects like delirium, agitation, sleepiness, depression and worsening dementia in older people, Dr. Stern wrote.
Posted on September 19, 2007 by Ray Mullman
The New York Times has an interesting and scary article about how the elderly are given dangerous and unnecessary medications. The article relays a story about a 78-year-old woman who was found unconscious on the floor of her apartment by a neighbor.
Her medical history included high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and osteoarthritis. She also had a cold with a productive cough. For each condition, she had been prescribed a different drug, and she was taking a few over-the-counter remedies on her own. These were the medications:
¶Lopressor to control high blood pressure.
¶Digitalis to help the heart pump and control its rhythm.
¶Coumadin to prevent a stroke caused by blood clots.
¶Furosemide, a potent diuretic to lower blood pressure.
¶Lipitor to lower serum cholesterol.
¶Baby aspirin to reduce cardiac risk from blood clots.
¶Celebrex for arthritis pain.
¶Paxil for depression and anxiety.
¶Valium, as needed, to help her sleep.
¶Levofloxacin, an antibiotic for the cough.
¶Ibuprofen for body aches.
¶Cough medicine.
This is what doctors call polypharmacy, otherwise known as a “poisonous cocktail” of many drugs that can interact in dangerous ways and cause side effects that can be far worse than the diseases they are treating. Elderly people are especially vulnerable because they often have several medical problems for which they see different doctors, each prescribing drugs, often without knowing what else the patient is taking.
The woman described above passed out because she had a bleeding stomach ulcer from a combination of drugs that irritate the stomach, Celebrex, ibuprofen and aspirin, and thin the blood, coumadin and aspirin, made worse by an antibiotic that raises blood levels of coumadin.
She recovered after a transfusion of two units of packed red blood cells and was sent home with strict instructions to stop the Celebrex, ibuprofen and aspirin and advice to “contact her internist and psychiatrist regarding possible medication changes that might decrease the risk for future adverse events,” Dr. Michael Stern reported in the June issue of Emergency Medicine.
Dr. Stern, a specialist in geriatric emergency medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, noted that the elderly took about 40 percent of prescribed drugs, roughly twice what younger adults take, and that they suffered twice as many adverse drug reactions as younger people.
“The average community-dwelling older adult takes 4.5 prescription drugs and 2.1 over-the-counter medications,” Dr. Stern reported. Polypharmacy is responsible for up to 28 percent of hospital admissions and, he added, if it were classified as such, it would be the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
The Effects of Aging
Various drugs taken by the elderly can interact dangerously. Some drugs use the same metabolic pathway and, thus, compete with one another, which can result in hazardous blood levels of one or more drugs. Some drugs cause effects like dehydration that reduce kidney function and the ability to eliminate drug metabolites. The combined effects of some drugs can be more potent than the prescriber intended.
Major organ systems function less efficiently in older people. The heart’s ability to pump blood declines with age, as does absorption by the gut, the breakdown of drugs by the liver and the ability of the kidneys to excrete them. With aging, the percentage of lean body mass declines, and body fat increases. Thus, aging affects how much of a drug reaches the bloodstream, how well it is distributed in the body and how effectively it is cleared from the system.
Drugs like digitalis and coumadin, which are primarily distributed in lean tissues, are likely to reach higher blood levels in people older than 65. So the prescribed dosages should be lowered to reduce the risk of toxic side effects. Other drugs, like Valium and barbiturates, that are distributed in fatty tissue can accumulate in the elderly body and remain active longer, increasing side effects like sedation.
Aging also results in fewer protein binding sites for drugs, resulting in a higher blood level of the drug that loses the competition for sites.
Furthermore, aging can affect the responses to certain medications. This is especially true for those that influence blood pressure and the brain. Drugs like Valium, antidepressants and antihistamines can cause effects like delirium, agitation, sleepiness, depression and worsening dementia in older people, Dr. Stern wrote.
Posted on September 12, 2007 by Ray Mullman
A new
study indicates that segregation is alive and well in America's nursing homes. Elderly and ill blacks in the United States are more likely to live in poor-quality nursing homes, researchers said on Tuesday in a study that shows clear patterns of segregation persist.
"This study shows us that racial segregation has a significant impact on the quality of care received by nursing home residents," David Barton Smith of Temple University in Philadelphia, who led the study, said in a statement.
Barton Smith's team used U.S. government data on 1.5 million patients in 14,374 nursing homes in 2000, covering close to 90 percent of all nursing homes and residents.
"
Blacks were nearly twice as likely as whites to be located in a nursing home that was subsequently terminated from Medicare and Medicaid participation because of poor quality," they wrote in their report.
The researchers said their report follows up on some well-established research on disparities in U.S. health care, which shows blacks get poorer care regardless of what kind of health insurance they have.
"Before Medicare and Medicaid were implemented in 1966, nursing homes in the South were totally segregated by Jim Crow laws and in the North almost as much by patterns of use and admission practices," they wrote.
Posted on September 12, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Four women were in a Louisville courtroom Tuesday morning answering to
charges from manslaughter to tampering with evidence and perjury. This after a resident died from falling from her wheelchair. The hearing was nothing more than a formality. It lasted less than five minutes and four not guilty pleas were entered. But it is a case of life and death after an investigation lasting more than a year.
Detective Fogle started his investigation shortly after Lois Schaefer Bright fell from her wheelchair, fracturing her head at the Four Courts Senior Center in June 2006. She died two weeks later at a hospital.
The investigation found Four Courts employee Rachael Bowerman forgot to apply the wheelchair's brake. Bowerman faces the most serious charges of second degree manslaughter and abuse or neglect of an adult. The manslaughter charge carries a prison sentence up to 10 years.
As for the other women now charged, Gail McWhorter faces perjury, tampering with evidence and reckless abuse or neglect of an adult. Tonita Thompson and Shaconda Daniel face perjury and tampering with evidence charges.
The state alleges that, after the fall, the trio picked Ms. Bright up, put her back in her wheelchair, wheeled her into the center, and placed her in bed before paramedics arrived.
When pressed about what changes have been made at Four Courts, no one would elaborate. WAVE 3 also discovered Gail McWhorter and Tonita Thompson still work at the nursing home. A spokesperson for Four Courts would not say if the other two women were fired or if they quit. All of the women had to post a $1,000 bond Tuesday to remain free.
Posted on September 12, 2007 by Ray Mullman
This article shows how some employees will not cover up neglect and abuse in nursing homes unlie the majority who are more loyal to their corporate masters than the residents they are bound to protect.
June Dankert was 87 and in good health when she died May 10. For the previous two years, she lived at the Tendercare Nursing Home in Hastings. Her family said she wrote dozens of letters to loved ones each week to help keep her mind sharp.
After the funeral, an anonymous phone call raised questions.
June's daughter, Kay Trantham, told 24 Hour News 8 a woman from Tendercare called to tell the family how Dankert really died. "When you go into a coma with no apparent reason, you do wonder," Trantham said. "Apparently, she was given her roommate's hospice medication."
The caller told Trantham there was a delay in getting her mother to the hospital, followed by a cover-up.
Documents obtained by 24 Hour News 8 from the state Department of Community Health divulge more, and confirm dates and stories about "resident number 402" - Dankert's resident number in paperwork provided from the state to Trantham.
The investigation shows multiple citations because Resident 402 was given medication meant for someone else. Resident 402 soon lapsed into a coma and died. Family and emergency room doctors were not notified of the mistake.
Records also show conflicting nurse notes on May 9, from the early morning to the afternoon when Resident 402 was finally taken to the hospital.
Posted on September 7, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Here is a disturbing article about a common problem in nursing home facilities. A Berea man was arrested Monday on charges that he sexually assaulted a woman in a local nursing home.
Matthew Bryant, 25, of Old Walleceton Road, allegedly entered the Berea Health Care Center on Richmond Road in Berea. Police still aren’t sure how Bryant gained access to the building at that time of the morning. Why weren't the doors locked? Where was the supervision?
Basically what happened is that the employees of the nursing home heard a patient scream. When they went to where the patient screamed, they observed a white male run out of the room and run out a door.
The police department had received a call about an hour and a half earlier about a man matching Bryant’s description “peeping in windows” at another nursing home. Somebody there identified the man as Bryant. A supervisor did a photo line up and took it back to the nursing home and they identified Bryant in that.
Posted on September 7, 2007 by Ray Mullman
This is an incredible article. They should be arrested for leaving a vulnerable adult in this condition.
A northeast Nebraska care center has been fined for leaving an elderly resident alone and unattended.
A report, done by the state department of Health and Human Services, says Golden Living Center, in O'Neill, Nebraska, discharged a resident because the individual's family couldn't pay for the care.
The report says the facility contacted their family... and subsequently transported the resident to their family's home. But, the report says, when they got there, the family refused to accept the resident... saying they did not have the requisite expertise to care for their loved one.
The facility's representative placed the resident in a lawn chair, under a tree, at the family's home... and left.
The state fined Golden Living Center a measly $3,000 and placed the facility on probation for six months.
Posted on August 31, 2007 by Ray Mullman
I saw this article about a woman who was a resident of a Tennessee nursing home where they found maggots in her ear. How could this happen? Who is checking her? It is disgusting and unacceptable. I'm surprised the facility isn't claiming it is part of her care and treatment!
A Health Department investigation revealed that a resident at Johnson City nursing home had maggots in her ear because of a hygiene problem at the facility.
Records show the woman suffered from dementia and needed assistance with dressing, eating and bathing. But attendants at the Lakebridge Health Care Center had not washed her hair since July 23 when they found the maggots on August 4.
The state found the home deficient in providing daily hygiene to patients and is requiring a plan of action to fix the problem. A Lakebridge administrator says that the woman did have her hair washed regularly, but that staff had failed to always record it. The Administrator should know the Nurse's Axiom: If it wasn't documented, it wasn't done." All nurses are trained this way and most good facilities have a written policy to that effect.
Posted on August 17, 2007 by Ray Mullman
I saw an article about resident abuse that is common and difficult to prove without the testimony of an honest employee of the nursing home. The industry has labeled injuries caused by abuse to be "injuries of unknown origins". Perhaps, they should polygrapg the employees who provided care and treatment to the resident to determine how it happened.
Peggy LeNoir expected to celebrate her father's birthday, but instead was looking at disturbing pictures taken from his nursing home bed.
"I seen a black eye. He got a bruise on top of his head. He got bruises on his back. His back is bruised up and swollen and I see marks on his leg." says LeNoir.
When he came here he was walking and talking, now he can hardly move. She had already complained about the bed sores he was suffering. Then Peggy got a call Monday to check on her dad. What she saw shocked her. The nursing home said her father may have fallen. But Peggy says how, since he can't walk, talk and can barely move. If he fell, who picked him up? Why didn't they do an incident report then or notify the family as required by the regulations!
More frustrating, she says a staff member told her to leave and even called police.
Peggy's brother, Randy, says it's just time for some straight answers.
Posted on August 14, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Although there is a concern regarding privacy issues, many families use hidden video cameras to document neglect by nursing home employees. These cameras are useful especially when the nursing home denies neglect or fails to supervise employees apporpriately.
I ran across an
article that illustates my point perfectly. An ex-employee of a Rochester nursing home admitted today that she neglected a patient in a case that included the use of a hidden camera.
Tammy Devos, 43, who was employed as a certified nurse’s aide at the Jennifer Matthew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rochester, NY pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors of second-degree falsifying business records and willful violation of health laws.
She was sentenced to spend 16 weekends in county jail, beginning Sept. 1. As a condition of her plea, she agreed to surrender her nurse’s aide license.
She’s one of five former employees of the nursing home to face felony charges.
She was initially charged with first-degree falsifying business records, a felony.
Nine other former employees pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and received probation. The employees were charged after an investigation by the state Attorney General’s Office that involved putting a hidden camera in a patient’s room in the spring of 2005.
According to court documents, the 70-year-old patient, who suffered from dementia, was not turned regularly, was allowed to lie in his own waste, and was not given adequate food or hydration. False entries were made in the patient’s records to show that proper care was given.
Posted on August 9, 2007 by Ray Mullman
This article is shocking and disgusting. This woman should go to jail for a very long time!
A 79-year-old woman who has lost the use of her arms, legs and speech was humiliated in May when her caregiver at Homeland nursing home in Harrisburg smeared fecal matter over the woman's face during a shower, city police reported.
Roseanne Anderson, 50, of the 2400 block of Market Street, Harrisburg, was arraigned Tuesday night before District Judge William Wenner on charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. She was committed to Dauphin County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Police said the incident happened May 9 at the nursing home in the 1900 block of North Fifth Street.
Where was the woman's supervisor? Did she do this before? How did the police find out?
Posted on August 8, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl is trying to prevent abuse by insituting a national system for criminal background checks on nursing home employees. Please contact your Senators and encourage them to support this legislation.
Sen. Kohl says the best way to protect our elders from physical abuse is to institute a national system for background checks to determine whether those seeking to work in nursing homes and other long term care institutions have a criminal history before they are hired.
He and Sen. Pete Domenici (a Republican from New Mexico) introduced last month that would provide funding for a national register. Kohl said the national register will be a tool employers can use to ensure they are hiring responsible people. It would also prevent workers with a history of abuse from moving from state to state to find new jobs.
Statistics and first-hand accounts prove that brutality and abuse exist in long-term facilities.
Nationally, one of every 20 elderly people will be abused in their lifetime. Between one and two million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care or protection, according to Kohl's statistics.
The bill would require states to notify employers about whether an individual has a disqualifying criminal history and provides employers with immunity from anti-discrimination lawsuits filed by individuals who are terminated based on a disqualifying history. At the same time, the bill calls for an independent appeals process for those who are disqualified.
The bill would also allow each state to decide which crimes would be considered disqualifying.
States would also have the authority to penalize providers for knowingly hiring workers with histories of abuse.
See full article here.
Posted on July 23, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Poor conditions at a Tn nursing home prompted the state to prohibit the facility from admitting new patients. The state suspended any new patients from being admitted to the Cornelia House.
A State Health Department review paints a different picture, detailing a successful escape this past April, in which a patient with dementia walked out a smoking door and was found down the street.
Cornelia House is banned from admitting new residents because staff just can't keep patients from wandering outside. The state said residents there are in "immediate jeopardy."
"There are specific things that are supposed to be done to prevent patients from running away, and those haven't been done. So, all of these deficiencies have to do with operational issues," said Andrea Turner, TN Department of Health.
State inspectors also cite inadequate resident care plans, and failure by the staff to keep patients with feeding tubes from choking. The state issued penalties in February of 2003, March of 2004, February of 2005, and August of 2006.
See article here.
Posted on July 23, 2007 by Ray Mullman
There is a special place in hell for SOBs like Connie McCurry who steal from residents.
The owner of a nursing home has been arrested after taking more than $60,000 intended for a resident in the home. Connie McCurry was charged Tuesday with unlawful exploitation of a vulnerable adult. (Is there such a thing as lawful exploitation?)
Police say McCurry cashed two Social Security checks, one worth about $41,000 and the other worth about $19,000, intended for a resident of Connie's Residential Home and kept the money.
Posted on July 17, 2007 by Lara Pettiss Harrill
Several years ago, I was having dinner with a friend who had at one time worked in the same nursing home I had worked in. We began talking about staffing and ways to ensure that you had good staff, and ways to hold the staff accountable. She had recently suggested to the company that she was working for that the way to have consistently good staff was to offer good pay and benefits. As you can imagine, that wasn't the solution that the corporate representatives wanted to hear. However, I agree with her. If you take care of your staff, you can hold them accountable. Further, if you take care of your staff, they will often perform better. I've often thought about that conversation when sitting through depositions of overworked and underpaid nursing home staff.
This afternoon I have been looking around at other nursing home blogs, and I stumbled on this tidbit. The Legal Medicine blog has lots of great posts, but this one in particular caught my eye. It reminded me of the conversation with my friend . .
It seems that Nursing homes are concerned about immigration reform because it might hurt their staffing. Think about that for just a minute. The more immigrants they can hire, the less they have to pay them. The less immigrants they hire, the more they have to pay. Does everyone see that this has very little to do with staffing, and everything to do about the bottom line?
Yes, staffing is a problem in nursing homes. However, often its more related to what the corporation is willing to pay for staff, rather than availability of people to fill staff positions. And sometimes, you get what you pay for.
Posted on July 13, 2007 by Ray Mullman
I saw this article on another website discussing the recent Cornell University study on physical abuse between residents. Resident on resident abuse is underreported and mismanaged in the nursing home setting and most likely caused
Physical abuse in a nursing home may include staff or other residents. According to a Cornell University Study, resident-on-resident violence in long-term-care facilities is far more prevalent than previously thought. The authors of the study admit nursing home abuse is woefully understudied.
The new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is only the second published report to look at patient-to-patient violence. Cornell University examined the records of 747 nursing home patients over the course of the study. Of those, 42 where involved in 79 incidents at nursing homes that actually required police intervention. The finding surprised researchers, especially because the study was not even focused on nursing homes. Rather, it looked at overall community crime, and nursing homes where just one area that was examined.
Many nursing home patients suffer from varying degrees of dementia, and this often plays a factor in the violence. Common triggers can be unwanted touching or disputes over television. It is often the byproduct of a neglectful staff. Conflicts are far more likely to escalate to physical violence when patients are unattended. However, attentive staff can take steps to separate feuding patients before the situation deteriorates.
The report also questions the wisdom of housing dementia patients together. This is standard practice in most nursing homes, which generally have a dementia ward. But, because dementia often triggers violence, the report suggests it might be better to incorporate these patients into the general population as much as possible.
As many as one in 20 nursing home residents are victims of nursing home abuse. Because there is no uniform system for reporting nursing home violence, experts on elder abuse concede that current estimates are probably just the tip of the iceberg. There is no requirement to report resident-on-resident violence. In fact, the Cornell researchers only looked at cases that involved police calls. There were simply no records available to them detailing physical confrontations between residents that did not escalate to this level of violence.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by Ray Mullman
This article is very disturbing. I cannot believe that the nursing home did not recognize this obvious sociopath.
A Victorian nursing home employee accused of pinning down a 98-year-old dementia patient "like an animal" and raping her was just doing his job, according to his defense lawyer. Henry Alexander, 35, of Mount Martha, is accused of sexually assaulting four women in their 80s and 90s at a nursing home on the Mornington Peninsula in November 2005.
"Mr. Alexander's care of these particular residents is based on the fact that what he did was reasonable ... and it was all to do with the proper hygienic care of residents who had become incontinent with feces and urine,'' Gipp said.
Alexander's former colleague, Anne Girvasi, who no longer works at the home, said on one occasion she saw him pin a 98-year-old woman to the bed with his legs and digitally penetrate her.
"She was pinned down like an animal,'' Girvasi said. "Henry Alexander is an animal and a rapist, okay? What he did was disgusting.''
She said she did not file an incident report about Alexander's conduct because six-month old reports would pile up in the nurses' station and no action was taken. Friend and former colleague Janine Blythe said she tried to make an appointment with Susan Younger, the Director of Nursing, but Younger cancelled.
She said she then submitted an incident report to CEO Heila Brookes, which detailed Alexander's alleged "inappropriate and rough'' touching of an 87-year-old woman on Nov. 4, 2005.
"She just ripped it up - she said it wasn't done the way it should be.''
Blythe was fired from the nursing home for failing to immediately report the incident.
Here is the full article.
Posted on June 25, 2007 by Ray Mullman
I read an
article this weekend about a resident who was physically and sexually assaulted by the groundskeeper for a nursing home facility. The family of an Alzheimer's resident who was sexually assaulted by former Bedminster supervisor Robert Holland has sued him and the woman's nursing home for civil damages.
The late Helen Priester was 92 and in a wheelchair when Holland, a groundskeeper at Pine Run Community in Doylestown Township, was caught with her in her room.
“We want to collect fair compensation for the injuries and damages Helen Priester suffered, but we also want to make sure that this doesn't happen again,” said attorney Edward Shensky.
Holland, a Bedminster supervisor for 15 years, was sentenced in March to two to four years in prison for aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault and related charges. Though he pleaded guilty,
Holland maintained that Priester initiated the sexual contact and consented to the acts.
The suit says Holland was discovered May 5, 2006, by a Pine Run employee who noticed Priester's door was closed. The employee opened the door and found Holland assaulting Priester.
The worker yelled at Holland to stop and went to get security when he would not.
When they returned, the door was again shut and Holland was continuing the assault.
Holland, who used a service entrance to come into the nursing home, admitted to assaulting Priester for at least three years, the suit said.
Shensky said the nursing home should have done more to restrict access to vulnerable patients.
Posted on June 22, 2007 by Ray Mullman
There is a great discussion on abuse in nursing homes that I found here.
Nursing Home Abuse is on the rise even though less people are entering nursing homes with debilitating conditions according to recent data. The true number is probably much higher but The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates at least one in 20 nursing home patients has been the victim of abuse. There are nearly 1.4 million Americans that are living in nursing homes right now.
Unfortunately, a nursing home is not always the place of respite and healing it should be. According to the National Center’s study, 57% of nurses’ aides working in long-term care facilities admitted to witness, and even participating in, acts of nursing home abuse. The report sites systemic problems within the nursing home industry, like inadequate pay for workers and chronic understaffing, as contributing to the epidemic of abuse.
Neglect is the most common form of abuse. Residents in soiled beds and clothes, or those suffering from bedsores and frozen joints are most likely victims of neglect. Indications that a patient is over or under medicated can also signal neglect.
About 2500 cases of physical abuse or rape are reported each year.
Continue Reading...
Posted on June 6, 2007 by Ray Mullman
I saw this story in a Pittsburgh paper. I can't believe they gave probation to a nurse who lied, changed medical documents, and covered up the circumstances of neglect that caused the death of a nursing home resident.
What kind of deterrent is this?
Kathleen Galati who was a nursing home supervisor was sentenced to only five years' probation.
She pleaded guilty in March to perjury, false swearing, criminal conspiracy, and tampering with evidence in connection with the October 2001 death of Mabel Taylor, 88, at Ronald Reagan Atrium I Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge David R. Cashman also banned Galati from working in health care during her probation. So in five years she can go back to covering up neglect in nursing homes!
Atrium head Martha Bell helped cover up the death of Taylor, who died after wandering outside on a cold night. Bell was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and health care fraud and sentenced to at least seven years in prison.
Posted on May 31, 2007 by Ray Mullman
A former nursing aide who admitted raping and impregnating a profoundly disabled and defenseless woman at a Bloomingdale nursing home three years ago was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.
Reynaldo Brucal Jr., 20, pleaded guilty in November to aggravated criminal sexual assault of the then-23-year-old woman, who has cerebral palsy, is brain-damaged and has the mental capacity of a 3-year-old. She was in his care at Alden Village Health Facility for Children and Young Adults when the attack occurred in 2004.
Brucal, who is not a U.S. citizen, has been in DuPage County Jail since his 2005 arrest.
After serving his sentence, he will be deported to his native Philippines.
Staff at the nursing home, where the victim and her twin sister had lived for 13 years, discovered she was expecting in June 2005 when she was more than 28 weeks' pregnant. A baby girl was delivered by Caesarean section in July 2005.
The twins, who cannot speak or function independently, have been moved to another area nursing facility, and their family has filed a civil lawsuit against Alden that is pending.
The facility also has been fined $10,000 by the Illinois Department of Public Health for lack of oversight and mishandling of the investigation.
According to the probation department's pre-sentencing report, Brucal admitted assaulting the woman because he was "bored."
But Brucal, who began working at Alden in September 2004 and was 17 at the time of the attack, "didn't believe he did anything wrong," Berlin said.
Initially, Brucal denied sexual contact but was arrested in November 2005 after admitting such contact, claiming a latex glove he used as a condom had failed.
See article here
Posted on May 31, 2007 by Ray Mullman
The owner and manager of a Palmetto nursing home has been arrested on a charge of neglecting an elderly person in connection with a large lesion found on the face of a resident there.
According to reports, 85-year-old Ronald Larsen began living at the Palmetto Guest House in June, 2005. Jacqueline Dorelien took over the home in July of the following year.
The lesion was present when Dorelien took charge, but grew during the next few months, eventually rupturing into a large open wound. The report says Dorelien failed to get medical help for the man, despite the advice of doctors.
The arrest came two days after the state agency that oversees nursing homes started action to revoke the Palmetto Guest House's license for allegedly failing to provide adequate care.
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration issued the complaint Wednesday.
In it, the agency accused the facility of:
• Failing to provide care and services appropriate to the residents' needs.
• Failing to arrange for necessary physician appointments.
• Violating the Assisted Living Facility residents' bill of rights by failing to provide "adequate and appropriate" health care.
"A facility's first priority should be the safety and well-being of its residents," AHCA Secretary Andrew Agwunobi said in a statement issued with the complaint. "It is unacceptable when the management of a facility does not take this responsibility seriously. Our action in revoking their license is necessary to protect this most vulnerable population. The agency will continue to monitor this facility during the administrative complaint process to ensure the safety of its residents."
Posted on May 31, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Protecting Loved Ones from Nursing Home Abuse
Solomon & Relihan's Phoenix based law firm has recently launched NursingHomeAdvocates.com. NursingHomeAdvocates.com is a resource portal designed to assist both family members of nursing home residents, and the patients themselves, who suspect neglect, malpractice, or abuse.
In the United States alone, nursing home malpractice has become a significant problem with growing numbers. Investigations done by the US Government have shown that approximately 30% of nursing home facilities in the US have neglected or abused their patients, resulting in significant harm. Studies also show that nursing home malpractice has resulted in over 4,000 deaths due to malnutrition, dehydration, and bedsores.
Check out the website.
See article here
Posted on May 14, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Investigators in Kenton County, Ohio are looking into a nursing home in Erlanger, where several complaints have been filed against Villa Springs Nursing Home.
As many as five patients may have died as a result of abuse and neglect, authorities said.
One former patient told News 5 he nearly died trying to get help from a nurse when he stayed at Villa Spring. “She wouldn’t stay with me,” said the man, who declined to give his name or appear on camera. “She brought me a couple of pills and ran off.”
The World War II Navy veteran said he could barely breathe and asked the nurse to call 911.
“When I turned my light on for help, she turned it off,” he said.
The man said the nurse refused to provide care until he tried to call 911 himself. Emergency crews discovered he had been having a heart attack.
“We’ve received over 50 calls already in this office, complaints (and) concerns from families who have had past experiences and current experiences with this facility,” said Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Garry Edmondson.
Despite numerous complaints, Villa Spring representatives said their facility meets quality standards.
Posted on May 9, 2007 by Ray Mullman
The family of Florence Pierpoint, a 79-year old nursing home patient who was killed while in the care of a Tacoma nursing home, filed a lawsuit after a medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by a morphine overdose.
The complaint includes charges that the facility's staff failed to administer medications according to the physician's orders and neglected to monitor Pierpoint's condition.
Pierpoint was transported to the facility after returning from a stay at a local hospital where she was treated for pneumonia she acquired in the nursing home.
On November 2, 2004, records show a sudden and drastic decline in Pierpoint's condition, noting confusion and disorientation. The nursing home's response was to administer additional doses of morphine and Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug. Later that day, Nisqually staff reported that Pierpoint was becoming increasingly restless and they administered additional morphine.
"I noticed my mom's dramatic slide, from awake and aware to nearly comatose," said Linda Fox, Pierpoint's daughter. "I raised these issues with Nisqually's staff, but they chose to ignore my pleas."
Pierpoint died less than one hour after the additional morphine was administered.
"Florence's family is adamant that the nursing home and the responsible staff be held accountable for their actions," Meyers said. "Their deepest fear is that other patients could be at risk."
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Posted on May 9, 2007 by Ray Mullman
Two nursing home workers were fired this week after police said they were involved in "inappropriate activity." Police would not go into detail about what the two employees were accused of doing.
"We got a call from the nursing home I believe that there was some inappropriate actions and we took it from there," said Galion police Chief Brian Saterfield.
A representative from the nursing home said the two were immediately suspended and later fired following an internal confidential investigation.
Why can't they disclose what these two cretins did to the poor residents? Why the need for secrecy?
Posted on May 1, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
It is horrible how the U.S government treats war veterans. This article discuss how a Phoenix, Az nursing home for veterans was cited for negligence because of mismanagement and understaffing.
State review blames staffing shortage for nursing home troubles. A state government-run nursing home for veterans suffered from staffing shortages, poor morale and mismanagement.
The Governor's Arizona State Veteran Home Review Team report said the Phoenix nursing home had problems with nursing shortages, high personnel turnover, poor organization and lack of direction from state administrators. The vets home has been fined by federal regulators for poor care and some cases of patient negligence.
Posted on May 1, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
When two residents at a nursing home in Santa Cruz got eviction notices last March, they decided to fight them. They called Linda Robinson of Advocacy Inc., a Santa Cruz nonprofit, to help them file appeals with the state Department of Health Services. A little more than a year later, the issue is being resolved according to an April 11 memo signed by Kathleen Billingsley, deputy director of the state health department.
The April 11 memo affects nearly 900 nursing home patients in Santa Cruz County as well as 1,400 nursing homes statewide with more than 133,000 beds.
"In a year, dozens, maybe hundreds, of [eviction] notices are sent," Connors said. "They get issued way too often in my experience. Patients have the right to be protected from arbitrary transfers"
Billingsley's April 11 memo to district managers covered policy and procedures for appealing eviction notices. It also said staff must receive training to make sure policy and procedures are followed.
Last year, a lawsuit was filed, complaining about a backlog of nursing-home complaints. This month, a state auditor, reporting on 17,000 complaints filed over two years, said the department had not completed about 60 percent of its investigations in a timely fashion.
See article here.
Posted on April 26, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Drug-maker freebies can lead to harm for patients, a new report from the highly respected New England Journal of Medicine warns. Consumers have reason to be concerned about the study's findings.
Gifts (bribes?) showered upon doctors by drug- and medical device-makers have become so pervasive that they are a standard part of every physician's practice. 94 percent physicians have a relationship with the drug industry, according to a study scheduled to be published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Consumers should care about such relationships because drug companies market the most expensive brand names; gift-giving influences prescribing behavior and therefore how much patients spend on prescriptions.
The study proves that many doctors do not follow the AMA voluntary guidelines. It notes, for example, that 35 percent of respondents accept reimbursement for continuing medical education or for travel, food or lodging for medical meetings.
A National Survey of Physician–Industry Relationships
E. G. Campbell and Others
Posted on April 25, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
I saw this article about a nursing home resident with dementia who killed his roommate and thought "how could this happen?" but then I read an article where a murder suspect was moved to a nursing home. The suspect was charged in connection with a quadruple homicide. See story here
With the graying of the population and the incarceration of so many citizens on Medicaid, nursing homes will need to adapt at receiving dangerous criminals into facilities. This may lead to violence and tragedy in many nursing homes.
On a related note, there have also been issues with registered sex offenders becoming residents of nursing homes. More often than not, neither family members nor residents are aware that this is occurring. We found a website recently that family members and residents can use to search by facility, city or state to see which nursing homes sex offenders are currently living in, and I thought that was a great thing to have - for more information, click here.
Continue Reading...
Posted on April 20, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
A new report shows that Medicaid programs are failing to deliver adequate medical services to the low-income populations they were designed to serve including nursing home residents. The non-profit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen issued a report ranking Medicaid programs by how they met and surpassed federal mandates in four categories: eligibility, scope of services, quality of care and provider reimbursement.
Fifty-five million, mostly low-income Americans get their health care coverage through their state Medicaid program. The worst Medicaid programs in the country, according to Public Citizen, are those in Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.
Public Citizen ranked states by the optional health care services that states provide beyond legally mandated services.
"Medicaid desperately needs nationwide uniform standards of quality of care and an effective means of monitoring and upholding those standards," said Ms. Ramirez de Arellano.
See story here
Posted on April 20, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Georgetown police could not find any physical evidence to corroborate one of the recent complaints filed against Georgetown Healthcare and Rehab in Maryville. In March, police were called to the facility after a resident said he was choked by a nurse.
The incident happened in December but he waited to report it because he was “in fear of possible retribution.” The nurse denied the charges but was placed on suspension during the investigation.
The resident was shown pictures of 12 women who work at that facility and was asked to show the investigators the one who choked him. The photo selected was not the nurse he accused of the abuse. There was a inconsistency in part of his allegations.
“Based on this investigation, there is no physical evidence or witnesses to support this allegation,” Investigator Johnell Sparkman wrote in his report. “At this time this case is unfounded.”
Helluva an investigation.
No polygraph examination of the accused? Prior complaints? Interview other residents?
See story here
Posted on April 19, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
The nursing home industry and insurance lobbyists have fought (and continue to fight) to limit the duties of nursing homes in conducting background checks on employees. It is ridiculous. Background checks are cheap and quick in the computer age even with the high turnover rate of employees. Look at this story where a nursing home aide raped 90-year-old resident.. It could have been prevented if they did a background check.
William Morrison, a former aide at the Rome Memorial Hospital Residential Health Care Facility, was convicted last month of raping and sexually assaulting a 90-year-old resident of the nursing home.
Morrison was an employee at Rome Memorial Hospital for several months before being transferred to the hospital’s affiliated 80-bed nursing home. Rome Memorial Hospital Residential Health Care Facility intended to perform a criminal background check when Morrison was hired, but it was not completed before he raped the elderly resident.
The background check would have revealed that Morrison was previously convicted for one felony and several misdemeanors in the 1990s. His last conviction was for a misdemeanor drug offense in 1999
See story here
Posted on April 18, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
This is an incredible story. A nursing home employee was jailed for allegedly using a cigarette lighter to set fire to an elderly patient's bed over the weekend.
Tina Louise Spencer was booked into the county jail on charges of first-degree arson and attempted murder. Spencer is accused of setting fire to the bed of Ann Hudson, 88, at Carlton Cove nursing home. The resident sustained first- and second-degree burns on her scalp and forehead.
Investigators said Hudson wasn't a regular patient of Spencer's but that Spencer checked on her from time to time. Firefighters were called to Carlton Cove shortly after 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters determined the fire wasn't accidental, which led to a probe by investigators with the police's Arson Task Force and the fire marshal's office.
Posted on April 11, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
SEIU Sold Out Nursing Home Workers and Patients
SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights made public today internal
memos and agreements between Andy Stern's Service Employees International
Union (SEIU) and nursing home operators that show just how Stern sold
nursing home workers out.
The nursing home workers lost their rights to
strike, complain publicly about quality of care problems and improve their
pay and benefits under the secret Stern-backed agreements with nursing home
owners.
Nursing home operators got the unions' lobbying clout for more Medicaid
dollars, for tort reform measures and against safe staffing requirements in
nursing homes. SEIU got the right to represent workers, if shoddily, and to
receive dues.
"
Continue Reading...
Posted on April 11, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Rat dies in mouth of California nursing home patient
Staffing was so inadequate at a California senior center that a rat crawled into an Alzheimer's patient's mouth and died there before staff noticed, a lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Paragon Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in Mission Viejo overbooked their facility to receive corporate bonuses, but cut back on staff to increase profits.
"The facility so literally ignored the needs of their residents ... as to allow vermin in the form of a rat to become lodged in the mouth of Sigmund Bock and die therein," the lawsuit alleges.
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Posted on April 11, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Seniors in Ont. nursing homes overprescribed antipsychotic drugs: study
In the nursing homes with the highest antipsychotic prescribing rates, 16.6 per cent of patients with neither psychosis nor dementia were given the drugs, according to a recent study.
Ontario nursing homes are too quick to give vulnerable seniors antipsychotic drugs to keep them calm, suggests a disturbing new study examining prescribing rates for the drugs at 485 facilities.
The study of 47,322 residents in provincially regulated nursing homes indicates the average rate of antipsychotic prescribing by home ranged from 21 per cent in the groups with the lowest average rate to 44 per cent in the highest category.
Residents in nursing homes with high prescribing rates were three times more likely to be given antipsychotic drugs - whether they need them - than others in facilities with lower antipsychotic prescribing rates, indicates the research by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
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Posted on March 30, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Hidden Cameras Uncover Patient Neglect At Queens Nursing Home
November 22, 2006
Nine employees of a Queens nursing home were arrested after hidden cameras uncovered a case of alleged patient neglect.
Secret cameras were installed at the Hollis Park Manor nursing home as part of an investigation by the state attorney general's office.
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer says one camera inside a 67-year-old woman's room revealed weeks of neglect. Spitzer says it also showed employees changing the woman's records to make it look like she received the proper care.
Now the medical director, two nurses, and six nurses aides are in police custody.
The medical director of the home is denying the charges.
Posted on March 30, 2007 by Gary Poliakoff
Article published Mar 22, 2006
Ex-nursing chief sues White Oak Manor
RACHEL E. LEONARD, Staff Writer
A former nursing director at a Spartanburg long-term care facility is seeking court relief on claims she was fired for refusing to help cover up a medication error that sent a resident into a brain-damaging insulin shock.
Management at White Oak Manor–Spartanburg warned Carol Hodge not to disclose the outcome of her investigation into the medication mistake to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control or to the resident's family, according to Hodge's lawsuit, filed this month in Spartanburg County Court of Common Pleas. Hodge's lawyer, Donald Coggins of Spartanburg, said Hodge's superiors began finding problems with her work when she ignored those directives.
"She was told by her superiors because it was a medication error, it didn't have to be reported and they would rather she didn't," he said.
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