South Carolina Nursing Home Blog : South Carolina Nursing Home Lawyer & Attorney : Poliakoff & Associates Law Firm : Elderly Care, Senior Care

WIVB.com had an article about how video evidence of neglect of residents can lead to investigations and prosecutions.   New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has charged nearly two dozen health care workers with failure to care for nursing home patients.  The State Attorney General's office brought in hidden surveillance cameras to a few nursing homes.  (Videos are on the WIVB.com site). 

After investigating two nursing homes for several weeks, 22 nursing home employees were charged.  Five of them are certified nurses aides charged with endangering the welfare of a disabled person for routinely failing to transfer patients out of bed, or provide insulin, or provide range of motion exercises. Two Licensed practical nurses face felony charges of falsifying records to cover it up.

Because of the tremendous amount of taxpayer money being wasted and the prevalence of fraud, I wonder why every Attorney General does not use surveillance cameras during investigations into abuse and neglect.  Perhaps, it is all the campaign contributions from the health care industry and their lobbyists.  The South Carolina Attorney General, to my knowledge, has never been involved in any investigation of a private for profit nursing home that resulted in a prosecution.  You would think it would politically benefit most Attorney Generals to protect vulnerable and elderly citizens.

 See related article here and on WGRZ.com here. 

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Lawyers and Settlements had an article about the lawsuit filed in a case where a surveillance camera captured images of nursing home abuse in what has been deemed the second-worst elder care facility in the nation, according to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Richmond Health and Rehabilitation Complex in Madison, also known as Madison Manor, was also ranked the worst facility in the state of Kentucky.   Madison Manor is owned by Extendicare, a for-profit chain that operates 21 facilities in the state. The Lexington Herald Leader reported Wednesday that three Extendicare facilities are on the GAO national list of worst performers.

Last year a hidden camera at the Richmond facility caught images of abuse inflicted on an 84-year-old resident by nursing aides. The resident, Armeda Thomas, has since died. However, in September of last year, Thomas' family hid a video camera in her room at Madison Manor in an effort to explain bruising on the resident's body.

Nursing assistants were seen physically abusing and taunting the Alzheimer's patient. The nursing assistants were also allegedly shown refusing to feed or bathe the resident.

Thomas died two months later. Her family proceeded to sue the nursing home, and three nurses' aides were indicted and charged with abuse.  Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle pleaded guilty earlier this year. Amanda G. Sallee stands trial in March and Valerie Lamb is set to enter a plea early in the new year.

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Maryland allows nursing homes to prohibit families from monitoring their loved ones via video or webcam.  NBC 25 had a story and article about  local lawmakers trying to make it illegal for nursing homes to prevent people from installing cameras in patient's rooms.  Cameras prevent neglect and abuse, and make sure that residents are getting the services they need.

The bill would require nursing homes to give people the choice of installing cameras that the patients or their families would pay for themselves. Cameras would not be allowed in bathrooms.

All rooms being monitored would be required to have a sign on the door.

For families, it's legislation that would bring them piece of mind.  It would also help management determine the competency of the staff and the effectiveness of treatments.  The nursing home industry does not want families to know what is going on at the facility when they are not there. 

Many times, when demented residents suffer abuse, the nursing home cannot substantiate the abuse and rarely try.   Imagine if there was a video--wouldn't that be a deterrent to any neglect or abuse?

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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.

 

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