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Nursing Home Abuse – Does My Family Have a Case?

nursing home abuse and negeligence attorneys in nj and pa At the Mininno Law Office, we know from experience that it can be a difficult for a family to decide whether or not to investigate if a nursing home should be held responsible for injuries to a loved one. Furthermore, it can be quite disheartening at a later time when the law firm a family finally trusted to perform an investigation sends a letter indicating their disinterest. Based upon the experience of New Jersey nursing home abuse attorney Donald Browne, experienced personal injury attorneys and their law firms commonly reject claims of nursing home abuse that do have merit. Nursing home abuse and neglect cases have different characteristics and dynamics than other claims for personal injuries. Law firms either don’t understand how to analyze these cases, or decide they are too complicated to justify all of the necessary work and expense. However, an experienced nursing home abuse attorney like Donald Browne of the Mininno Law Office eagerly accepts the challenge.

Nursing Home Abuse Claims and the Statute of Limitations

A statute of limitations is a legal deadline by which a lawsuit must be filed. If a lawsuit is not filed by this deadline, an otherwise valid claim could be dismissed by the court. The statute for personal injury is generally two years from the date you knew, or should have known, that the nursing home’s conduct caused an injury. It can be a shorter or longer time period, depending upon what type of case you are pursuing, and in which court you are pursuing it.

Another issue with the statute is the “discovery rule.” Although it may be easy to figure out when it begins for an auto accident because the actual crash happened on a date that is easily identifiable, it is not always as easy to identify when it would begin and end for a nursing home abuse or neglect case. This is true because often times it is not one event that creates liability against a nursing home, but rather a series of mistakes that result in serious injuries to your loved one. Since the statue of limitations in any particular case is so fact specific, the best advice for any individual or family considering a lawsuit is to immediately contact a nursing home abuse attorney. After listening to the facts, the attorney should be able to advise as to the likelihood of a valid case, and when the statute would expire.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorney; Why Act Quickly?

Without specifically reviewing and analyzing the facts of your case, it is impossible to determine when the statue of limitations would expire. However, regardless of when the deadline to file a lawsuit may be, if you feel your family may have a lawsuit against a nursing home, you should contact Donald Browne immediately. There is a tremendous amount of information that needs to be collected, and the old adage “the sooner the better” certainly applies!

One example of important evidence that needs to be immediately collected in support of nursing home abuse and neglect case – photographs. Photographs are very important and should be taken immediately.

The earlier your family calls Donald Browne, the earlier your family and the Mininno Law Office can begin to work together and devise a plan to obtain all of the necessary information needed to start building your case. The only mistake your family can make is waiting too long to call and ask.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you or a loved one have suffered at the hands of negligent or abusive staff members at a nursing home or long term care facility, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. Donald Browne is an experienced and hard working nursing home abuse attorney prepared to help you earn the compensation you and your loved one are entitled to. You may also call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

DePuy Hip Implant – Was Yours Recalled?

As a New Jersey and Pennsylvania DePuy Hip Implant Recall lawyer, I receive many telephone calls from hip replacement patients. Many of these folks have done their own independent internet research and have seen numerous websites discussin different hip implants that have been recalled over the years. The most recent hip implant recall involves Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. DePuy Orthopaedics is a fully owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson that designs, manufactures, and markets orthopaedic and reconstructive hardware for the spine, knee, shoulders, and other joints. Not all of DePuy’s products are being recalled. At this stage, the only DePuy Hip Implant which is subject to the recall in the United States is the ASR XL Acetabular hip system. These hip replacement systems first became available in the summer of 2003 and were in use for approximately seven (7) years.

DePuy Hip Implant – How Will I Know If Mine is a Recalled Implant?

If you have had hip surgery before July 2003, then your hip implant is not part of the DePuy Hip Implant recall. However, if you have had surgery after July 2003 and your surgeon utilized a DePuy ASR XL Acetabular hip system, then your hip is subject to the DePuy hip implant recall. Many patients have already received information from Johnson & Johnson and DePuy regarding these recalled hip implants. However, the information provided by Johnson & Johnson and DePuy Orthopaedics does not provide the full scope of the remedies available to DePuy Hip Implant patients. In fact, as of this blog, neither Johnson & Johnson nor DePuy have made any commitment to paying compensation for pain & suffering, or the common compensatory damages that most defective product manufacturers are required to pay when they make, market, and/or sell a defective product.

DePuy Hip Implant Recall Lawyers in NJ and PA

The only way to know all of your rights is to contact a DePuy Hip Implant recall lawyer in New Jersey or Pennsylvania who can answer your questions free of charge. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the Mininno Law Office team earn you the compensation you deserve.

New Jersey and PA Nursing Home Abuse and OBRA Regulations

As a New Jersey nursing home abuse law firm, we constantly speak with nursing home abuse victims and/or their families. Many ask if Congress has been actively involved in the prevention of nursing home abuse. While the answer is indeed YES, more work is needed.

Nursing Home Abuse Regulations through OBRA

nursing home abuse attonreys in new jersey and philadelphiaAs far back as 1987, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging held hearings to determine the scope of abuse that was occurring in nursing homes. The federal government deemed the nature and extent of the abuse occurring in nursing homes to be such a serious concern that at the same time, the United States Office of Inspector General further began an investigation designed to uncover whether or not nursing home abuse was widespread throughout this country’s long term care system. As a result of the Senate and the Inspector General’s investigations, Congress then enacted in the Ombudsman’s Reconciliation Act of 1987, or OBRA .

The act consisted of specific federal laws designed to protect the rights of nursing home patients. These regulations set forth patients’ rights to include an absolute right not to be abused physically or mentally by a nursing home staff. The nursing home guidelines in OBRA further sets specific nursing home guidelines that required nursing homes to set out medical policies, procedures, and practices to minimize patient injuries such as bedsores, malnutrition, falls, and other signs of neglect. Under OBRA, states are required to establish state nursing home departments where patients and their families can file complaints. These state nursing home regulatory agencies are also required to perform prompt investigations of any allegations of nursing home abuse, bed sores, pressure ulcers, bedsores, nursing home negligence and other nursing home quality-of-care issues.

Nursing Home Abuse Should be Reported Promptly!

As a New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer, we typically advise our New Jersey nursing home law clients to file their complaints with the “Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly”. This office investigates allegations of bed sores, abuse and neglect of seniors, age 60 and older, who are living in nursing homes and other long-term healthcare facilities. Under New Jersey law, callers are entitled to anonymity, and the abuse investigation files are not open to the public. To file a complaint, you can call the 24 hour toll-free hotline at 1-877-582-6992, or email at ombudsman@advocate.state.nj.us.

As a Pennsylvania nursing abuse lawyer, we advise our Pennsylvania nursing home law clients to file or report any allegation of abuse or neglect with the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Pennsylvania Department of Aging, 555 Walnut Street, Fifth Floor, P.O. Box 1089, Harrisburg, PA 17101, Phone (717) 783-7427, Fax (717) 772-3382 or the 24 hour state-wide elder abuse hotline at 1-800-490-8505.

Though Congress’s OBRA protection laws have been around for over 25 years, it appears that Nursing Home abuse is still a systemic problem that continues to plague the quality of life of all seniors. As a nursing home abuse lawyer and advocate, we encourage Congress and States to continue to enact protections for the prevention of nursing home abuse.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you or a loved one have suffered extensively due to the abusive or negligent actions of a nursing home or long term care facility, please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. The NJ and PA nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office are prepared to handle even the toughest cases, in order to earn you the compensation you need and deserve. You may also call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

See More about Nursing Home abuse at nursing home abuse

Don’t wait as the statute of limitations may be running out on your claim!

DePuy Defective Hip Implants; How Were They Approved?

A common question among consumers who suddenly find themselves affected by a product recall is, “What is the process for FDA approval?” As a DePuy Hip Implant Recall attorney, I hear the question quite often. Surprisingly, the process is rather simple for products such as hip, knee, and shoulder replacements and parts.

DePuy Hip Implant Approval Process

depuy hip implant recall attorneys in new jersey and philadelphiaAccording to the FDA, DePuy’s first step towards FDA approval is the successfull completion of a number of clinical testing procedures set up by the FDA. However, in this instance, DePuy was able to avoid FDA scrutiny and it’s screening process by using a legal ‘back door,” which allowed it to circumvent the normal approval channels. This legal backdoor is known as a “510(k),” which permits pharmaceutical companies like DePuy (a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson), to avoid the normal screening process by claiming that their hip implants would be a “substantial equivalent” to other implant devices that have already been approved by the FDA. By claiming that their product was the “substantial equivalent,” DePuy was able to gain quick approval by the FDA to market and sell it’s ASR XL Acetabular hip implant system within the United States.

Unfortunately, the United States does not have an effective hip implant registry system to determine what the failure rates were for DePuy ASR hip implants and other substantially equivalent implants. This data had to come from the United Kingdom and Australia. Those hip implant registries demonstrated their ability to prevent patient harm. In both the United Kingdom and Australia, the registries were so successful in revealing data that showed the early and unacceptable failure rate of the DePuy hip implant system, DePuy phased out the hip implants long before the American recall. Now, given the debacle over the DePuy hip implant recall, the United States and the FDA are considering creating their own registry for implants, so that potential defects and patient harms can be identified sooner rather than later.

DePuy Hip Implant Recall Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

By cutting corners and dodging red tape, DePuy was able to skirt their responsibilities to their consumers. Had those implants been properly tested and assessed by the FDA, approval would have been halted and kinks worked out before patients could be harmed. If you or a loved one have been affected by a defective DePut hip implant, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the team at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you deserve.

Medical Malpractice Events Not Decreasing, According to New England Journal of Medicine

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published research executed by Harvard Medical School that shows that the number of medical malpractice events (referred to in the article as patient harms) has not decreased in the last 6 years, despite numerous prevention efforts.

Medical Malpractice Study by Harvard Medical School

medical malpractice and negligence attorneys in nj and paResearchers examined 6 years worth of medical records from 10 different North Carolina hospitals. Over 2,300 admissions records were examined from 2002 thru 2007. Records were chosen at random and reviewed by teams of nurse reviewers. The study found 588 patient harms, including surgical errors, medicinal errors, and nosocomial (hospital-aquired) infections. Of those 588 medical errors, 84.4% were reported as “short-lived” and “not serious.” Fifty, however, were classifed as life threatening, with 14 resulting in death, and 17 resulting in permanent injury. Of the errors, 63.1% of them were abolsutely avoidable.

Harvard Medical School researchers explained that they chose North Carolina hospitals because of the state’s pristine history, as well as it’s dedication to preventing medical malpractice and promoting patient safety. Authors of the study said of the results:

“Though disappointing, the absence of apparent improvement is not entirely surprising.”

It seems that while certain preventative measures have been taken, there still exists an alarming lack of free-standing programs that help deter diagnostic and surgical errors. Much of the medical malpractice occurs when patients are transferred from one physician or facility to another. Patient and information transfers must be handled with meticulous attention and sometimes, in the hustle and commotion of an Emergency Room, that kind of attention is impossible to give. That is why programs and protocol should be put into place to assist in these transfers.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office

John Mininno, Esq. is a dedicated and hard working medical malpractice attorney practicing in New Jersey and Philadelphia. He is experienced in many different areas of medical malpractice, and is skilled at earning significant recoveries for victims of medical negligence. If you or a loved one have been victimized by neglience in an emergency or operating room, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the team at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Medical Malpractice Causes Quadriplegia for Police Officer

17.7 million dollars was awarded to George Nissen after severe medical malpractice changed his life forever. medical malpractice and negligence attorneys in new jersey and philadelphia

Forty-seven year old George Nissen of Melrose Park, Illinois worked as a Stone Park Police Officer. On February 13, 2005, he responded to a complaint of a disturbance outside a town bar. While trying to dispurse the crowd and restore order to the area, Nissen was thrown over the hood of a car by one of the unruly crowd members. He struck his head on the curb. Nissen was quick to his feet, and none of his fellow officers suspected that any real damage or injury had occurred. A day later, Nissen was rushed to the hospital after having suffered a stroke, seemingly from injuries he sustained after the blow to the head.

Medical Malpractice at the University of Illinois Medical Center

He was admitted to the University of Illinois Medical Center to have an external ventricular drain inserted to drain the excess fluid on Nissen’s brain. The presence of the drain calls for close monitoring of intracranial pressure, which Nissen did not receive. His pressure levels rose to dangerous highs overnight and nurses failed to recognize or alert doctors of the complication, resulting in brain damage.

Today, Nissen is a quadriplegic, and can only communicate through eye or head movements. The University of Illinois has agreed to pay Nissen 16.2 million dollars, and an additional 1.5 million is being paid by an independant nursing agency that employed the negligent nurses.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If you or a loved one are victims of medical malpractice or negligence, please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. Our medical malpractice attorneys are experienced and knowledgable in all areas of medical law, and are prepared to work hard and earn you the compensation you need and deserve. You may also call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia. The Mininno Law Office team is here for you.

Jury Awards Family $42.75 Million for Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

nursing home abuse attorneys new jersey philadelphia Harborside MadisonvilleA Kentucky jury awarded $42.75 million to a family who claimed that nursing home abuse and neglect led to their loved one’s death. Joseph Clint Offutt was a resident at the Harborside of Madisonville nursing home for only nine days before he died. In that brief time, Mr. Offutt became lethally dehydrated, despite having a feeding tube. The nursing home failed him in the most basic way: they failed to ensure he had enough water to live.

Nine Days of Nursing Home Abuse

Mr. Offutt served in World War II and was still planting crops at age 88. A stroke weakened him in 2007. His wife of 58 years, Pearline, cared for him at home for eight months. Despite Pearline’s efforts, Offutt’s family concluded he needed professional care. Nursing homes exist for the purpose of caring for those whose families can no longer care for them.

It is incredibly distressing for a family to trust their loved one’s life to the promises of these “experts,” only to find their loved one received worse care at the nursing home then they would have received at home. As a New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyer, my experience shows that the nursing home’s lies and broken promises make it even harder for the family to accept their loved one’s fate.

Mr. Offutt was only at the nursing home from March 25 to April 3, 2008. He was transferred to a hospital and died two days later on April 5, 2008. The family alleged that nursing home staff members neglected Mr. Offutt. The nursing home allowed him to suffer from severe dehydration, malnutrition, bedsores and infections. The nursing home allowed all of this to happen in just nine days, and their neglect ultimately caused his death.

Harborside’s Response to Nursing Home Abuse Verdict

Of course, the nursing home then had the audacity to criticize the jurors. Carol Britt, administrator of the facility, released the following statement:

We feel the size of the verdict is outrageous and totally inappropriate based on the facts presented in the case. Not only did we provide quality care to this individual, but the outsized punitive damages assessed against us bear no relation to our conduct. We intend to vigorously challenge the decision through the appeal process.

With all due respect Ms. Britt, how does outstanding care lead to death by dehydration in just nine days?

Adult Protective Services officials of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services investigated the care provided to Mr. Offutt and agreed with the allegations of nursing home abuse. The Office of Inspector General cited the nursing home for failing to prevent bedsores in the case of Mr. Offutt. Was the state wrong too Ms. Britt?

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

As a New Jersey and Philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyer, I find Ms. Britt’s comments to be indicative of the attitudes expressed by the entire nursing home industry. The jury awarded $1 million for Offutt’s pain and suffering, $1.75 million for his wife’s loss and $40 million for punitive damages. The jurors were members of Ms. Britt’s community. The jury took time out of their lives to sit through the trial and listen to all of the evidence. Contrary to Ms. Britt’s opinion about the jury and the size of their award, the evidence against the nursing home must have been so egregious for the jury to become so outraged that they felt the need to send a message to the nursing home that their conduct was reprehensible.

If you or a loved one have suffered due to nursing home abuse or neglect, please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Our team is dedicated to fighting this huge industry that seemingly has no respect for the lives with which it is entrusted. Let us earn you the compensation you deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse – What Should You Do?

You have recently discovered that your loved has been victimized by nursing home abuse. You feel angry, shocked, confused, deceived. You entrusted an expensive facility to care for your family member because you no longer could, and now they are worse off than before. What should you do?

Nursing Home Abuse Attorney – Step 1

You must contact a nursing home abuse attorney. An attorney is going to review the facts of your case and tell you if there is enough there to file suit. If so, there are more steps you will have to take in order to present a valid case.

Nursing Home Abuse Records – Step 2

nursing home abuse attorneys new jersey philadlephiaAfter calling an attorney, the next step is often to obtain the medical records. It is often best for the family to initially request the medical records without the help of an attorney. This ensures less of a chance the nursing home would remove documents from the chart, or even re-write them. In order to request a resident’s medical records, you need to have authority to do so. What gives you that authority?

Nursing homes have the right to require a HIPAA authorization in exchange for producing the medical records. This authorization can be signed by the individual. However, often times in a nursing home setting, the resident is unable to make these decisions, and has arranged for one or more family members to act as power of attorney. When properly written, a power of attorney would give members of the resident’s family the right to sign the HIPAA authorization and request the records for themselves.

In the event that the resident were to die, the power of attorney would now have no legal force or effect. What should you do now?

Nursing Home Abuse Short Certificate – Step 3

In New Jersey, once an individual dies, the family must make an application for a “short certificate” to continue to represent the estate. The short certificate is a document that is created and provided by each county’s Surrogate’s office. Luckily, the employees at the Surrogate’s office are some of the most helpful State employees you will ever come across. Usually in one or two days, the family can obtain the short certificate. Just as a power of attorney gives the family the authority to execute the HIPAA authorization and to obtain the client’s records when they are alive, the short certificate gives them that ability when their loved one is deceased. Below is a link to the contact information for all 21 New Jersey county Surrogates.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office

Although this is a general road map as to how you would obtain records and to begin to investigate whether there is a claim for injuries against the nursing home, in the event that you feel you may have a viable lawsuit for injuries suffered by your family member, please do not hesitate to contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation.
You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Let the team at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you deserve.

Birth Defects and Depakote Could be Linked

birth defects depakote new jersey philadelphia attorneysThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in December 2009, informed Health Care professionals about the increased risk of neural tube defects and other major birth defects associated with the use of Depakote during the first trimester of pregnancy. Doctors typically warn women who are looking to become pregnant of the correlation between Depakote and birth defects in the first trimester of pregnancy. They should also warn women who are not planning pregnancy but are sexually active of the risks. By the time these woman know they are pregnant, it may be too late to prevent the many birth defects that can occur as a result as Depakote use in the first trimester of pregnancy.

What Birth Defects can Depakote Cause?

Depakote (Divalproex Sodium) is a drug marketed by Abbott Laboratories used to treat bipolar disorder, migraine headaches, and seizures associated with epilepsy. Side effects of Depakote that pertain to birth defects include Spina Bifida (a neural tube defect), craniosynostosis (abnormal skull development), cleft pallet, arterial septal defect (holes in the heart), and polydactyly (extra fingers or toes).

Spina Bifida is perhaps the most significant birth defect tied to Depakote use. It is a developmental birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube. Spina bifida occurs when some of the vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. Spina Bifida malformations fall into four categories: Spina Bifida occulta, Spina Bifida cystica (myelomeningocele), meningocele, and lipomenengocele. The most significant form of Spina Bifida is myelomeningocele, which leads to disability in most affected individuals.

Birth Defects in New Jersey

According to the Spina Bifida Association, there are an estimated 2.7 million women of childbearing age that live in New Jersey. Approximately 1,710 people with Spina Bifida live in New Jersey and 1.97 babies are born with Spina Bifida per 10,000 births in New Jersey. The Spina Bifida Association said, “If women were to consume 400 micrograms of the B-vitamin folic acid every day before pregnancy, the risk of Spina Bifida and other serious birth defects could be reduced up to 70%.” If you need resources to learn more about Spina Bifida, there are four clinics in New Jersey located in Mountainside, Edison, Summit, and West Orange.

Birth Defect Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office

If you or a loved are dealing with the tribulations of a child with birth defects, and you believe those defects were caused by the negligence of another, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. Our team is eager and prepared to earn you the compensation you need and deserve. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

BEDSORES — A BILLION DOLLAR PROBLEM?

According to the National Ducubitus Foundation, over one million people each year suffer from potentially fatal bedsores. When viewed in a hospital setting, the same studies show that approximately 10% patients at any given time are inflicted with bedsores. While this figure is shocking in of itself, the real number is probably higher because many of the medical facilities with a history of preventable bedsores did not participate in this study.

Admittedly, some cases of bedsores are unavoidable; however, a good majority of bedsores in hospitals and nursing homes are the result of pure negligence. For instance, when a nursing home resident is left to sit for 8 hours in urine soaked sheets and clothes and develops a bedsore as a result, that is negligence. When a nurse can not move her patient every two hours because the hospital is understaffed and the patient gets a bedsore, that is negligence. In cases such as these, just a little bit of attention and a few extra staff members would have done the trick.

Typically, when medical facilities are confronted with these facts, the usual response is that they cannot afford additional personnel or equipment for bedsore prevention. This is especially true in a nursing home setting, where corners are cut everywhere possible because of budget concerns. But is this really a legitimate excuse? Should the hospitals and nursing homes get a free pass because they can”t afford to implement simple procedures that will ultimately save lives? Lets take a closer look at the math to decide.

Statistics show that in year 1994, there were 6,374 hospitals in the United States with an average of 177 beds per hospital. The occupancy rate of these hospitals is 66.1%. Therefore, given the math, on average 745,740 beds were occupied on any given day. When you compare the instances of bedsores related to the hospital population, you find that on any given day, there are approximately 80,000 patients with bedsores . When that number is multiplied by the average hospital stay for patients with bedsores of 27 days, you find that over 1,000,000 patients develop potentially fatal, yet preventable bedsores per year.

Furthermore, the costs associated with bedsore care are astronomical. For example, the average cost of a hospital stay for patient over 65 is about $2,360 per day. If this same elderly patient develops a bedsore, he is now projected to stay an additional 27 days. From a financial perspective, this calculates into $50,976 in extra medical costs per bedsore patient. Multiply that number by the 1,088,778 patients developing bedsores per year to get the astronomical number of $55,000,000 that is wasted on bedsore care! Shockingly, experts agree that this is a conservative estimate because bedsore patients are required to stay longer for skin grafting and infections. Add to the mix the thousands of other patients that actually die as a result of these bedsores. To their friends and family, the loss of that life is priceless.

The sad part is that based on the numbers presented above, hospitals and nursing homes can save $44,000,000 in health care costs just by preventing bedsores. This money can be used to invest in better technology and enough personnel to provide quality care to patients and long-term residents. That is why insurance companies such as Aetna and Wellpoint now refuse to reimburse medical facilities for the costs associated with bedsore care. And while I do not agree 100% with this policy, (I think it needs to be more of a case by case decision) it”s a start.

What is clear, however, is that families should not face the loss of an otherwise healthy loved one because a billion dollar medical facility would not hire 2 additional nurses to ensure proper staffing. Similarly, beautifully landscaped and manicured nursing homes have no right to medicate patients and leave them alone for hours at a time, only to cry poor when a resident dies from a bedsore infection. The math proves this is not the case and it’s time to use this information to improve the quality of life for hospital and nursing home residents in this country.

For further information on bedsore prevention and filing a lawsuit for nursing home neglect in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, click on the following links below:

New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer