By definition, an ombudsman is a government official who hears and investigates complaints by private citizens against other officials or government agencies. In the state of NJ, an ombudsman works on behalf of the elderly in nursing homes and long term care facilities through the The Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly. This office accepts reports and complaints of nursing home abuse, negligence, inadequacy, theft, fraud, and other issues concerning the care residents receive in nursing homes and long term care facilities. The office invesitigates these reports of abuse and neglect from a neutral, third party stand-point, and takes the proper steps in the event that abuse is taking place.
I am a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse, What Should I Do?
If you or someone you know have been abused or neglected in a nursing home, the first thing you should do is contact the Elder Ombudsman’s Office. They will document the complaint, and take further steps to investigate it. Your next step is to contact a nursing home abuse attorney.
The NJ and PA nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to eradicating the disturbing trends of abuse and neglect in our nation’s nursing homes and long term care facilities.
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, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadephia.
New Jersey Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly
To file a complaint:
Call 24-Hour Toll Free Hotline: 1-877-582-6995
Email: ombudsman@advocate.state.nj.us
Write: The Office of the Ombudsman
P.O. Box 852
Trenton, NJ 08625-0852
Fax: 609-943-3479
Pennsylvania Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
555 Walnut Street, 5th floor
Harrisburg, Pa. 17101-1919
(717) 783-8975
Pierce’s son, David Blackmon, attempted to file a complaint in Sevier County Circuit Court but defense attorneys claimed that the action had to go through arbitration due to forms that Blackmon signed while his mother was at the nursing home. The appellate court affirmed the lower court’s ruling in favor of the woman’s son. Judge Rex Ogle, the lower court judge, found that the center failed to provide Blackmon with copies of the forms that he signed, a major mistake according to bed sore attorneys. The Judge noted “it troubles the court that anybody who requires someone to sign legal documents affecting the rights of patients would not give those people copies, executed copies. That makes no sense to me.” Lawyers say that the Judge continued by stating “the execution of the agreement, the way it was handled, it was very shoddy. And I think that quite candidly is unconscionable, that it does shock the conscience of this court by how this entire agreement was handled they should not be enforced.”
On May 17, 2007, Lawrence Dixon fell and fractured his pelvis. David Harding was the doctor assigned to Dixon. It was alleged by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that, after conducting examinations, Dr. Harding failed to notice internal bleeding which ultimately led to the failure of multiple organs and eventually death. It is argued that there were numerous warning signs that an experienced doctor, such as Harding, should have recognized. Medical malpractice attorneys argued that the victim had not produced urine in over twenty four hours, had a rapidly increased heartbeat, a rapidly decreased blood pressure, and suffered loss of lucidity. Professionals believe that any of these signs should have been a strong warning sign to Harding that something was wrong and it was likely that the patient was losing blood.
Initially, Susan Piro cancelled the trip she planned to take to America. However, the vacation became too hard to resist, and Susan departed, leaving her mother behind. Ironically, the point of the excursion was to visit places in America her mother had once lived. Susan’s selfish and clouded judgement have now prevented her from ever being able to share these memories with her mother. 
On average, research has shown that the process to upgrade to pressure-reduction mattresses would cost about 30 cents per patient. This minimal investment would soon pay major dividends in the healthcare world. Professionals project that the reduction in bed sores could save $32 dollars per patient in treatment and care costs. This equation leads to one conclusion, big money will be saved once healthcare costs decrease. Murray Krahn, a principal investigator with the study stated that “pressure ulcers are a huge but under-appreciated problem across multiple settings in our health-care system.” He continued by stating, “though they are not the full solution, pressure-reduction mattresses are an inexpensive and easy way to address the problem.”
