Nursing home abuse are much more prevalent in our society than many want to believe. As the elderly population grows, so do the instances of elder abuse and nursing home neglect. If you have a loved one in a nursing home or long term care facility, we highly recommend frequent and attentive visits. Visiting often and unannounced is a sure way to help decrease the chance of your loved being abused or neglected. If you notice anything strange, inquire about the course of treatment. If you stay on your toes, the facility will have no choice but to stay on theirs.
Facility Punished After Patient Death
Creekside Care Center in Stockton, California was fined $100,000 last month following the death of one of their residents. After an investigation from the state, they found that inadequate care led to the victim’s death. The nursing home staff failed to treat her properly after her left thigh bone broke in October 2008. The injury and lack of treatment led to cardio-respiratory distress and her death in the emergency room a few days later.
The California Department of Public Health gave The Creekside Care Center an “AA” citation, which is the most severe penalty under law. State fines range from $100 for Class B violations to a maximum $100,000 for the more serious AA violations. The administrator of the nursing home, Judy Treloar, said that the parent company Sunbridge Healthcare is contesting the citation. The home has filed a required plan of correction with the state Public Health department where they “promised to re-train staff to better monitor and follow up on changes in residents’ conditions. They also promised to audit all changes in residents’ conditions daily.”
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one is currently a resident of a nursing home or care facility, we encourage you to visit frequently and be very observant of any scratches, bruises, or anything that does not look right. If you are worried that the care they are receiving is negligent, abusive, or inadequate, 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.
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.”
Sick and elderly citizens that depend on others for care are perhaps the most vulnerable of our population. Unfortunately, this populations is too often taken advantage of. Financial 
Jawara Henry, a 27 year old autistic patient at the South Beach Psychiatric Center, a state run facility in New York, died after a supervisor tried to restrain him. Henry was “agitated and aggressive and was biting staff and other patients,” when Erik Stanley, 37, a supervisor for disabled adults at the Staten Island mental health facility held him in a wrongful restraint. Stanley allegedly applied excessive pressure to the neck and torso of Henry. According to a source, he placed the patient in a “chokehold,” forced him onto his stomach, and got on top of the patient while he was face down on the floor. Stanley did “not follow protocol nor use proper techniques while to trying to restrain” and used “excessive force.” The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation by neck and chest compression. Stanley was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. He pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.
The facility now wants to transfer her to another nursing home. MetroHealth spokeswoman Susan Christopher said it was “in order to ensure her safety and welfare.” But Steve Piskor is afraid that the move is because he refused to remove the hidden camera from his mother’s room and that moving his mother would not be good for her. “My mother is the victim,” Steve Piskor said. “She’s not the problem. Metro wants to make it out like she’s the problem.” MetroHealth is saying that the camera is a violation of their policies and that caring for Piskor is becoming “too much of a financial burden.”
Stage IV bed sores are horrifying wounds that cause incredible damage to the health of a person. If you or your loved one has a Stage IV bed sore that is currently not being treated, it needs to be treated immediately for the health and safety of the patient. Unfortunately, Stage IV bed sores start off as Stage I bed sores, as discussed in previous blog posts, which are entirely preventable by attentive medical professionals.
An example of abuse that was not sanctioned by the state occurred in one of Hawaii’s premiere facilities, Kahala Nui. The home failed to protect their residents from a sexually abusive nurse’s aide and failed to properly investigate the allegations of abuse. they also failed to examine or interview any of the nine women who said the employee mistreated them between April 2008 and June 2009.
Stage III bed sores are incredibly serious and need immediate attention, as healing bed sores that progress past Stage II is extremely difficult. A stage III bed sore will display skin loss involving damage or death to the subcutaneous tissue that may extend to the connective tissue. The wound will look like a deep crater which is black around its edges. Subcutaneous fat may be visible, but bone, tendon, or muscle is not. There may be tunneling and undermining in the skin.