Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signs bill that aims to improve the care being provided in nursing homes across the state. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill that aims to greatly improve the quality of care being provided to the state’s elderly citizens in nursing homes and long term care facilities. Supporters have high hopes that new regulations upheld by the bill will work to eradicate the disturbing trends of nursing home abuse, neglect, and violence currently plaguing the long term care industry.
Expected changes include:
New ratio of 1 inspector per every 500 beds
Increased criminal background checks and psychological testing of nursing home patients
Alternative housing arrangements for patients who are physically capable, but suffer from psychological conditions
Increased staffing levels at long term care facilities
Illinois State Governement intends to fund the plan by increasing licensing fees, and decreasing the amount of psychiatric patients in nursing homes. Small, group-homes require less staff oversight and will save some of the money the state currently spends on this area of care.
Naysayers claim the bill is just a way to silence the public outcry for tighter restrictions on the care being provided in Illinois nursing homes. Whether or not that is true really doesn’t matter. The bill was signed, changes will be made, and nursing home care will improve.
The Mininno Law Office Frowns Upon Nursing Home Abuse
The Mininno Law Office has taken a firm and unwavering stand against nursing home abuse. Our elderly citizens deserve respectful, careful, and attentive treatment while staying in nursing homes and long term care facilities.
If you or a loved one have experienced what you believe is nursing home abuse or negligence, contact the Mininno Law Office. Our New Jersey and Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys are ready to help you with your claim against the nursing home, and will work ’round the clock to get you the compensation you deserve. You can also call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
27 Never Events - Occurences that should never take place within the walls of a healthcare facility.
The National Quality Forum is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of healthcare for all americans.
The forum aims to do that through pursuit of three seperate missions:
Setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement;
Endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and
Promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.
NQF’s membership consists of a wide variety of healthcare stakeholders: consumer oraganizations, public and private purchasers, nurses, physicians, hospitals, healthcare researchers, and quality improvement organizations.
The NQF has recently published a list of 27 “never events” in healthcare. “Never Events“ refer to events that, rightly, should never happen. Most of the events on the list would happen when a patient is being cared for at a healthcare facility, and constitue as medical malpractice and negligence or nursing home abuse.
A few of the events could happen within a patient’s home. Below is a list of the NQF’s 27 “Never Events.”
1. Surgery performed on the wrong body part 2. Surgery performed on the wrong patient 3. Performing the wrong surgical procedure on a patient (conducive to symptoms) 4. Retention of a foreign object ina patient after surgery or other procedure 5. Intraoperative or immediately post-operative death in a normal, healthy patient. 6. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of contaminated drugs, devices, or biologics provided by the healthcare facility. 7. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use or function of a device in patient care in which the device is used or functions other than as intended. 8. Patient death or serious disability associated with intravascular air embolism that occurd while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 9. Infant discharged to the wrong person. 10. Patient death ot serious disability associated with the partient disappearance for more than four hours. 11. Patient death or serious disability associated with a medication error. 12. Patient suicide or attempted suicide resulting in serious disability, while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 13. Patient death or serious disability associated with a hemolytic reaction due to transfusion of the wrong blood type. 14. Maternal death or serious disability associated with a medication error. 15. Patient death or serious disability associated with hypoglycemia, the onset of which occurs while the patient is being cared for in a healthcare facility. 16. Death or serious disabilty associated with the failure to identify and treat jaundice in newborns. 17. Stage 3 or 4 bedsores or pressure sores acquired after admission to a healthcare facility. 18. Patient death or serious disability due to spinal manipulatice therapy. 19. Patient death or serious disability associated with an electric shock while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 20. Any incident in which a line designated for oxygen or other gas to be delivered to a patient contains the wrong gas or is contaminated by toxic substances. 21. Patient death or serious disability associated with a burn incurred from any source while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 22. Patient death associated with a fall while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 23. Patient death or serious disability associated with the use of restraints or bedrails while being cared for in a healthcare facility. 24. Any instance of care ordered by or provided by someone impersonating a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or other licensed healthcare provider. 25. Abduction of a patient at any age. 26. Sexual assault of a patient within or on the grounds of a healthcare facility. 27. Death or significant injury of a patient or staff member resulting from a physical assault that occurs within or on the grounds of a healthcare facility.
Medical Malpractice or Nursing Home Abuse in NJ or PA?
These “never events” are sure instances of medical malpractice, and in some cases, nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one have experienced any of the events on the list, you should contact a NJ Medical Malpractice or Nursing Home Abuse attorney.
The team at the Mininno Law Office is ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. For a free case evaluation, contact the Mininno Law Office. Or simply call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Juanita Jackson died on July 6, 2003 at age 76 from complications arising from negligent and abusive care at Integrated Health Services in Auburndale, Florida. A Florida jury has awarded $114 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the family of a woman who was victimized, and eventually killed, by nursing home abuse and negligence.Juanita Jackson, 76, died July 6, 2003, after a stay at Integrated Health Services in Auburndale, FL. She was injured after a fall, and then dealt with further complications including bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration, and intentional overmedication.
The judgement came as a default judgement since Integrated Health Services , after years of litigation, stopped participating in the case. On July 7th, a jury awarded what is believed to be the biggest verdict ever in Polk County. Juanita’s family, three daughters and a son, issued the following statement:
“We are proud that we fought for our mom, and we are glad that people recognized the suffering she went through. We hope this will help make sure no one else has to go through such a horrible experience”.
Nursing Home Abuse and the Mininno Law Office
Juanita Jackson died because of negligent and abusive care provided by Integrated Health Services. Unfortunately, this is not the only case of it’s kind. Nursing Homes in our area of New Jersey are also providing this kind of heartless and detrimental care to residents of nursing homes.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse, contact the New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office. You could also call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let us work to get you the compensation you derserve.
The Mininno Law Office takes a firm stand against New Jersey nursing home abuse. We fight against careless and negligent facilities, and we do our best to post useful information to assist those dealing with sick loved ones and nursing homes. Yesterday, we posted advice on how to pick a quality nurisng home. Today’s post will deal with signs that your loved one may be being abused or neglected in their long term care facility.
Below is a list of red flag symptoms concerning nursing home abuse and neglect. Noticing any of these should prompt immediate action.
Nursing Home Abuse: 9 Red Flags
Bedsores or open wounds (also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers): A sure sign of neglect. Bedsores form when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence and an external surface for a prolonged period of time. Failing to reposition bedridden patients often results in bedsores.
Nursing home abuse and negligence are very real threats to residents at some facilites. Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains or fractures: Mysterious injuries such as these could be attributed to roughness and mishandling of feeble and fragile patients.
Falls in shower, out of bed or out of chairs, resulting in injury: This is a sign that patients are being left to fend for themselves during difficult tasks like moving from the bed to the bathroom. Many patients need help to complete these tasks, and without being checked on regularly, can easily hurt themselves trying to do it alone.
Dehydration, malnutrition, or weight loss: Residents being neglected will often suffer from some, or all, of the above symptoms. Abuse and neglect can lead to depression, which in turn could result in malnutrition and weight loss.
High staff turnover: If a nursing home staff is constantly new and residents are being treated by new caregivers all of the time, the likelihood that that they are receiving quality care is very low. Errors occur often amoung new staff members. Workers leaving and going elsewhere could also be a sign that they are underpaid and overworked. Underpaid and overworked nursing home staff are a large source of nursing home abuse and neglect.
Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; vaginal or anal bleeding; torn, stained or bloody garments: Unfortunately, sexual abuse is a very real issue in nursing homes. If you notice any of these signs, act immediately.
Loss of resident’s possessions, or sudden changes in the resident’s will, bank accounts or other financial documents: Theft and fraud are very real and very prevalent forms of nursing home abuse. If anything goes missing, whether it be belongings or money, investigate immediately.
Refusal or delays to have visitation with the resident: If a nursing home is guilty of abuse or neglect, of course they won’t be quick to allow you to come and see your loved ones. Often, if they allow visitation, they will refuse to let you be alone with your loved one. This is something to be very weary of. Now, your loved one does not feel comfortable telling you what’s really going on.
Over-sedation or overuse of restraints: Caregivers have gone to jail for using unprescribed morphine to calm patients they feel are “combative.” This is a life threatening practice, and has taken lives in the past.
What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
If you notice one or more of the above symptoms, it is likely the nursing home facility you have entrusted with the care of your loved one is acting negligently. Do not wait to seek help. A nursing home abuse attorney will be able to sit down with you and discuss what happened, what you’ve seen, and determine if you have a case against the care facility. 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 us get you the compensation you deserve.
Nursing home abuse is an ugly truth in a necessary industry. Nursing home abuse can play an extremely daunting role in where, when, and even if we decide to place our loved ones in a long term care facility. Trends of abuse, negligence, theft, and fraud seem to be taking over an industry that should be known for it’s kindness, compassion, benevolence, and dependability.
Choosing a nursing home can be overwhelming and scary, so the best way to go about the task is to be prepared and know exactly what to look for in a good and trustworthy nursing home. Below are six steps you can take to ensure that you are choosing the right facility to trust with the care of your loved one.
Steps You Can Take to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse
Step 1: Ask for documentation that will prove that the facility employs regular background checks to ensure that employees of the facility have no record of violent, sexual, or financial crime. Verify that employees are in good standing with the law and that they have the proper credentials to be working in this field. A nursing home in good standing and employing qualified workers will have no problem turning this paperwork over. The National Association on State Units on Aging reported that “An increased risk of abuse is found at nursing homes that have a history of serious noncompliance, particularly if abuse has occurred in the facility in the past.”
Follow these steps to help keep your loved one from being abused in a nursing home.Step 2: Request information verifiying the minimum staff to patient ratio, how many hours per week employees work (including max overtime), and leave instructions to notify you should these policies change. Overworked employees are a huge source of abuse and negligence in nursing homes. Make sure the people caring for your loved ones are not responsible for too many patients for too long. The probability of abuse increases as staff to patient ratio decreases.
Step 3: With regard to step 2, verify the number of patients in the home with dementia, and who are physically dependant on nursing home staff. A high number of dementia patients should be accompanied by high number of employees. According to a report done by the National Center of Elder Abuse, nursing home abuse is more common in facilities that are home to a high number of demetia patients, as their required care is far more demanding.
Step 4: Ask about the facilities grievance policy. What is their protocol for reporting complaints? Is it policy to retaliate against staff members who report abuse? What about a patient who reports abuse? Facilities should offer anonymous reporting options to both staff and patients, and investigate all complaints thouroughly.
Step 5: Ask about the facility’s training policy, and whether or not it offers ongoing abuse prevention courses, as well as other courses to keep staff up to date on the newest and best methods of care. The Department of Health and Human Services reports “Besides improving competence and knowledge, training also offers a vehicle for building [staff] self-esteem, which also may help to reduce stress and burnout.” The report also states that ” . . .training can also prepare staff to respond appropriately to difficult situations, such as dealing with physically combative residents, which have the potential to trigger abuse.”
Step 6: Visit often and unannounced. Nursing home abuse is much more likely to occur to patients who do not have visitors, as there will be no consequence if no one is there to find out. If your visits are unannounced and frequent, staff members responsible for the care of your loved one will be forced to “stay on their toes,” providing the best possible care for the resident.
If Nursing Home Abuse Occurs
Nursing home abuse is an awful thing to deal with, and facilities that employ abusive tactics toward residents, or put profits before patients must suffer the consequences of this behavior. The long term care industry is a necessary one, as most of us are not qualified to care for our elderly loved ones when they get too sick to care for themselves. This industry needs to be one we can trust in. If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need the help of a nursing home abuse attorney. 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 us help you get the compensation you deserve.
A mobil billboard discussing bedsore percentages in the Omni chain of nursing homes in New Jersey.Omni CEO Avery Eisenreich is under some intense fire, including allegations of nursing home abuse, as it’s been recently discovered that Omni Nursing homes in New Jersey have some of the worst bed sore percentages in the state. An Omni home in Rochelle Park, NJ provided the kind of abusive and negligent care that resulted in 45% of it’s short stay residents developing bedsores.
Homes within the Omni chain include Bristol Manor,Rochelle Park; Castle Hill, Union City; Harbor View, Jersey City; Palisade, Guttenberg; Cedar Hill, Cedar Grove; Chancellor, Irvington; Chateau at Rochelle Park; Hudson Manor, Secaucus; Newport, Jersey City; Pope John Paul/St. Mary’s, Orange; Riverton, Rahway; Riverview, Paterson; Silver Care, Cherry Hill; and St. Cloud, West Orange.
The Campaign
New Jersey workers have launched a campaign regarding the bedsore rates and nursing home abuse in Omni nursing homes. The campaign employs television and radio ads, google ads, mobile billboards, and even a website. The campaign calls out Avery Eisenreich for his misspending of funds that have been alotted him for the purpose of improving quality of care, as well as improving pay rates and working conditions for his employees. In 2007, Omni made over 20 million dollars in profit. Eisenreich even received millions of dollars from New Jersey’s Nursing Home Quality of Care Improvement Fund intended for the betterment of care provided to residents at Omni nursing homes. All of this money seems to have been pocketed by Mr. Eisenreich, as no employee of his has received a raise in over two years, no new training programs were offered to those employees, and clearly, the quality of care has not improved.
Nursing Home Abuse Should Not be Ignored
This issue is a serious one, and unfortunately, not uncommon. The profit before people mentality seems to run rampant in the long term care industry. Omni’s home in Rochelle Park has put 45% of it’s short stay residents at risk for infection and death caused by bedsores. This kind of nursing home abuse can not be tolerated. If you or a loved one have been affected by nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need to contact a nursing home abuse attorney to help you receive the compensation you are owed. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call for free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380in Philadelphia.
Angela Almore, 44, RN charged with murder. On Monday June, 7th, registered nurse Angela Almore was brought up on nursing home abuse charges involving the death of an alzheimer’s patient at the Britthaven senior care facility in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Almore, 44, was indicted on one count of second degree murder, and six counts of felony patient abuse. She was allegedly administering morphine to patients who were not prescribed the highly controlled substance used for pain management. Nine of the 25 patients in the alzheimers unit at Britthaven tested positive for morphine. Six of the victims were hospitalized, while 84 year old Rachel Holliday died February 16th.
Rachel Holliday and Nursing Home Abuse
No autopsy was performed on Holliday, but the medical examiner that reviewed her records determined “pneumonia related asphyxiation” her cause of death. It also determined that “morphine toxicity” was a contributing factor. It should be noted that military and workplace drug tests consider 2,000 nanograms per 1 milliliter of urine to be a positive test result. Holliday’s tests revealed her levels at 50,000 nanograms per milliliter.
Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall does not believe there will be any other arrests in the case. “At this point, there is nothing to indicate that anyone else was involved,” he said.
Britthaven’s Response to Nursing Home Abuse
The North Carolina Nursing Home Licensure Section will be conducting it’s own investigation to determine if procedural violations may have played a part in the availability of the morphine to be used in events of nursing home abuse. Positive findings could result in penalties and fines for Britthaven, as well as procedure upgrades at their locations in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virgina.
Britthaven has placed all of the those working at the time of Holliday’s death on paid leave to begin an investigation. A patient’s family member believes that Britthaven is taking positive steps towards improvement.
Do You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing Home Abuse is becoming overwhelmingly prevalent in today’s long term care facility industry. These homes and care centers should be places we can trust with the well being of our elderly loved ones. Instead, they are becoming frightening and dangerous places to live. Rachel Holliday lost her life to crimes of nursing home abuse. The trend has to be haulted. We must do what we can to fight these corporations, and stop them from putting money before care.
If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by nursing home abuse, do not remain silent. The attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to help you get the compensation you are owed. Please contact us for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Havenwood Rehab Center was shut down in July of 2005 upon discovery of severe nursing home abuse and neglect. On Friday, May 21st, Karen Mason (57), the former CEO of Havenwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to two years in prison and 3 years probabation for tax evasion. The 315 bed nursing home, of which she was CEO, administrator, and part owner, has been closed since July of 2005, when inspectors shut the facility down after discovering severe cases of nursing home abuse and neglect. A few of those nursing home abuse cases included patients being refused baths and clean sheets, and a man who jumped to his death after facility staff members failed to report his suicide threats.
In Mason’s time at Havenwood, she took money from a resident’s trust fund, from an employee’s 401(k) account, and from Havenwood bank accounts. Police allege that her theft totaled a little over 1 million dollars. The money went towards personal purchases for Mason; furniture, carpeting, jewelry, cars, concert and sporting event tickets, vacations, payments to the Milwaukee Yacht Club, and a wedding and honeymoon for one of her children.
Mason: Guilty of Nursing Home Abuse
Mason was sentenced in 2008 to 15 months in the Milwaukee County House of Corrections after being found guilty on felony charges of theft and abuse of a patient causing physical harm. That ruling also required Mason to pay back $20,696 to a Havenwood employee’s 401(k) account, and $64,435 to a Havenwood bank account.
The tax evasion case found that in 2004, Mason took in $642,000 in income. Of that total, $212,000 was salary from the facility, and the rest of it stolen. She paid taxes on none of it.
Mason was so busy stealing from her own company and living her lavish life, that she failed to make sure the residents in her nursing home were being properly cared for. The inspections by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services that shut the facility down found “dire conditions” within the home, involving the health and safety of residents. They were also tipped off by employees of possible medicare fraud.
Victims of Nursing Home Abuse: Seek Help!
Nursing home abuse is a serious problem in nursing homes and other long term care facilities. And as you’ve read, it’s not always physical abuse. In Havenwood’s case, much of the nursing home abuse was in the form of theft and fraud. If you or a loved one have suffered any kind of nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need to seek the assistance of a nursing home abuse attorney. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are eager to represent you and help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or simply call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Jesse Joiner, 56, accused of nursing home abuse and theft at the William O. Benenson Rehab Center in Queens, NY. A video of nursing home abuse captured by a hallway surveillance camera in a NewYork City nursing home has landed 56 year old nurse Jesse Joiner in jail on criminal charges . The nursing home abuse video shows Joiner leaving a medical cart to tend to a patient sitting in a wheelchair. What happens next is troubling. Joiner seems to jerk the wheel chair to the left, tossing Jane bills, the 85 year old resident with dementia,out of her chair and onto the floor. Then, Joiner simply walks away! She leaves the room for a small amount of time, and upon re-entering, ignores the patient again. She continues walking and leaves view of the camera a second time from a different exit. A male staff member enters the room a minute later, sees the patient on the floor, looks around, and leaves. Finally, Joiner and the male staff member re-enter, lift the resident off the floor, and sit her back in her chair. The resident suffered a broken hip.
Joiner’s attorney, who says he has not seen the video, claims that Joiner was not guilty of nursing home abuse, and that the patient caused her own fall; that Joiner went over to help the woman who then threw herself out of the chair. The video shows otherwise. Jesse Joiner has also been accused of stealing 2 dozen painkillers from the facility that same night.
The Dr. William O. Benenson Rehabilitation Pavillion, the nursing home where Joiner worked, is a 4 our of 5 star government rated facility, having only minor deficiencies in housekeeping and maintenance related areas. A spokesperson for the nursing home has called Joiner’s alleged deeds “unacceptable.” Joiner could face up to 7 years in prison.
WATCH NURSING HOME ABUSE VIDEO HERE
If you or a loved one have been victimized by nursing home abuse or negligence, the nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to help. Contact us for a free case evaluation or call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Nursing Home Abuse is affecting elderly residents and their families nationwide. Gloucester Manor (Gloucester)
And the number 1 nursing home guilty of nursing home abuse is the Gloucester Manor in Sewell, New Jersey. Gloucester Manor is a for profit corporation participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and containing 139 beds. Inspectors reported a number of deficiencies (which could potentially lead to nursing home abuse) after two inspections. Those deficiencies included failures to:
Only hire people without legal history of abuse or neglect
Protect each resident from all abuse, physical punishment, and being separated from others
Provide care that supports the highest quality of life
Provide professional services that follow each resident’s personal care plan
To meet all residents nutritional needs
Develop a complete care plan that meets all of the resident’s needs
Provide immediate updates to residents’ doctors and families should their health, treatment, or state of being change
Provide care that keeps or builds dignity and respect
Store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way
Have drugs and other similar products available that are needed in emergencies or for everyday use, and give them out properly
Keep medicinal error rates below 5%
Properly mark drugs
Keep necessary equipment functioning safely and properly
Make sure areas were free of hazardous and dangerous obstructions
Provide necessary housekeeping and maintenance
Review the work of nurses’ aides and provide them with new training yearly
Nursing Home Abuse: A disturbing number of deficiencies is followed by an equally disturbing number of negative trends among patients in the facility. Quality Measures inspections found the nursing home to have higher than National and/or New Jersey percentage averages when it came to:
Long stay and short stay residents with moderate to severe pain
High risk long stay residents with bedsores
Low risk long stay residents with bedsores
Long stay residents who were physically restrained
Long stay residents who are more depressed or anxious
Low risk long stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
Long stay residents who have catheters inserted and left in their bladders
Long stay residents with urinary tract infections
Long stay residents who lose too much weight
Short stay residents with bedsores
What to do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
The amount of nursing home neglect and nursing home abuse that Gloucester Manor is guilty of is quite appalling. The services they provide are surely not professional, and their quality measures inspections seem to prove that they are hurting more residents then they are helping. I hope this series as illustrated for readers the amount of nursing home abuse and neglect that takes place in the long term care industry. Our ill senior citizens need us to stand up for their rights, as they can do it for themselves.
The nursing home abuse attorneys at Mininno Law Office are dedicated to fighting for those who have been wronged by acts of nursing home abuse or negligence. If you or a loved one needs help regarding something that happened in a nursing home or long term care facility, contact us for a free case evaluation. Or simply call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
The Mininno Law Office takes a firm stand against 
