The board in charge of reviewing medical malpractice & negligence in New Jersey threw out over 90% of complaints against surgeons and physicians last year. The board received 1,017 complaints per the 33,000 licensed practicioners in New Jersey. Those complaints resulted in only 45 license suspensions and 24 license revocations or volunteer surrenders. The Public Citizen, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy, says that the NJ Board is not being diligent or pro-active enough in taking action against negligent and careless practicioners. Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the group’s health director, says:
“There are other states around the same size that consistently discipline more doctors.”
The Public Citizen compared the number of disciplinary actions taken with the number of doctors in every state and determined that New Jersey placed 40th among 50 states and Washington D.C. when it came to placing sanctions on doctors. It wasn’t much of a change from their ranking as 41st in the country last year. Dr. Paul C. Mendelowitz, president of NJ’s Medical Board, declined to comment on the low rate of doctor discipline. Complaints are not public record.
“I don’t get the sense that the board does very much in the way of oversight,” said Chatham Lawyer David Freid. The board’s lack of tenacity in disciplining negligent doctors gives doctors no reason to pay more attention to the quality of care they provide. Hopefully, New Jersey does not become a haven for negligent and careless doctors.
New Jersey Medical Malpractice and the Mininno Law Office
Medical Malpractice is very serious issue. If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by the negligence or mistakes of a doctor or surgeon in New Jersey, you’ll need to seek the assistance of a qualified New Jersey Medical Malpractice & Negligence Attorney. At the Mininno Law Office, our Medical Malpractice Attorneys will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let us help you receive the recoveries you are owed.
If you are grieving the loss of a loved one and you believe their death was brought about the negligence or ill intent of another, contact a Wrongful Death Attorney. A wrongful death claim is a legal action that is filed against a person who is being held accountable for a death. The claim asserts that the death was brought about by some sort of negligence, wrongdoing, or even criminal act. The deceased’s relatives are considered to be entitled to monetary compensation for medical bills, funeral and burial costs, loss of wages, grief, and loss of consortium (companionship).
These damages are known as compensatory damages. Punitive damages could be imposed as a punishment for negligence and/or ill intent of the responsible party or parties.
If you find yourself dealing with the loss of a loved one that you believe was not inevitable, and infact brought on by the wrongful act of another, you may want to contact a New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorney. An attorney is going to review all the facts surrounding your case, and help determine whether or not you are entitled to compensation.
Grieving the death of a loved one is not easy, and the wrongful death attorneys at the Mininno Law Office understand this. They will help in any way possible to make the process move along smoothly and quickly. While monetary compensation will never be able to erase the suffering and grief of losing someone you love, it will definately relieve the financial burden brought on by their loss.
Wrongful Death and the Mininno Law Office
Contact the New Jersey Wrongful Death Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. Or call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us help you receive the compensation you deserve.
BP caps well and for the first time in 3 months, oil has ceased to flow into the gulf. Three months after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig caused the most disastrous oil-spill in U.S. history, BP is monitoring the integrity of a cap that was placed atop their undersea well last Thursday, July 15th. The current success of the cap to stop the flow of oil marks the first time since April 20th that the gushing of crude oil from the well has been haulted. Three months worth of oil gushing from the well into the gulf of Mexico, estimated to amount to hundreds of millions of gallons, has certainly taken a toll on the marine life, the coast, and the businesses in the area, not to mention the injury and death incurred by the explosion on the Transocean rig.
But the biggest concern now is whether or not the cap is actually working as well as we hope it is. Issues regarding whether or not oil and gas are leaking from other underwater release points have surfaced, and BP gets 24 hours to monitor the true integrity of the cap.
Meanwhile, the government is considering extreme changes to current maritme laws capping product liability costs to BP and Transocean, and restricting recoveries to those who have been affected by the gargantuan disaster.
On July 1, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing Protections of the Injured from Limitations on Liability (SPILL Act). The act was sponsored by Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), and co-sponsored by Charlie Melancon (D-La.). According to Melancon:
“When it comes to compensating victim’s families, current laws are inconsistent, lax and encourage companies to take risks—gambling with the lives of workers in the process.”
Supporters of the SPILL Act claim that it will:
Allow families of deceased victims to recover for pain and suffering. The Act will amend The Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) and the Jones Act, both dating back to 1920, which currently prevent victims from claiming for non-pecuniary damages. The passage of the act will allow claimants to recover for pain and suffering, and loss of care, comfort, and companionship.
Repeal the Limitation on Liabilities Act (LOLA, of 1851), which limits the liability of vessel owners ( in this case, Transocean), to only the cost of their vessel and its cargo at the time of the accident.
Keep responsible parties from using bankruptcy as a way to avoid compensating those injured by the disaster.
Apply changes to pending and future claims.
Families of victims that were killed or injured in the explosion have obviously voiced their support for the SPILL Act. On July 13th, the proposal was passed on to the Senate, who read it and passed it on to The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Product Liabilty and the Minnno Law Office
Fears that BP will escape sufficient liability when it comes to compensating victims of this monstrous tragedy are real and well founded. The passage of the SPILL Act will certainly do great things for the recovery efforts of victims and their families. Manufacturers and responsible parties should never be able to skirt their duties of compensation.
If you or a loved one have been injured by a defective product, the product liability attorneys at the Mininno Law Office will work ’round-the-clock to help you get the money you deserve. Act now if you are suffering injury or loss to the negligence of a manufacturer. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380in Philadelphia.
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.
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.
Nursing Home Abuse is a growing epidemic in our long term care industry.
Manorcare Health Services (Gloucester)
Manorcare Health Services in West Deptford, New Jersey is number 2 in our list of the ten nursing homes in the tri-county area guiltiest of nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse. It’s also the first facility we’ve seen in the list from Gloucester County. Inspectors reported some deficiencies in the facility that we have yet to see in any of the other nursing homes we’ve mentioned in this list. The home was noted to have failed in the following areas of the inspection:
Hiring only people who have no legal history of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating residents
Reporting and investigating any acts or reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of residents
Giving residents necessary care to prevent bedsores or heal existing ones.
Giving care that supports the highest possible quality of life
Making sure residents nutritional needs were met
Reviewing drug regimes, and having licensed pharmacists check drug regimens monthly as to keep medicine error rates below 5%
Storing and preparing food in a safe and sanitary way
Making sure common areas are free of hazardous obstructions
Providing necessary housekeeping and maintenance
Keeping accurate medical records
Nursing Home Abuse: Also disheartening was the fact that very low percentages of both long and short stay residents received flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations. The facility was found to have higher than National and/or New Jersey percentage averages when it came to long and short stay residents suffering from moderate to severe pain, long and short stay residents who develop bedsores, long stay residents whose physical independence became limited, long stay residents who became more anxious or depressed, long stay residents who have catheters inserted and then left in their bladders, and long stay residents who lose too much weight. The facility was also reported to lack any effective procedure to prevent the spread of infection.
The most disturbing of these deficiencies is that the facility received reports and accusations from residents or their families of nursing home abuse and neglect, and never took any steps to investigate them. That means that negligent and abusive staff members acted virtually free of consequence. Nursing home abuse should never go free of consequence. Our ill senior citizens should be cared for with the utmost respect. The alarming trend of nursing home negligence and abuse has to be halted somewhere. It seems that now, the only way to do it is to hit the facilities financially with nursing home abuse law suits.
Victims of Nursing Home Abuse: Take Your First Step
The Nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to righting the wrongs caused by nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one have been hurt by nursing home abuse at a long term care facility, don’t waste anymore time. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call us 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 turning long term care facilities into frightening and dangerous places to live. Manorcare Health Center (Camden)
The third place facility in our blog series is the Manorcare Health Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Manorcare is a for profit corporation that participates in Medicare and Medicaid and holds 108 certified beds. Inspectors found that the quality of care Manorcare was providing to its residents was far less than professional or satisfactory (nursing home abuse). The facility staff failed to:
Make sure residents nutritional needs were met
Give care or service to get or keep the highest quality of life
Make available for residents the results of facility surveys and inspections
Properly hold, secure, and manage each resident’s personal money, which is deposited with the nursing home
Provide care that keeps or builds dignity and respect
Advise residents whether or not they are eligible for Medicaid benefits, and if so, how those benefits can affect them and how they can apply
Carefully review drug regimens to avoid errors
Have a licensed pharmacist check each residents’ drug regimens monthly
Make sure common and traffic areas are free of dangers that can cause accidents
Provide adequate housekeeping and maintenance
Provide rooms that are appropriately sized for residents
Keep accurate medical records
Nursing Home Abuse: It seems that Manorcare of Cherry Hill may be more interested in turning a profit that in caring for our elderly and sick. Not offering Medicaid options to those that can use them, and mishandling personal funds of residents all point towards an administration that is solely focused on the bottom line. Also a cause for a concern is the higher percentages of residents losing control of their bowels or bladders, having catheters left inside their bladders, and developing urinary tract infections. These surely are signs of staff negligence.
If You Have Been Victimized by Nursing Home Abuse, Speak Up!
Nursing home abuse and nursing home negligence are very prevalent in long term care facilities across America. The priority of the health and well being of our loved ones is being replaced by the priority of profit. Do not remain silent if you or a loved one have been hurt by nursing home negligence or abuse. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law office are dedicated to righting the wrongs done by negligent, abusive nursing homes. 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 having a serious effect on our confidence in nursing homes and the care they provide. Lakewood of Voorhees (Camden)
Our fourth place facility in the list of the ten worst nursing homes in the tri-county area is the Lakewood of Voorhees nursing home. Lakewood is a for profit corporation participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and holding 240 certified beds. Inspectors have found the facility to be guilty of nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse, and to be failing on a large number of counts to provide high quality, professional, and attentive care. Lakewood has a number of severe deficiencies involving their drug administering procedures, as their medicinal errors rate was above well above 5%. Aside from not letting able-bodied and mentally capable residents administer their own prescriptions, they distributed the wrong dosages of the wrong drugs to the wrong patients on numerous occasions, and failed to deal with the subsequent effects accordingly. They also failed to have a licensed pharmacist regularly check the drugs the residents were taking.
Also among their shortcomings were their failure to keep common areas free of accident hazards, their failure to provide clean, sanitary, safe, and comfortable environments for residents, and their failure to keep a sanitary place to store and prepare food. Their housekeeping and maintenance procedures were lacking, and all of the hallways did not have firmly secured handrails on both sides.
Nursing Home Abuse: Quality measures inspections found the facility to have lower than National and New Jersey percentage averages when it came to the number of patients that received flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations. They were found to have higher than National and/or New Jersey percentage averages in all of the following categories:
Long and short stay residents with moderate to severe pain
High risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
Low risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
Long stay residents who were physically restrained
Low risk long stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladders
Long stay residents who spend most of their time in a bed or chair
Long stay residents who had urinary tract infections
Short stay residents who develop pressure sores
Nursing Home Abuse: The mere fact that long and short stay residents are developing bedsores is a sure sign of a negligent and abusive staff. Perhaps it has to do with their lack of procedure, or perhaps it is that the staff is overworked and underpaid. Whatever the reason, it does not excuse the poor treatment and low quality care that Lakewood of Voorhees is providing to our elderly loved ones. Nursing home abuse is negatively affecting senior citizens and their families all over, and we must work together to make change.
Nursing Home Abuse and The Mininno Law Office
The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Firm are dedicated to working hard for those that have been victimized by long term care facility abuse. 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 a serious epidemic in the long term care industry. The attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to doing their part in eradicating it.
Manor Care, Voorhees (Camden)
Fifth on our list of the ten worst nursing homes in the tri-county area is Manor Care in Voorhees, New Jersey. Manor Care is a for profit corporation participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and holding 120 certified beds. Manor care was found to have some very disturbing deficiencies (nursing home abuse). Inspections found that they failed at the following essential tasks of a nursing home or long term care facility:
• to provide treatment to prevent new bedsores or heal existing ones
• to make sure residents are safe from medicinal errors
• to make sure areas are free of dangers that can cause accidents
• to have a program in place that will prevent the spread of infection
• to keep residents apart from other residents if he/she has a communicable infection
• to keep accurate and appropriate medical records
• to review the work of nurses aides and provide the most up to date training for existing or new nurses aides
• to promptly give Doctors lab results
• to develop care plans that carry on after the residents’ stay
• to give care and service to get or keep the highest quality of life
Nursing Home Abuse: They were also found to have SIGNIFICANTLY lower than both National and New Jersey percentages when it came to patients that were given flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations. They had higher than National and/or New Jersey percentages when it came to long and short stay residents with moderate to severe pain, high risk long stay residents with bed sores, long stay residents who are depressed or anxious, low risk long stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder, long stay residents with urinary tract infections, long stay residents who lose too much weight, and short stay residents who develop bed sores.
Bed sores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and negligence, and if both long and short stay residents are developing them, Manor Care in Voorhees is guilty of being negligent. Nursing home abuse and negligence are an epidemic in the long term care facility industry, and serious steps must be taken to eradicate it.
The Mininno Law Office Wants to Help You
If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by negligence or nursing home abuse, contact Mininno Law Firm for a free case evaluation. These facilities must suffer the consequences of their inattentive and lackluster care. You could also call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
The board in charge of reviewing medical malpractice & negligence in New Jersey threw out over 90% of complaints against surgeons and physicians last year. The board received 1,017 complaints per the 33,000 licensed practicioners in New Jersey. Those complaints resulted in only 45 license suspensions and 24 license revocations or volunteer surrenders. The Public Citizen, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy, says that the NJ Board is not being diligent or pro-active enough in taking action against negligent and careless practicioners. Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the group’s health director, says:
