The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #7

Victims of nursing home abuse must speak up!

Lutheran Care (Burlington)

Lutheran Care, located in Moorestown, NJ, is our #7 of the ten worst nursing homes in the tri-county area. It is a not for profit, church related organization that accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and contains 201 certified beds. Inspections found a number of issues with their drug administering procedures, issues that were definitely their biggest discretions.
Lutheran Care failed to have licensed pharmacists check the residents’ drugs monthly. They had a higher than average rate of medicinal errors, including administering the wrong drugs, or the wrong dosages. They also kept inaccurate medical records. These drug related issues surely stem from their failure to review resident drug regimens, and their failure to act upon the consequent irregularities in residents that followed.

Nursing home Abuse: In their Quality Measures inspections, inspections that can pinpoint how and where nursing home abuse occurs, Lutheran Care was found to have higher than New Jersey and/or National percentage averages in all of the following areas:

• Long stay residents who were physically restrained
• 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 who spend most of their time in a bed or chair
• Long stay residents with urinary tract infections
• Short stay residents who develop pressure sores

Nursing Home Abuse: Other discrepancies included a number of accidents that occurred due to lack of supervision, poor fire safety procedures, and locations in the facility that were unsanitary, uncomfortable, or dysfunctional. It seems that at Lutheran Care, the dignity and respect of each individual resident is not top priority.
This kind of nursing home abuse can not be tolerated. Our senior citizens deserve patient, attentive, and proper care. Long term facility negligence is an epidemic, and must be cured.

What to Do If You Feel Victimized By Nursing Home Abuse

If you or a loved one have suffered due to nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse, you’ll need representation.
Contact us for a free case evaluation or call the Mininno Law Firm for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys get you the compensation you deserve.

Note: Conclusions in this blog were formed from data provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and Medicare.

The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #9

Nursing home abuse and neglect are unacceptable crimes to humanity.

South Jersey Health Care Center (Camden)

The South Jersey Health Care Center (a for-profit corporation) is a long term care facility located in Camden, New Jersey. It participates in Medicare and Medicaid, it has 120 certified beds, and it is #9 in our list of the ten worst long term care facilities in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties. Based on the last three inspections the facility received, the South Jersey Health Care Center failing on a large number of counts to provide services that meet professional standards, and is instead providing negligent and abusive care (nursing home abuse).

Inspection reports show isolated incidents of failure to maintain residents’ nutrition status, failure to develop comprehensive care plans, and failure to prevent or treat pressure sores. They show patterns of nursing home abuse and  less than professional house keeping/maintenance services. The same reports show widespread occurrences of unsanitary conditions in food prep and service areas, and widespread occurrences of hazardous obstructions.

Nursing Home Abuse: The South Jersey Health Care Center was found in their Quality Measures inspections to have lower than national and/or New Jersey percentage averages in the following areas:

  • Long stay residents given influenza vaccinations during flu season
  • Long stay residents assessed and given pneumococcal vaccinations
  • Short stay residents give influenza vaccinations during flu season
  • Short stay residents given pneumococcal vaccinations

Nursing Home Abuse: The Quality Measures inspections found that The South Jersey Health Care Center had higher than national and/or New Jersey percentage averages in the following areas:

  • High risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
  • Low risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
  • Long stay residents who have catheters inserted and left in their bladders
  • Long stay residents who spend most of their time in a bed or chair
  • Long stay residents who have urinary tract infections
  • Long stay residents who lose too much weight
  • Short stay residents with moderate to sever pain.

Nursing home abuse: Inspectors determined that the facility failed to give professional services that met a professional standard of quality, it failed to make sure each resident’s nutritional needs were met, failed to store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way, and failed to make sure that the nursing home area was free of dangers that cause accidents. Perhaps their biggest failure was their failure to provide immediate updates to doctors or family members when residents’ health or treatment changed, when residents suffered injuries, or when residents needed to be transferred or discharged.  Long-term care facility negligence and nursing home abuse, as you can and will further see, are a serious detriment to the long term care industry.

Have You Been Affected by Nursing Home Abuse?

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or loss due to nursing home abuse or negligence, you’ll need proper representation. The Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at the Mininno Law Firm are here to help you receive the compensation you are due.
Contact Us to fill out a free case evaluation form, or call us for a free consultation: 856-833-0600 in New Jersey or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Note: Conclusions in this blog were formed from data provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and Medicare .

The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #10

Nursing Home Abuse is a serious issue in today's long term care industry. It's time we started to attack the facilities that do not provide respectful and attentive care to our elderly citizens.

In a series of 10 blogs, the Mininno Law Firm will be revealing the 10 worst nursing homes in three of our surrounding counties- Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington. The ratings of these nursing homes were determined after inspection of health standards, staffing, and quality measures. Nursing homes can receive up to five stars. The facilities you will read about in the series have all received just one.

The Fountains at Cedar Park

The Fountains at Cedar Park is a long term care facility located in Atco, New Jersey. It participates in Medicare and Medicaid, has sixty certified beds, and is #10 in our list of the ten worst long term care facilities in the tri-county area. Based on the last two inspections the facility received, it’s failing on a large number of counts to provide services that meet professional standards. Inspection reports show isolated incidents of hazardous obstructions. They show patterns of drug regimens including unnecessary drugs (abuse), unsafe, unsanitary, and uncomfortable living conditions (negligence), improper housekeeping and maintenance (negligence), and regulations on meal frequencies not being met (abuse). The same reports show widespread instances of unsanitary conditions in food prep and service areas.

The Fountains at Cedar Park was found in their Quality Measures inspections to have higher than national and/or New Jersey percentage averages in the following areas:

Long stay residents whose need for help with daily activities increased
Long and short stay residents who have moderate to severe pain
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 whose physical independence became limited
Long stay residents who developed urinary tract infections

Inspectors determined that the facility failed to give residents care and services to get or keep the highest quality of life, it failed to give professional services that met a professional standard of quality, and it failed to make sure the nursing home was free of dangers that could cause harm. A lot of these issues stem from the staff: negligent care takers who fail to spend appropriate amounts of time with each of their patients. Long-term care facility negligence and abuse run rampant throughout the industry.As you’ll see in future blogs, the amount of it is shocking.

Nursing Home Abuse and the Mininno Law Office

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or loss due to nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse, you’ll need proper representation. The Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at the Mininno Law Firm are here to help you receive the compensation you are due.
Contact us to fill out a free case evaluation form, or call us for a free consultation: (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Note: Conclusions in this blog were formed from data provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and Medicare.

A Medical Malpractice Case in Ohio

Medical Malpractice in the operating room certainly led to Keith's worsened condition, but the Ohio Supreme Court decided otherwise.
Keith Theobald was a healthy and fit father of two, until an elderly driver clipped the back of his pick up truck and sent Keith and his car flying over 4 lanes of traffic and into a patch of standing trees. EMT’s quickly arrived at the crash site and found Keith hanging upside down in a tree. He was paralyzed from the chest down. In the hospital, Keith was alert and still had the use of his arms. He and his wife came to terms with his new condition, and were looking ahead to a difficult, but fulfilling life.
Keith’s doctors told him that an operation might be able to improve his condition, so Keith underwent the surgery. Keith woke up from surgery still paralyzed but now he was blind in both eyes and could no longer use his arms. Doctor’s records proved that a series of mistakes made during the surgery led to oxygen deprivation, causing Keith’s blindness and extended paralysis. Keith, now blind and completely paralyzed, needs ‘round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

Ohio Supreme Court Ruling

The Theobalds went to Court and sought to recover damages from Keith’s doctors. Despite the overwhelming evidence of medical malpractice, The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the doctors were immune from any and all lawsuits – no matter what. The Court found that because there were medical students watching and helping during the operation, the doctors who performed the surgery were acting within their realm of state employment as teachers with the University of Cincinnati, and were therefore immune to medical malpractice suits.

That’s right, highly paid doctors and surgeons who agree to assist a State University in teaching med students (without compensation) are considered state employees, just like DMV folks who process our license applications, the road department workers who paint and repair our highways and state prison guards – all of whom get paid directly by the state with tax dollars.

Although these doctors were not being paid like state employees, the Court’s ruling gave them the same immunity from suits that most state workers in Ohio got. Unbeknownst to Keith, by going to these doctors, he was giving up his personal rights to a jury trial in the Court of Common Pleas. The Theobalds were told they had to take the case to the Court of Claims, meaning:

• No jury presence
• State appointed judges that issue rulings for and against the state
• Award cap of $250,000, regardless of severity of damages
• Taxpayers will foot the bill, not the Doctors insurance companies

In the 6-1 decision, called The Theobald Ruling, the dissenting justice argued (unsuccessfully) that the immunity was meant for mistakes that students made, not mistakes that teaching surgeons made. He also argued that patients should be alerted when procedures are to be performed by “state employed” physicians, and that they are indeed surrendering their right to go to Court should something go wrong. The ruling stated otherwise.

In a heartbreaking ending, The Theobalds never saw their day in court. After a lengthy ordeal with the Court of Common Pleas, the Theobalds finally filed suit in the Court of Claims, only to be denied again because the statute of limitations had run out on their claim. Keith and his wife Jacqueline received no compensation for injuries sustained due to medical malpractice, and must now face his injuries with no monetary help from here on out. Is this justice?

If You Believe You are a Victim of Medical Malpractice, You Must Act Quickly!

New Jersey and Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys will continue to fight for victims of medical malpractice. If you or a loved one have been affected by medical malpractice, you need to act soon. Don’t let a statute of limitations be the reason you do not receive due compensation.Contact us to fill out a free case evaluation form or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Callous Run-Down

Joseph Genovese, 20, of South Philadelphia.

On May 6th, 2010, Twenty year old Joseph Genoveseof South Philadelphia was sentenced to 7-14 years in prison for callously running down 2 women after a Phillies game on July 10th, 2008. The game was over and the two women, both from St. Louis, were crossing the street at Broad and Curtin on their way to have dinner. Genovese was stopped at a red light three cars back. Genovese, under the influence of marijuana, swerved around the two stopped cars in front of him and sped through the red light, striking down 53 year old Cindy Grassi, and 36 year old Sandra Wacker.

Grassi was killed and Wacker was permanently disabled. The women were both P.E. teachers at an elementary school in St. Louis, and became friendly after discovering their shared loved for the St. Louis Cardinals. The two would follow the Cards to one away game a year. They had made it all the way out to San Francisco before seeing them play at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Grassi’s death and Wacker’s permanent disability are awful tragedies, especially to their families. Yes Genovese will serve jail time, but this doesn’t ease the blow of losing a loved one. Nor does it ease the hardships Cindy Grassi’s family will now have to face without her. In Grassi’s case, a Philadelphia Wrongful Death Attorney could work to recover damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of past and future income, and loss of consortium.
Wacker’s permanent disability will also create hardships for the people that depend on and love her. In this case, a Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney could recover damages for disability, impairment and loss of enjoyment, past and future medical expenses, and life expectancy.

Seek Help from a New Jersey or Philadephia Trial Attorney

If you or a loved one is suffering due to personal injury or wrongful death, do not do it alone. The Philadelphia and New Jersey Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Trial Attorneys at Mininno Law Firm are here to help you. Our team is dedicated to earning you the compensation that you deserve. Contact us for a free consultation or call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Healthcare Reform: Helping Our Senior Citizens

Healthcare reform is set up to do wonderful things for the long term care industry.
Healthcare reform has been a hot issue for years. It’s obvious that our healthcare system, nursing homes, and long term care facilities are in dire need of help, but figuring out exactly how to provide that help has proven difficult for lots of reasons. But on March 30th, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the final healthcare legislation approved by the senate, wrapping up his momentous effort to enact healthcare reform.
The Legislation was called “The Healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.” The Act is going to change healthcare, and more importantly, nursing home and assisted living facility care, as we know it. Some changes will not be immediate, but change is coming.

What Do These “Changes” Mean?

Many families are wondering what those changes will mean for our senior citizens; especially for those who may need to enter a nursing home and/or long term care facility. At least one nursing home advocate has strongly supported this measure. That supporter is Cheryl Phillips, MD, president of the American Geriatrics Society. Ms. Phillips is excited about what healthcare reform means for our elderly citizens, saying:

All told, healthcare reform includes numerous, important provisions that will improve elder healthcare now and in the future, and support geriatrics careers. The AGS has long advocated for these provisions.

There is a substantial list of changes coming to nursing homes and long-term care facilities after the enactment of healthcare reform. Some of those changes include:

Long Term Care Insurance – Under the Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act (CLASS), all Americans will be automatically enrolled in a long term care insurance program. This insurance can be used by seniors who need to be placed into an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Citizens will have the ability to opt out of the program. If they choose to stay enrolled in the program, citizens will start paying a premium immediately and will be able to benefit from the program after contributing for 5 years. The yield is expected to be about $50.00 a day.

• Patients will immediately begin receiving rebates for prescription drug costs that fall into the Medicare Part D gap. Overtime, the gap will be phased out entirely.

• Drug manufacturers will be forced to provide discounts on brand name drugs.

Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act – this nursing home and assisted living facility act will require that nursing homes provide consumers with plentiful and up-to-date information about the quality of care nursing homes provide. These standards will address the prevention of bed sores and pressure ulcers in nursing homes; address fall protection to prevent injuries from falls; and provide seniors in nursing homes with quality of life standards. This is a massive weapon in the fight against sub-par care standards in nursing homes and long term care facilities. The AARP has called this bill “one of the most significant nursing home reform initiatives in two decades.”

Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act – this will create a national system of background checks, to prevent nursing home employees with criminal backgrounds from working in the long term care setting. This Act is designed to protect nursing home abuse, physical assault and sexual assaults by staff members.

This is just a brief list of the many changes headed for nursing home and assisted living facility care. Advocates of nursing home care reform are thrilled by the imminent changes, looking forward to an increased quality of care and decreased instances of nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse. These healthcare changes will hopefully do wonderful things to prevent nursing home abuse so our senior citizens can get the care they deserve.

Has Nursing Home Abuse or Negligence Affected You?

If you or a loved one has suffered the effects of nursing home negligence or abuse, the attorneys at Mininno Law Office are here to help you get the compensation you deserve. 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.

Nursing Homes: A Cure For Incontinence?

Electronic Underpants could bring an end to incontince related complications in nursing homes.

We at the Mininno Law Firm are advocates for health and safety in nursing homes. We applaud any and all uses of technology that could improve the quality of life for patients in nursing homes and convalescent centers. Anything these facilities can employ that will help prevent bedsores, patient falls, and prolonged pain or discomfort , is something this firm stands behind. That is why we post this blog about a new technology that could potentially end patient complications due to incontinence.

The product, developed in Australia and focused on incontinence management, could change the way elderly citizens are cared for. Simavita, a “company established to develop solutions that improve quality of life across the global spectrum,” has been developing the product for the last ten years. Simavita’s “SIMsystem” is a new continence aid that will revolutionize the way caretakers handle patient continence. SIMsystem, or Smart Incontinence Management System, will work towards four separate goals:

1. To limit the time patients spend in soiled undergarments.
2. To limit the time caregivers spend on incontinence management.
3. To use the data collected by the SIMsystem to schedule bathroom visits to eventually prevent events on incontinence.
4. To limit costs for facilities on incontinence consumables.

How Does it Work?

The product is, in laymen’s terms, a pair of electronic underpants. Under a disposable pad lies a sensor strip that measures frequency and level of incontinence. Ultimately, the use of the sensor strip is imperative to prevention of incontinent events. The entire system works as a 4 step process through the SIMserver.

1. An incontinent event is read by the SIMbox.
2. The event is recorded on the computer at the time that it occurs.
3. The caregiver is notified over the facilities paging system, or via SMS text message to a mobile phone or pager.
4. The caregiver tends to the patient implementing required procedure, and the intervention is recorded via the SIMbox.

The Chief Executive of Simavita, Phillipa Lewis, says:

Incontinence Management is a key area in which innovative technologies can benefit aged care. We developed SIMsystem to provide greater comfort and dignity to the elderly while aiming to significantly lower costs for aged care facilities.

When asked about the safety of the product, Lewis called the product “completely safe,” using very low power as well as the accepted form of wireless technology for body worn products. Some naysayers have commented on the ethics of the new invention, claiming that the tracking portion of the system is an invasion of privacy that may work to diminish dignity, rather than the opposite.
In the end, however, it seems that removing patients from incontinence pads and gaining them some form of freedom does much more to build dignity than the tracking does to take it away.

Incontinence is a very time consuming aspect of a nurse or caregivers job. It’s often necessary to for caretakers to check for incontinence upwards of ten times a day. The SIMsystem will potentially cut the time spent on incontinence management in half, freeing up time to pay attention to other dire needs of patients.
With this new technology, currently being used only in care facilities in Australia, the quality of life for elderly patients in nursing homes and convalescent centers will gradually and greatly improve.It’s not really clear how long it will be before the SIMsystem is being used world wide, but hopefully, it will be soon. Far too many of our elderly citizens are being victimized by their own incontinence, and by nursing home attendants not providing the proper care and attention.

Has Your Loved One Been Victimized by Nursing Home Abuse?

If you or a loved one have suffered from this kind of negligence at a nursing home or care facility, you need help. A New Jersey trial attorney will help you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us to fill out a free case evaluation form, or call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia for a free consultation.

What Makes Fish Swim Weirdly And Not Eat? PROZAC IN THE WATER! A NJ & PA Study of Pharmaceutical Drugs in the Drinking Water.

Philadelphia and New Jersey made national headlines last month as scientists questioned whether the vast amount of pharmaceutical drugs found in our water supply could have long term effects on health and wellness. Now, new studies show “abnormal behavior” in human cells and wildlife after exposure to the same prescription drugs that we are consuming on a daily basis.

Locally, Philadelphia was found to have 56 different pharmaceutical contaminants (including medicine for pain, epilepsy, heart problems and mental illness), while water supplies in North Jersey were found to have significant amounts of metabolized angina medicine and psychiatric drugs.

Researchers believe the drugs entered the water supply through human waste. Apparently, when people take prescription drugs, whatever is not absorbed by the body is naturally eliminated and flushed down the toilet. And, although water is treated before public use, most treatments fail to completely remove pharmaceutical drug residue.

While health officials continue to insist that the amount of prescription drugs found in public water supplies are too small to have a therapeutic effect; they do not, however, dismiss the fact that frequent consumption of contaminated water can have long term health effects. EPA administrator, Benjamin Grumbles says that the situation is a “growing concern” and that they are taking these findings “very seriously.”

Furthermore, while it is too early to track the long-term effects of pharmaceutical contaminants in drinking water, scientists have

John R. Mininno, Esq. is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania trial lawyer representing clients in medical malpractice, defective products and other serious injury claims. He also writes about issues concerning patient safety. His offices are in Collingswood, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. For further information visit our our medical malpractice and injury website.