Bedsore Attorneys – Factors Leading to Increased Risk

Bedsore lawyers say that there are many factors that could lead to pressure sores and people need to be aware of these issues. Limited mobility is the number one factor that increases the risk of suffering from bedsores. When people are restricted to a wheelchair or bed, it is difficult for them to change positions easily. The sustained pressure on the skin and underlying tissue creates a great risk of bedsores.

Age, Weight Loss, and Lack of Sensory Perception Among other Important Factors

new jersey philadelphia Bedsore lawyers warn factors leading increased riskAs people age, their skin becomes thinner, less elastic, and much more fragile than their younger days. The skin will also seem to be much drier in people of increased age, making it difficult for skin to heal. It takes significantly longer for new skin cells to generate which is another reason that people who are older are more susceptible to skin damage.

People who have suffered from an illness for a long period of time tend to lose significant amounts of weight. With this weight loss, people will see their body’s muscle and fat begin to diminish. This leads to less cushioning between the bones and hard outer surfaces (such as a bed or wheelchair).

People who have lack sensory perception have difficulty feeling pain and discomfort. Since these people are not aware of their discomfort, they may not quickly recognize the development of skin damage and bedsores. This could lead to significant damage to the skin and the underlying tissue, as people do not realize the need to switch positions.

Bedsore Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one has acquired a bedsore while in a nursing home or has had negligent treatment of a bedsore or pressure ulcer, immediately seek further medical attention and contact a bedsore lawyer. Our professionals are dedicated to holding nursing homes responsible for negligent and careless treatment. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Reveal Poor Care at Holiday Care Center

Because we are attorneys that represent many clients in nursing home abuse cases in New Jersey and Philadelphia, we continue to investigate and post on nursing homes that have been given below average ratings on a report card published on the Medicare website. This is the official US Government website for Medicare, and as such, they compare nursing homes all across the United States. Based on their own specific criteria, they rate each nursing home with one to five stars. Those with 5 stars are considered to be well above average, and those with 1 star (the minimum rating you can receive) are considered to be well below average, with all others falling somewhere in between. The nursing home we will post on today has been given a one star rating. It is located in Ocean County, New Jersey. It is a corporately owned for profit nursing home with 180 long term patient beds.

The Holiday Care Center Fails to Impress

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose holiday care centerThe Holiday Care Center located in Toms River, New Jersey. This nursing home was inspected routinely on 9 occasions and cited for 40 deficiencies during the period from December 2008 through November 2010. It was also necessary for the NJ Division of Health Facilities and Evaluation and Licensing to conduct 10 complaint inspections with 5 more deficiencies cited during this time period. Some of these citations were for failing to keep the rate of medication errors (wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong time) to less than 5%, for failing to have a program to keep infection from spreading, and failing to make sure that a residents nutritional needs are being met. These types and amount of deficiencies are those that lead to nursing home abuse. Patients’ families must remain vigilant when their loved one is in a for profit nursing home such as Holiday Care Center, to make sure that they are being cared for in an acceptable and effective manner.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home or long term care facility, and you believe the care they are receiving is negligent or abusive, 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.
Let the nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation that you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Faults of Gloucester County Facility

As lawyers practicing in the field of nursing home abuse in New Jersey and Philadelphia, we find it imperative to highlight the nursing homes in the area that are performing at a below average level. It is important to be aware of such below average nursing homes, as they are likely to be homes to nursing home abuse. Today we will discuss a nursing home in Gloucester County that has been rated only 1 out of 5 possible stars in its overall rating according to the Medicare Nursing Home Compare. This site rates nursing homes across the country and a one star rating is considered to be WELL Below Average.

Citations and Deficiencies of Gloucester County Facility

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose gloucester county facilityThis Gloucester County nursing home, named Gloucester Manor Health Care Center, located in Sewell, New Jersey is a for profit partnership owned nursing home. It participates in both Medicare and Medicaid and has 139 long term beds at its disposal. During three routine inspections between December 2008 and November 2010, the Gloucester Manor Health Care Center was cited for an outrageous 56 separate deficiencies. Among the numerous deficiencies, the Manor Center was cited for the improper treatment to prevent bed (pressure) sores or to help heal those bed sores properly. In fact, actual harm for a few patients was found in this category. It was also determined that they failed to staff enough nurses to care for every resident in a way that maximizes the resident’s well being. Actual harm for a few was noted in this category as well.

Gloucester Manor was cited for a variety of other deficiencies including failure to be free from dangers causing accidents, failing to provide proper meal times, failing to hire only people with no legal history of abuse or neglect and/or reporting such abuse or neglect, and failing to give residents enough fluids to prevent dehydration. Gloucester Manor was also visited 9 times for complaint inspections and cited an additional 7 times during these inspections. Many of the previously mentioned deficiencies, such as nursing staff, bed sores, and hazardous conditions, were included in these citations. It is appalling that a for profit nursing home that is supposed to be caring for its patients should show such disregard for their welfare leading to what could be considered nursing home abuse.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at an abusive or negligent nursing home, 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.
Don’t let negligent nursing homes ruin the time that your loved one has left.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Cooper River West Violations

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose cooper river westAs we continue our series highlighting the below average nursing homes in New Jersey, today we will discuss a facility in Camden County.

As nursing home abuse lawyers, it is always disconcerting to see the amount of local nursing homes with below average ratings. These ratings are based on the Government’s Official Medicare Site, which provides a nursing home compare system for those interested in researching the background of care facilities in their area. This site compares nursing homes across the country and rates their care on a 5 star standard. A five stars rating places the nursing home well above average, and one star considers a facility well below average.

The Camden County nursing home we will discuss today, Cooper River West, was given an overall rating of 2 stars, which is considered a below average rating. Let’s find out why Cooper River West was given such a below average and unacceptable rating.

Cooper River West Receives Below Average Rating

Cooper River West is located in Pennsauken, Camden County, New Jersey. It is a corporately owned for profit institution, yet it rates below average on the Medicare Nursing Home Compare. Cooper River West has 180 long term beds, and during the period between November 2008 and October 2010, it was routinely inspected 2 times. During these inspections, 15 separate deficiencies were sited. Of those deficiencies, one that was shown to affect a few residents had to do with the improper treatment to prevent new bed (pressure) sores or to heal existing bed sores. This was actually cited at the time of both routine inspections. This is a very important deficiency, as bed sores can be both extremely painful and dangerous to the patient.

Additionally, deficiencies were cited having to do with abuse and neglect policies, as well as medication errors over 5%. During this time, Cooper River West also was subject to 8 complaint inspections with a total of 7 deficiencies cited. Serious issues and harm can arise when a patient is in a below average rated nursing home, and it is very important that a careful review and vigilance is had by that patient’s love ones to prevent nursing home abuse!

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home and you are fearful that the care they are receiving may be harming their quality of life, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New JerseyM, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Nursing Home Abuse Exposé: Marcella Center

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose marcella centerIt is important, as nursing home abuse lawyers practicing in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, to help expose the nursing homes that are not just below average, but that provide a low quality of life for their residents. These below average nursing homes are the ones often responsible for the acts of abuse that patients (our loved ones) must be protected from. The State of New Jersey conducts routine inspections of all nursing homes and long term health care facilities in the state.

The subject of today’s post is a for profit, corporately owned nursing home located in Burlington County, New Jersey. The facility holds 156 long term care beds and was given a below average overall rating by the Official US Government Site for Medicare in its nursing home comparisons.

Marcell Center Fails to Impress Inspectors from Medicare and the State of Jersey

The Marcella Center, located on Rancocas Road in Burlington, had two routine inspections between November 2008 and October 2010. During that time, the facility was cited for 19 separate deficiencies. In the Medicare Nursing Home Compare System, it received an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, which is considered below average.

Among Marcella’s numerous citations, one had to do with not giving residents proper treatment to prevent new bed (pressure) sores, or to heal those existing sores. A violation of this magnitude is not something to be ignored or brushed aside, as the improper care of a bed sore can be very dangerous and extremely painful for the patient. During this same time period, 6 complaint inspections were conducted with an additional 5 deficiencies cited. These inspections put the number of citations above the average for the United States and for New Jersey.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

As always, it is important to do your research before utilizing a particular nursing home, and to continue to monitor its standard of care throughout your loved ones stay. This truly can make the difference between life and death in some patients.

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home or long term care facility, and you believe the care they are receiving is insufficient, negligent, or abusive, 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.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Fight Bedsores

As a New Jersey and Philadelphia nursing home abuse lawfirm, many people come to us after their loved ones have developed bedsores while residents at a nursing home or an assisted care facility.

Nursing Home Abuse and Bedsores

Medically speaking, a bedsore is more accurately referred to as a pressure sore or pressure ulcer. new jersey philadelphia lawyers against bedsoresThe Mayo Clinic defines these as areas of damaged or dying tissue in skin that results when pressure restricts or cuts off the blood supply to vulnerable parts of a patient’s body such as the skin of the buttocks, the lower back, the hips, the heels, and the toes. If blood flow is compromised and there is not adequate oxygen from the compromised blood flow, the skin and tissue in this area ulcerates and eventually dies resulting in a bedsore. Bedsores can be superficial or they can be gaping wounds that go to the bone.

Bedsores are a huge risk when living in a nursing home. Research shows from 5 to almost 30% of patients in nursing homes and assisted care living facilities may have bedsores. That’s just an amazing statistic given the numbers of seniors living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Without question, bad nursing homes will cause bedsores and pressure ulcers.

How does Nursing Home Abuse Cause Bedsores?

Why are patients in nursing homes much more likely to develop a bedsore than patients who are hospitalized or remain at home? The answer is simple. Because many Corporate Nursing homes put their shareholder’s profit over the very people they are supposed to be providing care for. How?
1. By hiring the lowest paid caregivers who, many times, are inexperienced and do not have adequate training; and
2. By also cutting back on a number of staff members who provide care.

Although laws require nursing homes to provide an adequate number of staff members to provide for the needs of the nursing home patients, many nursing homes or long term care facilities only hire the minimum number of staff required by state law where they are operating. This number is not related to patient needs, but just enough to meet state requirement. That’s like bragging about getting a D on an exam – it may meet the minimum standards, but it’s not good.

Nursing Home Abuse Prevention

Because being in a nursing home is one of the most significant risk factors in whether or not your loved one will or will not develop a bed sore, it is important that families be proactive with nursing homes and become a “patient advocate.” It takes a team effort to fight back against nursing home abuse. If possible, family members should visit their loved one on a daily basis and come at different times to ensure that the nursing staff is not just giving “face time” when they know family members will be present. Family members should do skin checks of their loved ones to see whether or not there is any redness or swelling which could be indicative of a developing pressure ulcer. Families should immediately, in writing, document any signs or symptoms of pressure ulcers. A copy of the documentation should be given to the nurse, the nursing home administrator, and the nursing home physician. Families should demand that the nursing home provide a care plan to address any potential bedsore. If the nursing home does not respond immediately to a potential developing pressure ulcer or bedsore, you should report this nursing home abuse to the ombudsman in your area.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in NJ and PA

If your loved one is receiving inadequate, abusive, or negligent care at a nursing home or long term care facility, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. The nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office are skilled in handling these cases, and earning victims and their families fair and necessary compensation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Report Nursing Home Abuse in New Jersey
Report Nursing Home Abuse in Pennsylvania

Nursing Home Alert – Watch Out for Pressure Sores

People who lay or sit in one position for long periods are at risk of developing pressure sores, also known as bedsores or decubitus ulcers. Nursing home residents are more likely to be confined to beds or chairs for long periods of time, and therefore more susceptible to developing pressure sores.

Bedsores or pressure sores occur when pressure on the skin shuts off blood vessels, depriving skin tissue of oxygen and nutrients. Most of us associate this feeling with “pins and needles” or “my leg fell asleep.” For most of us, shifting our weight or body position quickly gets us the feeling back in the affected body part. For nursing home residents, this is not always something they can do on their own. Good or proper nursing care is needed to identify and treat these issues for many nursing home residents. Bad or inattentive care can likewise lead to the development of these dangerous pressure sores.

If proper care is not given, large, deep sores can develop, sometimes exposing the muscle or bone below the skin. Untreated pressure sores can lead to infection, severe pain and death. This is especially true because incontinent residents often develop these open pressure sores in the sacral area of the low back. When a resident cannot control their bowel function, and they have a sacral pressure ulcer, infections such as E. Coli and MRSA often develop with easy entry in to the resident’s blood stream.

Generally, pressure sores can be prevented with proper care. Federal law requires nursing homes must make sure that residents entering the facility do not develop pressure sores; and that residents who have them are given treatment to promote healing and prevent infection. To prevent pressure sores, nursing homes must keep a resident’s skin clean and dry, maintain good nutrition and keep pressure off of vulnerable parts of the body. Changing the resident’s position as often as necessary relieves pressure. Good nursing practice usually dictates “turning and repositioning” the resident at least every two hours. Pressure relieving devices, such as pads and special mattresses, can also help when used timely and properly.

A nursing home must notify the resident’s physician immediately if he or she develops a pressure sore. Lack of communication is the biggest complaint I hear from family members. The nursing home has an obligation to communicate with the resident’s family about changes in their condition, as well as with the resident’s primary care physician. Nursing homes are often slow to notify the family or the physician when a pressure sore is developing in the early stages.

Considering that pressure sores can be so dangerous, even deadly, it is unclear why nursing homes are slow to communicate their existence early in the process. The nursing home resident has a much better chance for the pressure sore to heal if the wound is identified early, and a treatment plan is established. The longer the delay, the worse the wound gets; and the harder it is to treat.

It is unfortunate that good nursing care for pressure sores in a nursing home setting often takes a back seat to a culture of overworked caregivers. These staff members know what to do, but often don’t have enough time to do it due to a chronic culture in the nursing home industry of understaffing.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, here are some things you can do to protect them from debilitating pressure sores:

1. Inspect their bodies for wounds or blemishes.
2. Ask to see body parts that are covered with bandages.
3. Ask if your loved one needs a turning and repositioning schedule.
4. Ask the nursing home if they maintain logs documenting that the care was provided.

Immediately contact your loved one’s primary care physician if you suspect your loved one has developed a pressure sore to be sure the wound is properly indentified, and that an appropriate care plan is immediately instituted.

Nursing Home Abuse in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office

The NJ and PA nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to eradicating the disturbing trends of abuse and neglect in our nations nursing homes and long term care facilities.
Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadephia.

Bedsores in NJ Nursing Homes are a Sign of Abuse and Neglect

new jersey philadelphia bedsores pressure sores nursing home abuse lawyers
Bedsores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and neglect in a long term care facility.
A Bedsore, also known as a pressure sore or pressure ulcer, is defined by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel as a localized injury to the skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, as a result of pressure, or pressure in combination with shear and/or friction.
In laymen’s terms, it’s a wound that forms when someone spends too much time in a bed without moving or changing position.

Bedsores or Pressure Sores are often located on bony prominences because these places suffer the most from oxygen deprivation due to lack of blood flow. Think of when your leg falls asleep after you’ve been sitting on it for a while. You move your leg to allow the blood to return to it.
But a bedridden patient that is unable to move themselves must be cared for meticulously, being moved and turned every two hours, to keep areas like the lower back, heels, and elbows, from becoming oxygen deprived.

Bedsores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and negligence. Residents that are bedridden are automatically high risk bedsore patients. Care plans must be developed that include the routine 2 hour repositioning of these high risk, bedridden patients.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel: Four Stages of Bedsores.

– Stage I: Redness in a localized area, usually over a bony prominence. The area may be painful, and either firmer or softer, or warmer or cooler than the surrounding tissue.

– Stage II: A shallow, open ulcer that can be red or pink. This stage may also present itself as serum-filled blister.

– Stage III: Advanced tissue loss. Fat may be visible but bone, tendon or muscle are not exposed.

– Stage IV: Full thickness tissue loss with exposed bone, tendon or muscle.

Bedsores & Nursing Home Abuse in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office

Bedsores are prone to infection can prove fatal for some patients. They can cause unwanted and unneccesary complications to a patients’ health, and are completely avoidable.
The New Jersey nursing abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are here to get you the compensation you deserve.

If you or a loved one have suffered to the acquisition of a bedsore during a stay at a hospital or long term care facility, you’ll need to assistance of a nursing home abuse attorney. Contact the Mininno Law Officefor a free case evaluation or call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #4

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.

Note: Conclusions in this blog about nursing home abuse 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: #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.