Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Cranford Hall Deficiencies

As New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lawyers with a practice expertise in nursing home abuse, we find it imperative to educate the public about nursing homes that have conditions that could lead to abuse and neglect cases. We continue to review the report cards given by Medicare to see how the nursing homes in New Jersey are rated. When we come across a nursing home that has a below average rating, we feel compelled to post about it so the public is aware of its reputation. While searching the Medicare Nursing Home Compare database, we once again found a nursing home with a low rating in Union County. In fact, this Union County nursing home is not considered below average, but well below average, only garnering one out of five stars.

Cranford Hall in Union County Well Below Average

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose cranford hall deficiencesThe Cranford Hall nursing home is a 100 long term patient facility located in Cranford, New Jersey. It is a for profit nursing home that was given an overall rating of 1 by Medicare. The New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing routinely inspected the Cranford Hall nursing home on two separate occasions between December 2008 and November 2010. During that time, the facility was guilty of 28 deficiencies, some of which were considered to be widespread throughout the nursing home. Some of the citations were for failure to properly store/prepare and serve food in a sanitary manner, failure to have safe, functional, and comfortable environments for the residents, and problems with having safe essential equipment. Cranford hall was additionally inspected 3 more times for complaints, and 3 additional citations were given.

When a person is a resident in a nursing home with deficiencies and ratings like those at Cranford Hall, loved ones must be watchful for signs of nursing home abuse or neglect. Signs of abuse or neglect could include accidents, malnutrition, or the acquirement of bed sores and/or pressure ulcers. Family members must be vigilant to protect their loved ones when they can no longer protect themselves.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey & Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home or other long term care facility and you believe that the care they are receiving is inadequate to the point of neglect, 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 lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Secondhand Smoke a Major Player in Birth Defects and Stillbirths

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys secondhand smoke pergnancyAs reported by TIME.com,University of Nottingham reporters recently published a review paper that highlighted results of a number of previous studies which suggested that exposing nonsmoking pregnant women to secondhand smoke increases the risk of a stillbirth by 23%. Passive smoking increases the risk of congenital birth defects by 13%. The paper, an analysis based on data retrieved from 19 previous studies, is scheduled to appear in the April issue of the medical journal, Pediatrics.

Simultaneously, researchers tried to link secondhand smoke with miscarriage and unexplained infant death, but were not able to find any correlations. They were also unable to determine during which stages of pregnancy secondhand smoke was most dangerous.

Interestingly, the study stated that the source of secondhand smoke in 5 of the 19 studies was the baby’s father. The paper went on to promote quitting during pregnancy:

“These results highlight the importance for smoking prevention and cessation to focus on the father in addition to the mother during the preconception period as well as during pregnancy.”

The paper’s author, Jo Leonardi-Bee, said that more research is necessary to determine whether fetal effects take place because of the mother’s inhalation of smoke, or because smoking effects the father’s sperm. She also states that these results are based on a minimum of 10 cigarettes a day, but that in the best interest of health, quitting is the best option.

Birth Defects Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child was born with a birth defect, or suffered from any type of birth injury, and you believe it is due to malpractice or negligence, 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 birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Lakewood of Voorhees

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose lakewood voorheesAs attorneys with expertise in the area of nursing home abuse in both New Jersey and the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, we will continue to inform, via these posts, on some of the nursing homes with average to below average records of care. We do so by researching the assessments by both the New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, and the Medicare Nursing Home Compare System. This system compares nursing homes across the nation and rates them from 1 – 5 stars.

Today we will discuss a Camden County nursing home that received just one star. This rating indicates that the facility provides below average care and a low quality of life. These types of homes are the most likely nursing homes in which to find victims of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Lakewood of Voorhees Rated with One Star

The Lakewood of Voorhees nursing home is a for profit facility located in Voorhees, New Jersey and has 240 long term care beds. Lakewood of Voorhees was routinely inspected 2 times between December 2008 and November 2010. During those 2 inspections, Lakewood of Voorhees was cited for 35 separate deficiencies. These include citations for failing to keep the facility free from accidents, failing to keep medication errors lower than 5%, failing to properly store/prepare and serve food to the patients, and included other medication related errors. Some of these deficiencies were widespread throughout the whole nursing home with the potential to cause more than minimal harm. These deficiencies can often lead to both nursing home abuse and neglect. Improper medicine and nutrition is not only dangerous, but can also be a factor in acquiring painful and deadly bed sores.

Lakewood of Voorhees was cited in September of 2009 for a drug regimen that fails to be free from unnecessary drugs. As always, to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect from occurring in any nursing home, vigilance is necessary from family members. Often, the patients are too vulnerable and unable to protect themselves. We must serve as advocates for the safety of our loved ones.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

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 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 team of nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Topamax Associated with Cleft Palate and Oral Malformations

Topamax has been a popular drug in recent years to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches. Recent studies have shown that the drug may be a factor in the development of birth defects and injuries like cleft lip or cleft palate when taken during the first trimester of pregnancy.

FDA Acknowledges Birth Injury Dangers Associated with Topamax

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys tomapax associated birth defectsOn March 4, 2011, the FDA issued a safety alert regarding the risk of oral malformations, and included the risk in a warning label that is now to be placed on each bottle of Topamax. The FDA also changed the pregnancy class that Topamax belongs to to Class D. Class D pregnancy drugs are categorized as those that can potentially present significant and unnecessary harm to a human fetus.

The findings come from studies performed by the North American Anti-epileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. They concluded that birth defects, such as cleft lip or cleft palate, were at a higher occurrence when fetuses were exposed to topiramate (Topamax) during gestation.

The FDA has advised that Topamax not be prescribed for pregnant women unless the situation is life-threatening and safer drugs have been deemed ineffective.

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child was born with a birth defect that you believe can be attributed to your use of Topamax during pregnancy, 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 birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Attorneys Warn Against the Use of PPIs During Pregnancy

A study of 200,000 women in 2010 has revealed that women who take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) during the first trimester of their pregnancy are twice as likely to deliver babies with birth defects than women who have not taken the drugs.

PPI’s Can Cause Cardiac Defects

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys warning PPIs during pregnancyPrescription proton pump inhibitors include Nexium, Dexilant, Prilosec, Zegerid, Prevacid, Protonix, and AcipHex. Current over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors include Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC and Prevacid 24HR. The drugs are approved to treat disorders like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and intestinal ulcers, and esophogeal inflammation.

The study was executed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, and led by Dr. Andrew D. Rhim. Rhim commented on the research he and his collegues presented at Digestive Disease Week just a year ago:

“We feel that our data … can have a large public health impact given the fact that GERD is so common during pregnancy.”

GERD is, in fact, very common during pregnancy, as 50% of women will suffer acid reflux during the gestational period. And while the prescriptions help an uncomfortable and painful condition, their safety regarding fetuses has never been definitively determined. As a class, PPIs work by stopping the release of stomach acid, which, without the assistance of a PPI, can rise up the esophagus and cause what we all know as the sensation of “heartburn.” A number of infants whose mothers took the heartburn medicines were born with cardiac abnormalities that included septal defects, left ventricular defects, and right ventricular defects.

Rhim offered an alternative to PPIs, after releasing the results of his study:

“One way to use this data to impact care would be to make sure that if physicians see pregnant women who complain [about GERD], they make sure those women are taking folic acid. That’s the only thing we know of that can decrease the risk of having a baby with cardiac birth defects.”

Birth Injury Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child was born with a birth defect, or suffered birth injury due to delivery room negligence, 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 birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Attorneys Win Large Verdict for New York Family

Recently, a New York jury awarded a family $510,000 after negligence in the delivery room led to birth injury, oxygen deprivation, and brain damage for young Xzavier Hyman.

Doctor Veers from Standard of Care and Causes Permanent Damage

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys large verdict NY familyDr. Paul Heltzer and the Staten Island University Hospital were found responsible for the speech probelms, learning disabilities, and reduced life expectancy that Xzavier now faces due to the extended period of time he went without oxygen on the day of his birth.

Dr. Heltzer broke Xzavier’s mother’s water prematurely, while labor was still progressing quite slowly. He then administered dosages of the drug Pitocin, which is used to induce contractions and help begin labor. The suit claims that Dr. Heltzer kept the mother on Pitocin for far too long, causing excess stress on the baby as a result of relentless contractions. The contractions caused an increase in pressure on the baby’s brain while oxygen and blood flow to the brain slowed, and eventually, Xzavier’s heart stopped.

Xzavier’s mother was in labor for 19 hours, and was on Pitocin for a majority of that time. It was determined that Dr. Heltzer and the Staten Island University Hospital acted negligently in allowing her to remain on the drug for so long. It was also determined that a C-Section should have been executed as opposed to waiting for a vaginal delivery. A lot of the complications Xzavier deals with today could have been avoided had the standard of care been adhered to.

Birth Injury Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child is dealing with complications that stem from a birth injury they received, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation for the negligence that caused their injuries. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Hudson Manor Health Care Center

As attorneys specializing in nursing home abuse cases in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area, we continue to post on some of the worse nursing homes based on both Medicare Nursing Home Compare ratings and the NJ Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing inspections. The nursing home we will discuss today is located in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Hudson Manor Health Care Center is a nursing home with 334 long term care beds. It is a for profit partner owned facility and yet it has one of the worst records of deficiencies we have come across.

Hudson Manor Health Care Center Has Awful Record

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose hudson manor health care centerThe Hudson Manor Health Care Center had two routine inspections between December 2008 and November 2010. During those two inspections, 67 deficiencies were cited! The types of deficiencies include failure to prevent or properly treat bed sores or pressure ulcers, failures regarding catheters to prevent UTIs, and a pattern of failing to keep the nursing home at a comfortable and safe temperature level.

A number of the deficiencies were cited both in the March 2009 inspection and during the February 2010 inspection. One repeated deficiency was the failure to prevent and/or properly treat bed sores. As we have indicated in previous posts, the failure to prevent or treat bed sores is considered nursing home abuse and neglect. It is an extremely painful ailment and can be extremely dangerous as well. Hudson Manor has been given a well below average rating and when you read the long list of serious deficiencies, it is clear to see why!

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home or long term care facility, 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 experienced team of nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you and your loved one the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.

Birth Injury Attorneys Get Wind of Life Saving New Technology

A new and experimental technology being used in neonatal units across the country is helping reduce the occurrences of birth injury and permanent brain damage in babies who are deprived oxygen during child birth.

Umbilical Cord Compression Causes Oxygen Deprivation; Cooling Blanket Turns Everything Around

Sara was in the middle of a very difficult labor with her sixth child, Yehuda, when the umbilical cord became compressed and he was no longer receiving oxygen. At that point, it became a necessity to remove Yehuda from the birth canal as quickly as possible; so quickly, that even a C-Section would have taken too long.

With the use of forceps, the doctor was able to extract Yehuda, but the infant was limp and unresponsive. He had little to strength, and the outcome looked grim.

new jersey phildelphia attorneys birth injury saving new technology
Infant being treated with brain cooling.
A few hours later, Sara and her husband were offered a new option, one that had only been used on a child at the Hackensack University Medical Center once before; a new technology called cooling therapy. The therapy involved wrapping the infant in a cooling blanket to lower his temperature. The theory is that lowering a newborn’s temperature will slow the brain’s metabolism, brain inflammation, and the release of harmful toxins that can occur after brain injury. Slowing the process is key, as oxygen deprivation takes an extended period of time to do most of it’s damage.

For three days, Yehuda remained in the cooling blanket. After the treatment, “He was amazing,” his mother said. He had minimal bruising on his head, and other than that, was a healthy baby boy.

And while not all babies will respond as Yehuda did, many lives can be saved with this new and quite safe technology.

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child suffered a traumatic brain injury due to negligence in the delivery, 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 birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Faults of Cumberland Manor

In today’s post, we are going to discuss a nursing home in Cumberland County, New Jersey that has been rated as below average by Medicare. As New Jersey and Philadelphia lawyers specializing in nursing home abuse cases, we feel compelled to continue to expose local nursing homes with below average ratings. We believe this service is important to protect families when dealing with placement or abuse and neglect issues that arise in long term facilities. Vigilance by family members is key to protecting loved ones when they become patients in any nursing home. All nursing homes are subject to inspections, and reviewing these inspections can help prevent bed sores, medication errors, and accidents that lead to abuse and neglect causing pain and even death to some patients.

Nursing Home Abuse at Cumberland Manor

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose cumberland manorThe nursing home that we will discuss today is the Cumberland Manor nursing home located in Bridgeton, New Jersey. This nursing is a county government owned facility with 196 long term care beds. Medicare’s nursing home compare system gave this facility 2 out of 5 stars. This rating indicates that Cumberland Manor is a below average nursing home.

According to the NJ Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, Cumberland Manor was routinely inspected 2 times between December 2008 and November 2010. During these inspections, Cumberland Manor was cited for 26 deficiencies. A few of these included failure to prohibit mistreatment and neglect, food storage and sanitary condition issues, failure to keep the facility free from accidents, and failure to keep medication errors below 5%. A nursing home with these types of deficiencies and this below average rating is the type that can lead to additional injuries, bed sores, and transfers to hospitals for acute care recovery from such issues. As we always indicate, family members must be vigilant and aware to protect their loved ones from nursing home and abuse.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

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

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Expose Below Average NJ Facility

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose delaire convalescent centerContinuing our reports on average to low quality nursing homes in New Jersey, we have located a home in Union County with a well below average rating, according to the Medicare official government website that rates all nursing homes and similar long term care facilities in the US. As attorneys specializing in nursing home abuse cases in the New Jersey and Philadelphia area, we continue to post on nursing homes that provide sub-standard care. The abuse and neglect cases that arise from nursing homes with below average ratings are varied and many. Bed sore issues, accidents, medication errors, the improper use of restraints and a myriad of nutritional issues are just naming a few of the abuse cases we see from sub-standard nursing homes.

Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center Is a Below Average Facility

Today we are going to focus on the Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center located in Linden, New Jersey (Union County). This is a for profit, corporately owned nursing home. It has 240 long term beds available for patients, and between December 2008 and November 2010, had two routine inspections. During those two inspections, 27 deficiencies were cited by the NJ Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing. Among those citations were violations dealing with failure to keep the environment free from accidents and/or hazards, failure to have proper infection control, improper labeling and/ or storage of drugs, failure to keep proper food storage, and failure to meet resident nutritional needs.

During this same time period, the Delaire Nursing & Convalescent Center was complaint inspected 12 additional times with an additional 4 citations, including not making proper notifications of a patient’s status change. These types of deficiencies are what lead to incidences of nursing home abuse and neglect.

Nursing homes with an overall below average rating should be a concern for anyone who finds their loved one in such a facility. As always, knowing the facts and being vigilant is the key to protecting your loved one!

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is currently a resident at a nursing home o long term care facility and you believe that the care they are receiving is well below average, 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 lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.