Tag: free case evaluation

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Stress Repositioning to Prevent Bed Sores

The most important thing to know about bed sores and/or pressure ulcers is that they are much easier to prevent than to treat, which is why prevention of bed sores is the best medicine. Consistent and proper care is the key to bed sore prevention. When a patient is in a nursing home or similar type of long term care facility, it is important that staff members are making sure appropriate care is utilized to prevent pressure ulcers. In fact, a care plan with input from the family would be ideal to help prevent the bed sores from occurring. It can be safely concluded that if a bedsore forms, nursing home abuse or neglect are taking place.

Repositioning is Vital for Bed Sore Prevention

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse attorneys stress repositioning prevent bedsoresFrequent changes in the patient’s positioning is supreme in the prevention of painful and potentially fatal bed sores or pressure ulcers. But repositioning offers no benefits if it’s not done properly. The nursing home caregivers must make sure that repositioning avoids stress on the skin. The nursing home staff must also make sure that vulnerable areas, such as knees, ankles, and hips are carefully placed. It is also important to regularly inspect the skin for the slightest irritation that can lead to a bed sore.

When a patient is in a nursing home with many other patients, it is imperative that family members make sure that abuse and neglect isn’t happening. One sure sign of nursing home abuse and neglect can be the acquirement or improper treatment of a bed sore. As we always indicate in our posts, you must be the advocate for your loved ones care and make sure nursing homes are doing their job with respect to your loved one!

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Is your loved one a resident at a nursing home? Have they acquired a bed sore? Are you fearful that the care they are receiving may be detrimental instead of life-saving? Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or if you have any questions regarding the legal rights of you and your loved one. You may also call at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Nursing Home Abuse Exposé: Manhattan View Nursing Home

Today we’ve located a nursing home in Hudson County that we feel deserves mention due to its overall below average rating by the Medicare Nursing Home Compare. This Hudson County nursing home was given only 2 out of 5 stars. This indicates that, according to Medicare’s rating system, it is a below average nursing home.
As attorneys specializing in cases where nursing home abuse and neglect is an issue, we feel that it is important to point out those nursing homes that are considered average or, in this case, below average.

Manhattan View Nursing Home Has Bad Care Record

new jersey philadelphia nursing home abuse lawyers expose manhattan viewThe Manhattan View Nursing Home in Union City, New Jersey is a below average facility with 127 long term care beds. This is a for profit, corporately owned nursing home as well. Between December 2008 and November 2010, this Hudson County nursing home was routinely inspected 2 times. These inspections are conducted by the New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing. During these inspections, this nursing home was cited for 20 separate deficiencies. Manhattan View failed to store, cook, and give out food in a safe and clean way, failed to offer food within proper time intervals, failed to keep medication errors within 5%, and failed to properly prevent the spread of infection. These are just a few of the 20 deficiencies cited during these routine inspections.

It has been found that proper levels of medication and proper nutrition are very important in preventing the occurrence of bed sores and or pressure ulcers. This nursing home does not appear to have had any bed sore and/or pressure ulcer citations during this time period, but with the types of deficiencies it was cited for, bed sore development is a definite concern. Families must learn the signs of nursing home abuse and neglect that can lead to bed sores and other dangers, and they must remain ever vigilant to protect their loved ones, especially in a nursing home with a below average Medicare rating.

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 are afraid that the care they are receiving is inadequate or even 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.
Let the nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse Exposé: Burlington Woods

Today we once again expose a New Jersey nursing home with a below average rating according to Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare. This website compares and rates nursing homes across the country and, as New Jersey and Philadelphia attorneys with expertise on nursing home abuse and neglect cases, we find this website an important resource. Today we will discuss a nursing home in Burlington County that has been given a 2 out of 5 star rating by the official Medicare website.

Burlington Woods: Not the First Time We’ve Written About Them

nj and pa nursing home abuse attorneysBurlington Woods is a nursing home with 227 long term beds. It is also a for profit, corporately owned and run nursing home. According to the New Jersey Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, Burlington Woods was routinely inspected on two separate occasions between December 2008 and November 2010. During those inspections, Burlington Woods was cited for 12 separate deficiencies. It was found that the facility failed to make sure the nursing home was free of dangers that cause accidents. Burlington Woods also failed to keep the rate of medication errors to less than 5%. Additionally, it was determined that Burlington Woods failed to write and use policies that forbid mistreatment, neglect, abuse , and theft.

Burlington Woods was also inspected 9 additional times, based on complaints. This led to another four citations. These inspection results are a part of why this nursing home received an overall below average rating by Medicare. Again, these types of issues are those that can lead to abuse and neglect in a nursing home. The fact that there wasn’t a policy in place regarding how the patients should be treated to stave off abuse and neglect is, itself, very disconcerting. This is the type of nursing home that may lead to injuries and health issues such as overdoses, malnutrition, and bed sores. We urge all individuals to carefully review any nursing home before placement in order to assure a safe environment for their loved one.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home or long term care facility, and you fear the care they are receiving is inadequate or borderline 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. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to helping families protect their loved ones from the sometimes totally egregious conduct of long term care facilities.

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.

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.

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.

Birth Injury Attorneys Sue Texas Hospital For Negligence

new jersey philadelphia birth injury attorneys sue texas hospital negligenceThe Columbia Medical Center of McKinney (MCM) in McKinney, Texas is being sued by birth injury attorneys for releasing and sending home a pregnant woman while she was in labor. Plaintiff Wendy Cherry filed the birth injury lawsuit in February, seeking compensation for damages related to her early release that forced her to deliver her daughter Emma at home.

Cherry reported to MCM on February 4th, the day she had gone into active labor. She told staff members she was suffering from a “sudden onset of severe pelvic pain.” She requested treatment for the symptoms, but was released without a proper medical screening, and without being stabilized.

Upon her return home, her labor continued, and she eventually gave birth, fortunately, with the help of EMT’s. The delayed delivery resulted in injury to her daughter Emma, and Cherry and her attorneys believe that had she been properly cared for at the hospital, no injuries would have been sustained. Plaintiff seeks damages for medical expenses, past and future pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of familial consortium, and physical impairment.

Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

To think that a hospital staff could not recognize that a pregnant woman was in labor is quite scary. The Columbia Medical Center failed miserably in it’s duty to provide safe and attentive care to it’s patients. The fact that Wendy Cherry was so quickly discharged and sent home to give birth in her house is shocking and, to a certain extent, confusing. How is it that no one thought that a pregnant woman suffering a “sudden onset of severe pelvic pain” was in labor? Hospitals have become frightening places, and something must be done to assure that the care they are providing is in indeed the best they can provide.

If you or a loved one have suffered medical malpractice, or your child suffered a birth injury, at the hands of negligent medical providers, 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 the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office earn you the full and fair compensation that you need and deserve.