Tag: mininno law firm

Medical Malpractice in St. Paul, Minnesota Sends Man onto Operating Room Floor

medical malpractice and negligence new jersey attorney
Max DeVries died after complications arose from a fall off of the operating table during a routine procedure in a Minnesota hospital.
Max DeVries, 61, had a stroke and was admittied to St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Days later he was scheduled for a lumbar drain replacement. While under anesthesia, Max rolled off of the operating table, hitting his head on an area where doctors had previously removed part of his skull to relieve inflammation of his brain.
The fall resulted in severe bleeding on the brain. Mr. DeVries was taken to have a CT scan of the brain, and died on April 13th of a massive stroke. DeVries’ family believes that his death was caused by the fall in the operating room. When hospital staff alerted DeVries family of the accident, they said that the restraints used to hold him in were not strong enough to hold an obese man. Max DeVries was 5’5 and weighed around 300lbs.

The DeVries family and their medical malpractice attorney assert that St. Joseph’s Hospital was not equipped or properly prepared to safely handle someone of Max’s size. Their medical malpractice lawsuit also states that Max DeVries’ weight and stature were not uncommon among stroke victims.

St. Joseph’s released a statement explaining that they take very seriousley what happened in that operating room, and express their sincerest condolences to the family. They go on to speak of their immaculate record concerning patient safety, and their practices to constantly implement new ways to improve patient safety.

Medical Malpractice in NJ or PA: Mininno Law Office

In the end, St. Joseph’s Hospital failed Mr. DeVries. He went into the OR for a routine procedure and lost his life due to severe negligence. Failing restraints and an unsuitably sized bed should never be the reason someone dies inside a hospital. Max DeVries and his family trusted that establishment to improve his health and send him home.
This type of medical malpractice and negligence can not go unnoticed. Hospitals are meant to care for us to the best of their abilities. It seems that while the doctors at St. Joseph’s are very able, the establishment itself was ill-equipped.

If you or a loved one have suffered due to medical malpractice or medical negligence, do not be silent. Seek out the help of a Medical Malpractice attorney immediately. Waiting can only hurt you, as your statue of limitations is running out. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let us help you get the compensation that you deserve.

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.

Nursing Home Abuse Case Ends in $114 Million Verdict

new jersey attorneys nursing home abuse negligence juanita jackson
Juanita Jackson died on July 6, 2003 at age 76 from complications arising from negligent and abusive care at Integrated Health Services in Auburndale, Florida.
A Florida jury has awarded $114 million in compensatory and punitive damages to the family of a woman who was victimized, and eventually killed, by nursing home abuse and negligence. Juanita Jackson, 76, died July 6, 2003, after a stay at Integrated Health Services in Auburndale, FL. She was injured after a fall, and then dealt with further complications including bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration, and intentional overmedication.

The judgement came as a default judgement since Integrated Health Services , after years of litigation, stopped participating in the case. On July 7th, a jury awarded what is believed to be the biggest verdict ever in Polk County. Juanita’s family, three daughters and a son, issued the following statement:

“We are proud that we fought for our mom, and we are glad that people recognized the suffering she went through. We hope this will help make sure no one else has to go through such a horrible experience”.

Nursing Home Abuse and the Mininno Law Office

Juanita Jackson died because of negligent and abusive care provided by Integrated Health Services. Unfortunately, this is not the only case of it’s kind. Nursing Homes in our area of New Jersey are also providing this kind of heartless and detrimental care to residents of nursing homes.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse, contact the New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys at the Mininno Law Office. You could also call us at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let us work to get you the compensation you derserve.

The 10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #1

Gloucestor Manor is the worst nursing home in the tri-county area.
Nursing Home Abuse is affecting elderly residents and their families nationwide.
Gloucester Manor (Gloucester)

And the number 1 nursing home guilty of nursing home abuse is the Gloucester Manor in Sewell, New Jersey. Gloucester Manor is a for profit corporation participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and containing 139 beds. Inspectors reported a number of deficiencies (which could potentially lead to nursing home abuse) after two inspections. Those deficiencies included failures to:

  • Only hire people without legal history of abuse or neglect
  • Protect each resident from all abuse, physical punishment, and being separated from others
  • Provide care that supports the highest quality of life
  • Provide professional services that follow each resident’s personal care plan
  • To meet all residents nutritional needs
  • Develop a complete care plan that meets all of the resident’s needs
  • Provide immediate updates to residents’ doctors and families should their health, treatment, or state of being change
  • Provide care that keeps or builds dignity and respect
  • Store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way
  • Have drugs and other similar products available that are needed in emergencies or for everyday use, and give them out properly
  • Keep medicinal error rates below 5%
  • Properly mark drugs
  • Keep necessary equipment functioning safely and properly
  • Make sure areas were free of hazardous and dangerous obstructions
  • Provide necessary housekeeping and maintenance
  • Review the work of nurses’ aides and provide them with new training yearly

Nursing Home Abuse: A disturbing number of deficiencies is followed by an equally disturbing number of negative trends among patients in the facility. Quality Measures inspections found the nursing home to have higher than National and/or New Jersey percentage averages when it came to:

  • Long stay and short stay residents with moderate to severe pain
  • High risk long stay residents with bedsores
  • Low risk long stay residents with bedsores
  • Long stay residents who were physically restrained
  • Long stay residents who are more depressed or anxious
  • Low risk long stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
  • Long stay residents who have catheters inserted and left in their bladders
  • Long stay residents with urinary tract infections
  • Long stay residents who lose too much weight
  • Short stay residents with bedsores

What to do If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse

The amount of nursing home neglect and nursing home abuse that Gloucester Manor is guilty of is quite appalling. The services they provide are surely not professional, and their quality measures inspections seem to prove that they are hurting more residents then they are helping. I hope this series as illustrated for readers the amount of nursing home abuse and neglect that takes place in the long term care industry. Our ill senior citizens need us to stand up for their rights, as they can do it for themselves.

The nursing home abuse attorneys at Mininno Law Office are dedicated to fighting for those who have been wronged by acts of nursing home abuse or negligence. If you or a loved one needs help regarding something that happened in a nursing home or long term care facility, contact us for a free case evaluation. Or simply call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

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: #2

Nursing Home Abuse is a growing epidemic in our long term care industry.

Manorcare Health Services (Gloucester)

Manorcare Health Services in West Deptford, New Jersey is number 2 in our list of the ten nursing homes in the tri-county area guiltiest of nursing home negligence or nursing home abuse. It’s also the first facility we’ve seen in the list from Gloucester County. Inspectors reported some deficiencies in the facility that we have yet to see in any of the other nursing homes we’ve mentioned in this list. The home was noted to have failed in the following areas of the inspection:

  • Hiring only people who have no legal history of abusing, neglecting, or mistreating residents
  • Reporting and investigating any acts or reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment of residents
  • Giving residents necessary care to prevent bedsores or heal existing ones.
  • Giving care that supports the highest possible quality of life
  • Making sure residents nutritional needs were met
  • Reviewing drug regimes, and having licensed pharmacists check drug regimens monthly  as to keep medicine error rates below 5%
  • Storing and preparing food in a safe and sanitary way
  • Making sure common areas are free of hazardous obstructions
  • Providing necessary housekeeping and maintenance
  • Keeping accurate medical records

Nursing Home Abuse: Also disheartening was the fact that very low percentages of both long and short stay residents received flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations. The facility was found to have higher than National and/or New Jersey percentage averages when it came to long and short stay residents suffering from moderate to severe pain, long and short stay residents who develop bedsores, long stay residents whose physical independence became limited, long stay residents who became more anxious or depressed, long stay residents who have catheters inserted and then left in their bladders, and long stay residents who lose too much weight.  The facility was also reported to lack any effective procedure to prevent the spread of infection.

The most disturbing of these deficiencies is that the facility received reports and accusations from residents or their families of nursing home abuse and neglect, and never took any steps to investigate them. That means that negligent and abusive staff members acted virtually free of consequence. Nursing home abuse should never go free of consequence.  Our ill senior citizens should be cared for with the utmost respect. The alarming trend of nursing home negligence and abuse has to be halted somewhere. It seems that now, the only way to do it is to hit the facilities financially with nursing home abuse law suits.

Victims of Nursing Home Abuse: Take Your First Step

The Nursing home abuse lawyers at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to righting the wrongs caused by nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one have been hurt by nursing home abuse at a long term care facility, don’t waste anymore time.
Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let us get you the compensation you deserve.

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: #3

Nursing Home Abuse is turning long term care facilities into frightening and dangerous places to live.
Manorcare Health Center (Camden)

The third place facility in our blog series is the Manorcare Health Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Manorcare is a for profit corporation that participates in Medicare and Medicaid and holds 108 certified beds. Inspectors found that the quality of care Manorcare was providing to its residents was far less than professional or satisfactory (nursing home abuse). The facility staff failed to:

  • Make sure residents nutritional needs were met
  • Give care or service to get or keep the highest quality of life
  • Make available for residents the results of facility surveys and inspections
  • Properly hold, secure, and manage each resident’s personal money, which is deposited with the nursing home
  • Provide care that keeps or builds dignity and respect
  • Advise residents whether or not they are eligible for Medicaid benefits, and if so, how those benefits can affect them and how they can apply
  • Carefully review drug regimens to avoid errors
  • Have a licensed pharmacist check each residents’ drug regimens monthly
  • Make sure common and traffic areas are free of dangers that can cause accidents
  • Provide adequate housekeeping and maintenance
  • Provide rooms that are appropriately sized for residents
  • Keep accurate medical records

Nursing Home Abuse: It seems that Manorcare of Cherry Hill may be more interested in turning a profit that in caring for our elderly and sick. Not offering Medicaid options to those that can use them, and mishandling personal funds of residents all point towards an administration that is solely focused on the bottom line. Also a cause for a concern is the higher percentages of residents losing control of their bowels or bladders, having catheters left inside their bladders, and developing urinary tract infections. These surely are signs of staff negligence.

If You Have Been Victimized by Nursing Home Abuse, Speak Up!

Nursing home abuse and nursing home negligence are very prevalent in long term care facilities across America. The priority of the health and well being of our loved ones is being replaced by the priority of profit. Do not remain silent if you or a loved one have been hurt by nursing home negligence or abuse. The nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law office are dedicated to righting the wrongs done by negligent, abusive nursing homes. Contact us for a free case evaluation, or call us at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.

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: #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: #5

Nursing Home Abuse is a serious epidemic in the long term care industry. The attorneys at the Mininno Law Office are dedicated to doing their part in eradicating it.

Manor Care, Voorhees (Camden)

Fifth on our list of the ten worst nursing homes in the tri-county area is Manor Care in Voorhees, New Jersey. Manor Care is a for profit corporation participating in Medicare and Medicaid, and holding 120 certified beds. Manor care was found to have some very disturbing deficiencies (nursing home abuse). Inspections found that they failed at the following essential tasks of a nursing home or long term care facility:

• to provide treatment to prevent new bedsores or heal existing ones
• to make sure residents are safe from medicinal errors
• to make sure areas are free of dangers that can cause accidents
• to have a program in place that will prevent the spread of infection
• to keep residents apart from other residents if he/she has a communicable infection
• to keep accurate and appropriate medical records
• to review the work of nurses aides and provide the most up to date training for existing or new nurses aides
• to promptly give Doctors lab results
• to develop care plans that carry on after the residents’ stay
• to give care and service to get or keep the highest quality of life

Nursing Home Abuse: They were also found to have SIGNIFICANTLY lower than both National and New Jersey percentages when it came to patients that were given flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations. They had higher than National and/or New Jersey percentages when it came to long and short stay residents with moderate to severe pain, high risk long stay residents with bed sores, long stay residents who are depressed or anxious, low risk long stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder, long stay residents with urinary tract infections, long stay residents who lose too much weight, and short stay residents who develop bed sores.
Bed sores are a sure sign of nursing home abuse and negligence, and if both long and short stay residents are developing them, Manor Care in Voorhees is guilty of being negligent. Nursing home abuse and negligence are an epidemic in the long term care facility industry, and serious steps must be taken to eradicate it.

The Mininno Law Office Wants to Help You

If you or a loved one have been negatively affected by negligence or nursing home abuse, contact Mininno Law Firm for a free case evaluation. These facilities must suffer the consequences of their inattentive and lackluster care. You could also call us for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

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.

10 Worst Nursing Homes in the Tri-County Area: #8

Nursing home abuse leaves residents feeling isolated, helpless, violated, and alone. We must do what we can do put an end to the injustices brought on by nursing home abuse.

    Burlington Woods (Burlington)

Burlington Woods (a for-profit corporation) is a long-term care facility located in Burlington, New Jersey. It participates in Medicare and Medicaid, it has 227 certified beds, and it is #8 in our list of the ten worst long term care facilities in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties. Based on the last two inspections the facility received, Burlington Woods is 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 the dignity and respect of residents. Inspections also showed patterns of nursing home abuse, insufficient housekeeping and maintenance services, drug regimens including unnecessary drugs, and unsanitary food preparation and serving.

Nursing Home Abuse: Burlington Woods 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 Burlington Woods had higher than national and/or New Jersey percentage averages in the following areas:

• Long stay residents whose need for help with daily activities increased
• High Risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
• Low risk long stay residents who develop pressure sores
• Long stay residents who spend most of their time in a bed or chair
• Long stay residents who lose control of their bladder or bowels
• Long stay residents whose physical independence became limited
• Long stay residents who have urinary tract infections
• Long stay residents who lose too much weight
• Short stay residents who develop pressure sores

Nursing Home Abuse: Inspectors determined that the facility failed to give professional services that met a professional standard of quality, it failed to provide care that keeps or builds residents’ self respect, failed to store, cook, and serve food in a safe and clean way, and failed to keep accurate and appropriate medical records.
Their largest, most concerning deficiency was one that related to administering drugs to patients. Inspections found that care-takers were failing to regulate dosages of medicine, as well failing to change or stop prescriptions that were causing unwanted effects. 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.

If You Are a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse, Get Help!

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.