Nursing Homes Cheated Medicaid Through Neglect, N.M. Says - Law360

New Mexico’s attorney general on Thursday sued nursing home chain Preferred Care Partners Management Group LP for allegedly defrauding Medicaid by maintaining low staffing levels that resulted in nursing home residents wallowing in filth.
The lawsuit in state court alleges violations of the New Mexico Fraud Against Taxpayers Act and the New Mexico Medicaid Fraud Act, which include potential per-violation penalties of $10,000 that are similar to penalties found in the federal False Claims Act.
The allegations span 2007 to present, partly covering time before Preferred Care acquired the  nursing home.
Nursing Homes Cheated Medicaid Through Neglect, N.M. Says - Law360

New Mexico sues nursing home chain over care and staff

New Mexico's Attorney General Gary King sued one of the nation's largest nursing home chains over inadequate resident care and poor staffing practices.
The purpose of this action is to send a message to nursing homes that failure to provide the care that patients need and that nursing homes are paid for will have legal consequences.
The attorney general is alleging that the present company, was profiting by skimping on staff "at the expense of the physical well-being of vulnerable nursing home residents."
New Mexico sues nursing home chain over care and staff

Kentucky nursing home owner wants to limit elder-abuse lawsuits

On separate occasions in 2009, two male residents allegedly sexually abused  91-year-old Mae Campbell once within sight of a nursing supervisor. The state said the nursing home “failed to protect” its residents from roving sexual predators in their midst. The home and its administrator were spared a criminal trial by paying a $20,000 fine.
Hazard Health Rehab also was home for Glenda Lykins, a dementia patient who tended to wander and fell 11 times, finally breaking a hip in 2011 before she was moved out. Home it was, too, for Anna Ambrose, who died there in 2006 with a gaping pressure ulcer and bedsores. Eastern Kentucky nursing home owner pushes for roadblocks to elder-abuse lawsuits | Local News | Kentucky.com:

Safety studied at nursing home after resident dies from window fall

According to  the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services of the Department of Health and Human Services  an investigation of St. Joseph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Frenchville on Nov. 19 and 20 found deficiencies in care that resulted in DHHS issuing a finding that conditions at the facility placed patients in “immediate jeopardy.”

The death of an elderly female nursing home resident of the 42-patient facility, which resulted from an nursing home accident at the residential care center on Nov. 14, prompted the investigation. The resident died at Northern Maine Medical Center on Nov. 15 because of injuries suffered after falling from a second-story window in the St. Joseph nursing office. Safety studied at Frenchville nursing home after resident dies after fall from window — Health — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine:

Video Proposed to Safeguard Nursing Home Residents

One of New Jersey's legislators want to protect nursing home patients by giving them the right to install videos in their rooms to help prevent elder abuse.
Not surprisingly, it has drawn strong opposition from nursing homes, who see it as a violation of residents privacy although that argument seems specious when the request is made by the resident!  The NJ bill is A-3883.

Legislation Would Let Families Record Activities in Nursing-Home Rooms - NJ Spotlight:

Summerton woman charged in alleged nursing home abuse - Post and Courier

A 24-year-old Summerton woman is charged with abuse and neglect of two vulnerable elder adults at a Sumter nursing home.
The Sumter Item reported Thursday that Andria Martrice Lawson was arrested Monday and charged with one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult and one count of neglect of a vulnerable adult.
Deputies say they were called to the Sumter Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center on July 25.
A 70-year-old woman told deputies Lawson allegedly struck her in the chest when she asked Lawson to change her clothes. A 71-year-old man told deputies Lawson allegedly abandoned him nude from the waist down in a wheelchair." Summerton woman charged in alleged nursing home abuse - Post and Courier:

Man says late mother was neglected in West Virginia nursing home

Clarence Logan, personal representative of the estate of Brenda Belcher, filed a lawsuit Sept. 16 in Kanawha Circuit Court against 1000 Lincoln Drive Operations, doing business as Valley Center, and Genesis Healthcare, citing nursing home negligence.
According to the complaint, Belcher was a resident of the Valley Center, a nursing facility on Lincoln Drive in South Charleston operated by Genesis Healthcare, from Jan. 22, 2013, until March 18, 2013, during which time she experienced neglect, falls and skin breakdown, which resulted in serious injuries and, ultimately, her death.
The defendants are accused of statutory violations, negligence, and ordinary negligence and reckless misconduct in failing to sufficiently staff and supply the facility. The defendants are also sued under a wrongful death claim.
Logan seeks damages and attorney fees. Man says late mother was neglected in nursing home | West Virginia Record:

Lawsuit says Iowa nursing home mistreated woman

"The family of an elderly Iowa woman who died this week has sued the nursing home where she was receiving care, accusing the facility of leaving the woman naked and soiled on the floor of an unfurnished room.
Kris Gerhard, the daughter of 74-year-old Rochelle Gerhard, filed the lawsuit Friday against Madrid Home for the Aging, The Des Moines Register reported (http://dmreg.co/1uatPvo ). Kris Gerhard is a judicial mental health advocate for five Iowa counties.
The lawsuit says that when she went to visit her mother Aug. 2, she found the woman on her hands and knees in a room with no furniture, screaming, "I am not a dog!" The floor of the room was covered in two-inch mats, Gerhard said, and the woman had excrement on her. She believes her mother may have been kept in the room for up to three days."
Lawsuit says Iowa nursing home mistreated woman - SFGate:

Most nursing home residents chronically constipated

"Chronic constipation is highly prevalent in nursing homes and not well controlled, leading to a high likelihood that residents develop fecal impaction, according to findings from a first-of-its kind study.
Nearly 71% of the participants from 34 Spanish nursing homes had chronic constipation, the investigators determined. Fecal impaction was “prevalent” in nearly half of these residents, suggesting that while chronic constipation is almost always correctly diagnosed, it is not well controlled."
Vast majority of nursing home residents chronically constipated, and it's not well controlled, researchers say - McKnight's Long Term Care News:

Princeton nursing home blamed for woman’s death

Linda French, as personal representative of the estate of Phyllis Simpkins, filed a Nursing Home Negligence lawsuit Aug. 4 in Mercer Circuit Court against The Havens at Princeton LLC, doing business as The Havens at Princeton, Ridge Care Inc. and Tonya Gerber, administrator, citing wrongful death.

According to the complaint, on Aug. 2, 2012, Simpkins was admitted to the defendants’ assisted living facility in Princeton, where she suffered multiple falls resulting in subdural hematoma, which contributed to her death March 2, 2013. The defendants are accused of negligent training and hiring, negligence and wrongful death.Princeton nursing home blamed for woman’s injuries, death | West Virginia Record:

Eight Nursing Homes Fined For Proper Care

Eight nursing homes have been fined more than $1,000 each by the CT. Department of Public Health in connection with incidents in which residents sustained cuts or broken bones or suffered from lapses in care.

DPH fined The Springs at Watermark 3030 Park in Bridgeport $1,440 on July 8 in connection with a Feb. 27 incident in which a resident did not receive prompt IV hydration, records show.Eight Nursing Homes Fined Following Lapses In Care - Courant.com:

Nursing home fined over missed medication

A Tucson nursing home was hit with a $4,750 civil penalty, and its director was placed on probation, for repeatedly failing to provide prescribed medication to a resident who later had to be hospitalized. 
The Arizona Department of Health Services substantiated a charge of elder neglect after conducting a complaint investigation at Emeritus at Catalina Foothills, 3701 N. Swan Road, on Jan. 17. The inspection found that on 19 occasions, staff members failed to provide the medication ordered by the resident’s primary-care physician, the blood-thinner warfarin, to treat an irregular heartbeat and history of blood clots in the lung. The department issued a $250 fine for each missed dosage. Nursing home fined over missed medication:

Elderly man dies after North Naples nursing home incident

A 90-year-old man left in the heat for three hours outside a North Naples nursing home last week died recently.
Nurses at the Aristocrat Nursing home found Robert Bernard unresponsive in his wheelchair last Wednesday afternoon.
A 911 caller told a dispatcher that the man had a 105-degree temperature and there were three nurses working to cool him down.
A police report indicated Bernard was wheeled outside about 2 p.m. and the staff discovered the mistake about three hours later. Officials say Bernard was suffering from heat stroke, dehydration and sunburn.
Elderly man dies after North Naples nursing home incident - WFTX-TV Fort Myers/Naples, FL

nursing home employees arraigned

Three former employees at Genesis HealthCare’s Edmonson Center nursing home pleaded not guilty Monday to several charges stemming from allegations of nursing home abuse.
Jerry Snyder, Kelly Duvall and Kayla Kinser will return to Edmonson Circuit Court on Dec. 15 following their arraignments.
Snyder, 30, of Leitchfield, is charged with 14 counts each of first-degree criminal abuse, knowingly abusing or neglecting an adult and fourth-degree assault, plus two counts of second-degree wanton endangerment.Former Edmonson nursing home employees arraigned - Bowling Green Daily News: News

Chatham care home Agape House closed after neglect death

 A nursing home has been forced to close after serious concerns were raised about care following the death of one resident who suffered neglect.
Inspectors found Agape House in Chatham, which looks after elderly people including patients with dementia, was failing to meet standards.
A safeguarding investigation by Medway Council found a person who died in October 2013, had suffered neglect at the privately-run homeChatham care home Agape House closed after neglect death:

nursing home workers indicted

Three people were indicted Wednesday after an investigation into reported abuse at a Brownsville nursing home.
An Edmonson County grand jury formally charged Jerry Matthew Snyder, 30, of Leitchfield, with 14 counts of first-degree criminal abuse (adult), 14 counts of fourth-degree assault, 14 counts of knowingly abusing/neglecting an adult and two counts of second-degree wanton endangerment.Ex-nursing home workers indicted - Bowling Green Daily News: News:

nursing home company to pay part of $3.8M settlement for Medicare overbilling

 A Des Moines-based company that manages nursing homes across the country has agreed to pay part of a $3.8 million settlement for what federal officials say was overbilling of Medicare.
Life Care Services, of Des Moines, and a California nursing home company called ParkVista have agreed to pay the settlement, but have not admitted wrongdoing, The Des Moines Register reported (http://dmreg.co/1wczh23 ) Saturday.Des Moines-based nursing home company to pay part of $3.8M settlement for Medicare overbilling:

As Connecticut population ages, elder abuse rises

As Connecticut’s population ages, Abuse of the elderly is on the rise and nationwide, millions of seniors are at risk every year..
Connecticut’s population is the seventh oldest in the nation, with 14 percent of state residents over 65, and 27 percent turning 65 during the next 15 years. And as Connecticut goes gray, an increase in the rate of abuse and neglect of elderly and disabled state residents is following, social services and health care professionals say.As Connecticut population ages, elder abuse rises:

Texas nursing homes ranked worst in nation

Texas has been ranked the worst state in the nation for it's nursing home care. And Amarillo is reportedly one of the worst cities in Texas. The city has twice the amount of severe deficiencies, 40 percent compared to the states average of 20 percent, which is reported through the U.S. Government's site for Medicare.
The state of Texas, being the worst in the nation for nursing home care, is assessed in 8 categories... it failed 6 of them.
Brian Lee, the Executive Director of Families For Better Care, said Amarillo needs help.Texas nursing homes ranked worst in nation - KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, Sports:

Man gets sepsis at illegal nursing home, dies

"A 23-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital for a fracture, developed septicemia / sepsis and died at an illegal nursing home, which allegedly doesn't have qualified staff. The mother of the 23-year-old has lodged a complaint with the BMC and Shivaji Nagar police. She was shocked to find that the nursing home is unauthorized and already facing action from the BMC. "Man gets sepsis at illegal nursing home, dies - Mumbai Mirror:



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Family of man killed by nursing home sues facility

 A nurse who fatally shot a patient at the Abington Manor nursing home exhibited erratic behavior in the days before the homicide, but the facility failed to take action to address the situation, the son of the victim says in a lawsuit.
Aimee Larkin, a licensed practical nurse, previously brought a handgun into the nursing home and was acting “strange” shortly before she shot and killed resident Howard Kinney on Nov. 4, 2013. Management at the facility failed to identify that she was emotionally unfit and posed an increased risk to patients, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in Lackawanna County Court.Family of man killed by nursing home worker sues facility - News - The Times-Tribune:

El Dorado Nursing Home Cited for Abuse, Neglect

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has taken the action against Courtyard Rehabilitation and Health Center, LLC.
Here is a partial list of findings after an inspection in January:
Based on observation, record review, and interview, the nursing home failed to ensure adequate supervision was provided to prevent injury to a resident during staff assisted transfers.
This failed practice resulted in an Immediate Jeopardy which caused or could have caused serious harm, injury or death for resident who fell from the mechanical lift while being transferred, sustaining a laceration to the back of the head.    El Dorado Nursing Home Cited for Abuse, Neglect - Local News, Weather, Sports, and Community for Central Arkansas:

Staffing is the key to nursing home quality of life

The following article points out the correlation between good care and adequate nurse staffing in Nursing Homes:
Quality of life (QOL) incorporates various aspects of residents’ lives, including their relationships with staff, social engagement, and food enjoyment. QOL is less frequently studied than quality of care, which is an equally important long-term care quality measurement. To understand facility predictors of QOL, this study examined a broad range of facility factors and found that facilities that invested in more activity staff and registered nurse (RN) hours had higher QOL scores over time than facilities with fewer activity staff and/or RN hours. "Health News - Staffing is key to predicting nursing home quality of life:

Woman charged with abusing eight residents at Bolton Nursing home

"A CARE worker has been charged with abusing of eight residents at a Bolton Nursing home.
Pamela Wolfendale, aged 53, is alleged to have abused residents while working at Bupa’s Mill View Care Home in Bridgeman Street, Great Lever.
The care home states on its website that it is “made up of six houses, each with its own unique character but all reflecting the levels of care and hygiene you would expect from Bupa”.
A police spokesman said: “The charges relate to the abuse of eight residents at a specialist nursing home in Bolton that cares for people with complex needs.
“Greater Manchester Police has been working closely with staff at the home throughout the investigation in relation to the welfare and safeguarding of residents.""UPDATED: Woman charged with abusing eight residents at Bolton care home (From The Bolton News):

Bed bug problems at York nursing home

Visitations are temporarily on hold at the Pleasant Acres Nursing & Rehabilitation Center due to an outbreak of bed bugs. The bugs were found within separate resident rooms on Sunday July 20 and Tuesday July 29.  Nursing home staff believe visitors transported the bugs into the facility within clothing brought for a resident.
Following the initial discovery on July 20, the affected resident’s room, an adjacent room and a visitor lounge used by the resident’s visitors were each vacated, isolated and treated by a pest control company. Additional bugs were subsequently found in the second room on Tuesday, July 29. The room has been isolated pending further inspection and treatment by the pest control company.
No additional bed bugs have been found within the facility."
Bed bug problems at York’s Pleasant Acres nursing home | WPMT FOX43:

Ohio Nursing Home Being Shut Down for Series of Safety Issues

Dozens of people living in a nursing home in Gahanna are being forced out after a series of safety issues.
The Bon-Ing Care and Rehab Center on James Road will be losing its Medicare and Medicaid funding because of 16 violations state officials said were not corrected.
"There were a number of altercations between residents where residents were harmed, kicked by other residents, hit in the head by other residents," said Beverley Laubert with the Ohio Department of Aging.
Laubert said there was another incident of a worker pinning a resident against the wall. "
Nursing Home Being Shut Down for Series of Safety Issues - WSYX - Columbus, Ohio Top Stories - Breaking News, Weather, and Traffic:


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Nurse accused of hitting nursing home resident

"A nurse has been accused of a string of misdemeanor assaults of nursing home residents, including hitting one man in the face.
John Murray has been asked to attend a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council on Monday over nine different allegations, and could be struck off if found guilty.
Mr Murray was working for Fulwood-based NYS Nursing Agency at Walton House in Walton-le-Dale, and Priory Park Care in Penwortham, at the time of the allegations."
Nurse accused of hitting care home resident in face - Lancashire Evening Post:

Management company retained to bring nursing home into compliance - The Anniston Star: News

The Cleburne County Hospital Board voted 6-1 Tuesday to hire Preferred Health Services to help bring the Cleburne County Nursing Home into compliance with state and federal nursing home safety standards.

The nursing home had two inspections, a recertification inspection in May and one in June generated by a complaint, in which inspectors found a total 14 deficiencies. Based on May’s recertification inspection, which found 10 deficiencies, the Alabama Medicaid Agency banned the nursing home from billing Medicaid for new admissions until it came back into compliance.Management company retained to bring nursing home into compliance - The Anniston Star: News:

Deaths at Two Nursing homes show rise in neglect

Staff members at two Minnesota Nursing homes for failed to provide adequate medical care and monitoring, resulting in the deaths of two residents, according to investigation reports released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health.

The fatalities come amid a sharp rise in reports of abuse and neglect at homes for senior citizens across Minnesota. The number of maltreatment complaints received by state authorities involving nursing homes, home care and assisted-living facilities nearly tripled to 1,217 in 2013 from 451 in 2010, according to a report issued last month by the Department of Health.

In the latest reports, an elderly resident with dementia was not provided with any fluids, food or monitoring for more than 18 hours in May because staffers at the home, Summit Hill Senior Living in St. Paul, were unaware that the client had been transferred to the facility’s “memory care” unit. The resident was found on the toilet with multiple abrasions and died the following morning, state investigators found.

Deaths at 2 senior homes highlight sharp rise in abuse, neglect | Star Tribune

Jury awards family $14 million — largest payment in at least a decade — for Danvers nursing home negligence - Health & wellness - The Boston Globe

Jury awards family $14 million — largest payment in at least a decade — for Danvers nursing home negligence - Health & wellness - The Boston Globe: "By the time Genevieve Calandro was rushed to the hospital after falling out of her wheelchair at a Danvers nursing home, doctors found a festering pressure sore on her back, acute appendicitis, a urinary tract infection so severe it had invaded her blood stream, kidney failure, uncontrolled diabetes, and severe dehydration.

Despite treatment, the infections prevailed, and the 90-year-old woman died a month later, in August 2008.

Now a Middlesex County jury has decided that the care Calandro received at the nursing home, Radius HealthCare Center, was so grossly negligent, that this week it awarded Calandro’s family $14 million. It is the largest nursing home-related verdict in Massachusetts in at least the last decade, according to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, which tracks jury awards.

Calandro’s youngest son, Garry Calandro, said Wednesday that no amount of money could compensate the family for his mother’s pain, suffering, and death, but he hoped the large amount would capture the attention of the nursing home industry.

“That is the only way to send a message, or to punish people, and somebody in that business certainly needs to look at it with a more serious manner than just as a big money-making business,” he said.

Most of the award, $12.5 million, was for punitive damages, with the jury indicating on Tuesday that the “gross negligence” was a “substantial contributing factor” in causing the woman’s death.

Lawyers said it was highly unusual for a jury in Massachusetts to award punitive damages in nursing home lawsuits.

Calandro said his mother was a happy woman who devoted her life to family and seldom complained, yet they could tell she was not feeling well in June 2008, and kept asking staffers at the nursing home about their concerns. They were repeatedly assured there was no problem.

“They were telling us that there was a virus going through the nursing home, that’s why she had a fever, and that everything was under control, that they were on top of everything,” he said."



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Staffing Shortages jeopardize patient care in nursing homes

The national study on long-term care, released June 19 by AARP, the Commonwealth Fund and the SCAN Foundation, show problems with the quality of care provided to residents of New Jersey’s nursing homes.
According to the report, New Jersey ranks second-worst in the country for the percentage of high-risk nursing home residents diagnosed with pressure ulcers, or bed sores. This ailment, which is the result of prolonged lying or sitting, can often be prevented by regular turning of the patient and proper positioning. In nursing homes, this work is typically done by certified nursing assistants — or CNAs — who are responsible for most direct, bedside care.
It’s no coincidence that New Jersey’s nursing homes are failing to prevent bed sores at a time when CNA staffing levels are significantly below national standards. NJ received an “F”; in this area from Families for Better Care, a nonprofit citizen advocacy group and industry watchdog. The organization found that “New Jersey nursing home residents may be hard pressed to locate a caregiver when needing help as the state ranks near the bottom in direct care staffing hours.”Staffing crisis jeopardizes patient care in NJ nursing homes: Opinion | NJ.com:

Family says hospital ignored Father causing death

"The family of an 84-year-old man who died after contracting a badly infected bedsore may sue a public hospital that they accuse of gross negligence.
Staff at the Yan Chai Hospital in Tsuen Wan neglected a small wound on Yuen Chung-kun's back, his children say.
They say it developed into a tennis ball-sized ulcer with a bacterial infection that caused his death."

Dead man's family says hospital ignored him | South China Morning Post:

Iowa nursing home fined for resident’s fatal fall

An Iowa nursing home where a former school teacher suffered a fatal head injury after falling from a mechanical lift is now facing a $31,525 fine.
In June, the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals cited North Lake Manor of Storm Lake for failing to protect residents from harm and failing to provide adequate care. Workers at the home told inspectors they were overworked and had no time to give residents their baths or tend to some of their medical needs.Storm Lake nursing home fined $31,500 for resident’s fatal fall:

Grandfather abused by a nursing home worker

Our older adults in our community are targets for elder abuse. More than 33,000 elderly Mainers are abused each year, according to Maine Council for Elder Abuse Prevention. That isn't limited to financial exploitation, physical or sexual abuse.
The Marro family believe their grandfather was sexually abused in 2006 at a nursing home. Their grandfather's dementia was setting in and clogging his thoughts. As his health declined, they felt a Brunswick nursing home located in their neighborhood would be a safe place for him to live. That is where the sexual abuse occurred they believe. See\ Grandfather abused by a nursing home worker:

Nursing home aide convicted of raping 92-year-old woman

A former Cincinnati nursing home aide convicted of raping a bed-ridden 92-year-old resident has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
A prosecutor's spokesman says a Hamilton County judge sentenced 22-year-old Samuel Onyenweaku on Monday. The West Chester man was convicted earlier of rape, felonious assault and patient abuse.
Authorities said he raped an elderly woman in her bed at the Amber Park assisted living facility in November. They say the victim was a widow and former school teacher who was bed-ridden and unable to communicate.     Nursing home aide convicted of raping 92-year-old Ohio woman gets 11-year prison sentence - Daily Journal:

Massachusetts Nursing Home Neglect Victim awarded damages as Jury finds nursing home at fault

Attorney Bernard J. Hamill is pleased to announce that our client has achieved justice from a Civil Jury in a Nursing Home Negligence case on July, 2014 in Middlesex Superior Court, Massachusetts.

The estate of Genevieve Calandro who died after a fall and weeks of neglect at a Danvers nursing home has won a $14.5 million verdict in a wrongful death and negligence case. A Middlesex Superior Court jury awarded the estate of Genevieve Calandro $1.4 million in compensatory damages and more than $12.5 million in punitive damages, plus interest.

In 2009, Genevieve's son Garry consulted with me after believing that his mother had needlessly died from a lack of basic care in the nursing home he had entrusted for his mothers care. Garry was dedicated son and determined to achieve justice for his mother.

The Law Office of Bernard J. Hamill in Quincy is the Attorney of record in this action who felt strongly from the outset that Mrs. Calandro's death was unnecessary and caused by clear negligent care by the Nursing Home. Reading Attorney David J. Hoey represented the plaintiffs at trial. The nursing home, Radius HealthCare Center, at 56 Liberty St., changed ownership and management last October.

Calandro was 90 years old and suffering from dementia when she was admitted to the nursing home in December 2007, according to our lawsuit filed on her behalf. She was neglected over a period of weeks, if not months, leading up to the first week of July 2008, “with multiple brewing infections, uncontrolled glucose levels and a worsening, infected” bed sore.

After she fell out of her wheelchair in the dining room, she was taken to Beverly Hospital and found to have a number of complications due to her condition. She died of congestive heart failure on Aug. 16, 2008.
which often develops after other conditions, such as severe infections (pressure sores), have damaged or weakened the heart.

The complaint said financial decisions and corporate greed contributed to the neglect of residents, including Calandro, who could not care for herself. It charged that Radius failed to properly train and hire competent staff, and that the corporation overseeing Radius did not comply with state and federal regulations to protect patients. The defendants have vowed not to pay but to appeal the Jury's findings.

Bernard J. Hamill recently set a record Massachusetts Nursing Home Jury verdict of $2,014,000.00 in December of 2013 representing a victim of an claimed sexual assault against Kindred Healthcare.

by Bernard Hamill
July 27, 2014

Click here to see the Jury Court Finding

see article Court finds Danvers nursing home at fault » SalemNews.com, Salem, MA

Suspended former nurse admitted not knowing what asprin was used for

Suspended former Orchards nurse admitted not knowing what asprin was used for | Western Gazette: "A FORMER worker at a care home in Crewkerne did not know what aspirin was used for, a competence hearing was told.

Fanus Coleasa Dragomir was called to appear before the Conduct and Competence Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council at the Old Bailey on July 7.

In a statement he admitted failing to demonstrate the standards of knowledge, skill, and judgement required to practise without supervision as a First Line Manager – Registered Nurse, at The Orchards nursing home on 20 occasions between September and December 2012."



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Trial in nursing home sex assault case starts

A trial for a man accused of sexually assaulting two women in a nursing home is set to start today.


The cases involve two elderly residents at a Co. Skilled Nursing during the accused employment at the facility. The defendant has pleaded not guilty. Trial in Broomfield nursing home sex assault case starts today - Boulder Daily Camera:

Nursing home said to offer whistle-blower $102,500 settlement

 "A whistle-blower nurse who was fired after complaining of poor care at two Iowa nursing homes has been offered a $102,500 settlement from one of the facilities."

In early 2006, Janice Rardin of Boone was fired from her position as director of nursing at the Evangelical Free Church Home in Boone. State records indicate she was fired after she filed two complaints with state regulators stating that a resident had been abused. Both complaints were aimed at the administrator of the home, Ron Honson"Register Exclusive: Nursing home offers whistle-blower $102,500 settlement | The Des Moines Register | desmoinesregister.com:

Search to find nursing home killer ongoing

"Police investigating multiple deaths at a Newcastle nursing home say they've interviewed hundreds of witnesses, while pouring through hours of CCTV footage.

Police allege 80-year-old Ryan Kelly and 83-year-old Gwen Fowler were given lethal shots of insulin at the Summitcare nursing home at Wallsend in October last year."Search to find nursing home killer ongoing - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation):

Widow sues nursing home over husband’s death

A Texas widow is suing a nursing and rehabilitation center after her husband died of sepsis

Beverly Ann Stewart filed a Nursing Home lawsuit March 13 in the Jefferson County District against Summer Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, alleging negligence.

The lawsuit states Charles Larry Stewart was a patient of Summer Place on Major Drive in Beaumont from Oct. 31, 2012, to Nov. 20, 2012
Widow sues nursing home over husband’s death | Southeast Texas Record

Ashton Grange nurse was allegedly drunk at work

A care home nurse was allegedly so drunk at work that she confused a teddy bear with a baby, a hearing was told today.

Violet Ruto attended the Ashton Grange Nursing Home in Horsham, West Sussex while intoxicated on repeated occasions and was so unsteady on her feet she had to be removed from the building, it was said.

She was also found sleeping in one of the rooms during her shift on New Year’s Eve, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2588193/Care-home-nurse-drunk-work-thought-teddy-bear-baby-hardly-stand-up.html#ixzz2x1b5kMJi
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Ashton Grange nurse 'was so drunk at work she thought a teddy was a baby' | Mail Online

Cheshire nursing home fined twice by state Department of Health

Highlands Health Care Nursing Home was fined twice recently by the Department of Public Health in two separate citations in February.

According to a citation issued on Feb. 4, the 120-bed facility at 745 Highland Ave. was fined $1,160 in connection with a Sept. 1, 2013, incident where a resident had fallen in the bathroom and suffered a cut that required 10 staples to close.

The resident, who was prone to falls, had been left unattended in the bathroom according to the report.

A second citation on Feb. 25 resulted in a $1,090 fine for the facility after a resident developed a deep tissue injury to the heel in December.  Cheshire nursing home fined twice by state Department of Health Republican American

Nursing home employee charged with assaulting resident

A 65-year-old nursing home employee faces assault and neglect charges after she allegedly got into a fight with a resident who complained the staff wasn't properly caring for the residents.
On Friday, Bristol Township police charged the aide with neglect of a care-dependent person and simple assault.According to court records, the resident at the Silver Lake Nursing and Rehabilitative Center received scratches, bruises and a bloody nose and lip.
Nursing home employee charged with assaulting resident - Bucks County Courier Times: Bristol Township | Borough | Schools

Rochester Nursing Home nurses accused of neglecting patient

A Rochester man sat in a courtroom recently and watched as ten Nursing Home employees were accused of neglecting his father.

The ten nurses all worked at Blossom North Nursing Home and are charged with varying degrees of neglect. Some are charged with falsifying the patient’s medical records to cover up the neglect. The victim in this case was a double-amputee. Blossom North nurses accused of neglecting patient appear in court | WHEC.com

Patient at Seattle nursing home says she was raped

 "Seattle police are investigating an alleged rape of a patient at a nursing home care and rehabilitation center. The victim is a 34-year-old woman with a rare disease that makes it nearly impossible for her to speak or move.
Her family had just moved her from Harborview Medical Center to the Seattle Medical and Rehabilitation Center four days ago. Late Tuesday morning, the victim's mother received a call from the center, informing her that her daughter had been punched in the face and raped.
The victim's older sister, Rita, who doesn't want to be identified, talks through her tears of the horrific ordeal she says her sister endured at the nursing home facility that was supposed to be caring for her.
"She's covered up in a blanket, crying, looking confused and scared," said Rita.
Patient at Seattle nursing home says she was raped | KING5.com Seattle:
by Bernard Hamill
See more articles:
Nursing Home Abuse
Rape in Nursing Homes

nursing home owners want judge to reject report in resident freezing death

The owners and former employees of a Brownfield nursing home where a man died of hypothermia in 2012 want an appellate court panel to throw out a report offered by an expert witness looking into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The report by Mark E. Kunik into conditions at Meridian’s residential care facility “was so deficient it constituted no report,” said Robin Green, attorney for Meridian LTC., Tumbleweed Care Center, general partner Theora Management and employees Maria Stella Briones, Kenneth Michael Rice and Scott Steven Spore Brownfield nursing home owners ask judges to reject expert's report in 2012 freezing death | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal:

Fellow Patient Charged in NY Nursing Home Rape

 "A 78-year-old woman was beaten and raped in her bed by a fellow patient at a Brooklyn nursing home, the police said yesterday.
The police arrested Samuel Irving, 43, early yesterday and charged with rape and assault in the Friday night attack. Mr. Irving, a double amputee, was homeless before getting a room at the nursing home, Greenpark Care Center at 140 Edwards Street in Fort Greene, and lived down the hall from the victim, an administrator at the home said.
When a nurse doing her rounds passed the victim's room and turned a corner about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, the suspect rolled his wheelchair into the room and closed the door, the administrator, Paul Parawan, said yesterday. When the nurse noticed the door closed three or four minutes later -- it is supposed to be open at all times -- she opened it and saw Mr. Irving on top of the victim, slapping her, Mr. Parawan said."Fellow Patient Charged in Nursing Home Rape - New York Times:

One Third Of Patients Harmed By Their Nursing Homes

A national report on nursing homes was released this week by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In a large sampling of Medicare patients discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities in one year, roughly a third of the patients were harmed by their treatment in the nursing homes, the study found. And most of that harm could have been prevented.

The report can be found here: Nursing Home Report.

A Third Of Nursing Home Patients Harmed By Their Treatment : Shots - Health News : NPR

101-Year-Old Blind Alzheimer’s Patient Raped Inside Nursing Home

"A 64-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting a 101-year-old blind and nearly deaf Alzheimer’s patient inside a nursing home Monday.
Albert Thompson was also a resident at Poplar Point Health and Rehabilitation in Midtown.
A certified nursing assistant told police she saw Thompson assaulting the woman, who is bed-ridden.
Thompson lived across the hall from the victim.
Poplar Point isn’t commenting about what happened, but a woman with a loved one there had plenty to say.
The woman says she was shocked it happened at a nursing home and has asked the staff to keep a close eye on her mother, who suffers from dementia.
“A 101-year-old? That was like, wow, unbelievable! It should have..I wouldn’t say been caught right then, but they should have been watching her a little more carefully,” said the woman.
She also says the nursing home has been trying to keep it quiet."Police: 101-Year-Old Blind Alzheimer’s Patient Raped Inside Nursing Home | WREG.com:

Holmwood House nursing home failures uncovered

There have been eight substantiated allegations of abuse or neglect at Holmwood House, Westbury-On-Trym, in the last two years.
Admissions to Holmwood have been temporarily suspended twice since June 2012 and, under a voluntary arrangement, no-one with nursing needs is currently being admitted.
The home's owner Ghassan Al-Jibouri said he had "nothing to hide" and his first concern was the health and welfare of residents.
The safeguarding incidents were uncovered by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request.
They include a woman being dropped from a hoist, mistakes with medication, neglect through short-staffing, and poor manual handling.There have been eight substantiated allegations of abuse or neglect at Holmwood House, Westbury-On-Trym, in the last two years.
Admissions to Holmwood have been temporarily suspended twice since June 2012 and, under a voluntary arrangement, no-one with nursing needs is currently being admitted.BBC News - Holmwood House nursing home failures uncovered:

Nursing Home Assistant accused of Raping elderly patient

A Pittsfield man faces charges for allegedly trying to rape a female Nursing Home resident last weekend at the nursing home where he worked at in Lee Massachusetts.

Paul Shartrand, 46, an employee at Laurel Lake Center for Health and Rehabilitation, was arrested in response to a complaint from another employee that a disabled elderly woman had been sexually assaulted in her room.

I just obtained a Nursing Home Rape Jury Verdict in Middlesex County, Massachusetts for a victim of a Rape. Another Rape was recently reported in a Brockton MA. Nursing Home.

Nurse's assistant accused of raping patient at Laurel Lake - Berkshire Eagle Online

Nursing home fire in Stoughton MA. under investigation

The Stoughton Fire Department is investigating what sparked the small fire recently at The Copley at Stoughton Nursing Care Center located on Sumner Street. No one was hurt and none of the 116 residents were evacuated.
According to Stoughton Fire Captain Jim Bertram they responded to a report of a brush fire a half mile from the nursing home. “You could see a live wire on the telephone poll that arced with other wires,” Bertram said. “That energized the other wires and back-fed into the wire connected to the call box at the nursing home,” he said. A jolt of electricity from that wire caused the fire, he said.
"Nursing home fire in Stoughton under investigation - News - The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA - Quincy, MA:

Nursing Home employee fired for forging check of Elder Resident

An employee of Talahi Nursing & Rehab Center was fired for forging a check of a resident at the St. Cloud facility on University Drive Southeast.

The Nursing Home staffer used a blank check and the resident's rubber signature stamp to endorse the check for $300, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Nursing home employee fired for check forgery

Florida: proposed nursing home bill bad for Seniors

The  nursing home proposal now before the Florida Legislature 'may soon become the state's most epic failure for elderly nursing home residents."

"Here are five facts about the sweetheart deal that's designed to rob residents of their rights" according to an article today by Brian Lee. Guest column: 5 reasons to defeat nursing home bill

nursing home death highlights bigger issues

 "When the heart and lungs of Resident 11 stopped working, no one at the nursing home Dexter Health Care attempted revival with CPR."

State and federal regulations, however, say CPR should have been attempted. The death led to the largest state fine against a nursing home in Maine in 2013.Across the nation, there have been dozens of cases recently documented in which nursing home staff failed to give CPR to those who needed and wanted it.This time it happened in Maine, even though the state statistically performs better than most others.“Its a serious problem,” said Toby Edelman, senior policy attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a national organization based in Willimantic, Conn.Dexter nursing home death highlights bigger issues | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME:

Nursing Home workers charged with Neglect of Amputee

The New York state attorney general has filed criminal charges against 10 nursing home employees of Blossom North Nursing and Rehabilitation Center after an investigation which relied on a hidden camera in a patient’s room. The victim was a paralyzed double amputee.

The victim’s son brought the matter to the Attorney General.
The charges claim a pattern of "pervasive neglect”, including failing to dispense required medications.

10 charged at nursing home - 13WHAM 13WHAM-TV - Top Stories

Elderly woman found with pillows across the face in nursing home

 "A WOMAN was discovered dead with pillows covering her head and face in a Sidcup nursing home, an inquest heard today. Irene Schoepff, 82, was found on the morning of of March 5, 2012, with one pillow on her face and another on top of her head.
Staff at Sidcup Nursing Home in Hatherley Road told South London Coroners' Court they do not know how the pillows ended up in that position.
PC Arif Cuneyt attended the scene shortly after she was discovered.
He said: "I was suspicious when I saw the position of the pillows."Elderly woman found with pillows across the face in Sidcup nursing home (From News Shopper):

Endangering Maine’s elderly

 "Over the past three years, Maine inspectors have gone to Maine’s 107 nursing homes a total of 380 times, during which they documented 1,462 violations, according to data from ProPublica, a watchdog journalism group that provides a searchable database of nursing home deficiencies."

But most of those problems, recorded in a document called a statement of deficiencies, are minor.Inspectors categorize the deficiencies to give the public some idea of their severity level. The vast majority of violations are not considered to be serious — that is, they don’t show an isolated incidence or a pattern that jeopardizes the immediate health or well-being of residents.There are 12 categories of severity.Just a handful of nursing homes — six in Maine — have been guilty of the three most serious categories, according to the inspectors, a team of state-employed nurses, licensed social workers and health facility specialists trained to inspect long term care homes on behalf of both the state and federal governments.But, in each of those serious cases, the implications have been frightening.

'Endangering Maine’s elderly | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME:

Massachusetts nursing home aide accused of raping elder woman

A nursing home assistant has been accused of raping an elderly patient in a Brockton Nursing Home.

The alleged incident happened at the Champion Rehabilitation and Health Center on Beaumont Avenue.

Family members of the victim reported the incident, which led to the arrest of 50-year-old Jean Belimarie Saturday.

Police say Belimarie was working as a certified nursing assistant at the center at the time. He is facing one count of rape and will be in court at a later date.

On 7-1-11 There was a state inspection noting a possible "deficiency" in "Health" related inspection: "1) Hire only people with no legal history of abusing, neglecting or mistreating residents; or 2) report and investigate any acts or reports of abuse, neglect or mistreatment of residents."

I just obtained a jury Verdict for 2.5 Million Dollars for an 85 year old woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a Kindred Nursing Home.

Brockton nursing home assistant accused of raping patient - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

News On Preventable Deaths In Hospitals

In 1999, Americans learned that 98,000 people were dying every year from preventable medical errors in hospitals. That came from a widely touted analysis by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) called To Err Is Human. This was the “Silent Spring” of the health care world, grabbing headlines for revealing a serious and deadly problem that required policy and action.
According to a new study just out from the prestigious Journal of Patient Safety, four times as many people die from preventable medical errors than we thought, as many as 440,000 a year.
Back in the old days, the IOM experts had very little concrete information to use in estimating the extent of killer errors in hospitals. But with innovations in research techniques led by Dr. David Classe, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and others, we now have more tools to tell us where the bodies are buried.Stunning News On Preventable Deaths In Hospitals - Forbes:

Minnesota nursing home issued citation in death of resident

A St. Cloud nursing home has been cited by state regulators in the case of a resident who became ill, then unresponsive, and died minutes later while staff made no effort at resuscitation.St. Cloud nursing home cited in death of sick resident | Star Tribune

Los Angeles Said to Battle Backlog of Nursing Home Complaints

Los Angeles County health officials, responding Tuesday to allegations that complaints about conditions at area nursing homes were not fully investigated, said thousands of reports were backlogged, but investigations were thorough and up-to-dateCounty Battles Backlog of Nursing Home Complaints - Government - Monrovia, CA Patch

Murder-suicide suspected in Bloomington deaths

The bodies of two people were found Friday morning in a suspected murder-suicide at a Bloomington retirement home.
Police were called to Meadowood Retirement Community at about 11:40 a.m., Bloomington police Sgt. Joe Crider said.
Officers found the bodies of 76-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man in a room, Crider said. Both had been shot to death.
Crider said investigators think the woman was shot and killed by the man, who then took his own life. It was unclear what kind of gun was used in the shootings.
There were no other reported injuries, Crider said.Murder-suicide suspected in Bloomington deaths | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Kindred nursing home not inspected by city of Quincy since 2007

The city of Quincy building department "hasn’t inspected the Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation nursing home on McGrath Highway in more than six years. Quincy’s three other nursing homes were all inspected last summer" according to the Patriot Ledger. These inspections relate to the building plant not the Dept. of Public Health annual on site inspections for patient quality of care. Quincy nursing home last inspected by city in 2007 - News - The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA - Quincy, MA

Court affirms judgment in Presque Isle nursing home case

In a 3-2 decision on Thursday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court affirmed the vote of an Aroostook County jury in a case brought by representatives of the estate of a Fort Fairfield woman against a nursing home that they believe was negligent in caring for the woman prior to her death.

The jury found in favor of the Presque Isle Nursing Home in September 2012, determining that the death of 85-year-old Vera Boulier was not the result of negligence on the part of the health care facility. Superior Court Justice E. Allen Hunter was the presiding judge.

The appeal of the civil case was heard in June 2013 when the Law Court was sitting at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor. The Boulier estate was represented by Portland-based attorney Ken Hovermale. The nursing home was represented by Christopher C. Taintor of Portland.

According to Hovermale, Boulier, 85, was a resident at the facility and had a document charting her medical needs and requirements, called a “care plan.” While in the bathroom at the nursing home, Boulier fell and suffered injuries that eventually led to her death at a Bangor health care facility in January 2009.Supreme Judicial Court affirms judgment in Presque Isle nursing home case — Aroostook — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine

Labor unrest at Genesis nursing home chain in MA

From today's Boston Globe:

"The nation’s largest nursing home chain is drawing fire from Massachusetts caregivers over poverty wages and other issues as labor tensions mount at long term care facilities across the Bay State operated by private equity-owned Genesis HealthCare."

Labor unrest grows at largest nursing home chain in Massachusetts - North Reading - Your Town - Boston.com:

Brian Lee: Nursing Home Advocate

Some "anonymous" critic would apparently attack Nursing Home ombudsman Brian Lee. My question is do they have any proof whatsoever and why do they remain anonymous? It looks to me this was an article attacking him more because he opposes the atrocious nursing home industry backed bill that would insulate nursing home shell corporations from liability when residents are mistreated or abused.

From the article:

"Now his critics insist he's whipping up business for one of the state's busiest nursing home litigators.
They say Brian Lee finds disgruntled patients, then Tampa personal injury attorney Jim Wilkes sues the living bedsheets out of their nursing homes."




My question: Who are "They"?

Disgruntled patients? or abused patients?
Lee call the accusation "ridiculous". He described the source of donations as coming from "unions, families and the Wilkes law firm."

Brian Lee: Good-Guy Nursing Home Watchdog or Shill for a Trial Lawyer? | Sunshine State News

Kindred faces $2 million verdict in nursing home assault case

The Headline Reads: "Kindred faces $2 million verdict in nursing home assault case with no eyewitnesses" -from today's (2-24-14) McKnight's Long Term Care News




According to the Article: "A jury recently slapped Kindred Healthcare with a $2 million verdict in a resident abuse case that turned on testimony from medical experts, attorneys announced Thursday.

The plaintiff, 87-year-old Jeanne Stanford, was residing at a Kindred facility in Massachusetts when she was found with genital bruising and bleeding, according to court documents. Kindred argued she sustained the injuries in a fall, while her lawyers argued that she had been assaulted. ........

There were no eyewitnesses to an assault, so Stanford's legal team relied on hospital records and testimony from medical experts to make its case during the trial in December.

“At the time we learned of the allegations we conducted a thorough investigation and do not believe the assault occurred,” Kindred Vice-President of Communications Susan Moss told McKnight's. “In addition, the incident was investigated by the Department of Public Health and the Police and they did not substantiate that an assault occurred.”




Actually, As lead Trial counsel I can state that the primary testimony regarding the sexual assault came from 2 TREATING DOCTORS, first and foremost. Also the victim (who was NOT Jeanne Stanford as described above) had dementia and had very pronounced short term memory loss. One assessment in the Defendant's own records indicated a memory as short as 5 minutes. The 85 year old victim wasn't interviewed by ANY Doctors, nurses or Police until the NEXT day - a period well beyond her memory capacity. One can assume that one possible reason Police didn't press charges was because the victim was incompetent to testify because of her memory deficits. Two male aides in charge of her care were relieved and never brought back to work there.




Kindred faces $2 million verdict in nursing home assault case with no eyewitnesses - Print Article - McKnight's Long Term Care News

Political Ad Claims Abuse at Nursing Homes

In the Republican race for governor, an ad paid for by unions was critical of candidate Bruce Rauner
because they claimed that a company he had a relationship to had instances of Nursing Home neglect resulting in Millions of dollars in Jury Verdicts.

The deaths of three women in two Florida nursing homes have been the subject of extensive litigation.

New Ad Claims Abuse at Rauner-Connected Nursing Homes | NBC Chicago

A nightmare nursing home - Editorial - Newsday

The Medford Multicare Center for Living fits the stereotype of the nursing home from hell. The place has an abominable 11-year record of nursing home abuse, neglect, cover-ups, health infractions, criminal convictions and multimillion-dollar paydays for the owners.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman wrote a new chapter in that scandalous history last week when his office arrested seven employees in connection with the October 2012 death of Aurelia Rios, a 72-year-old resident who wasn't connected to a ventilator overnight, as ordered by her doctor. Among those arrested was a respiratory therapist accused of ignoring alarms that sounded every 15 seconds for two hours to indicate the ventilator wasn't connected, and also ignoring pager messages when the patient stopped breathing. The other six -- nurses, aides and managers -- were charged with allegedly allowing the death or covering it up. Two additional employees were charged with patient neglect unrelated to Rios. A nightmare nursing home - Editorial - Newsday

Massachusetts Attorney Bernard Hamill Advocate for the Elderly in Long-Term... -- BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2014

BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Bernard Hamill brought suit against Kindred Healthcare, Inc. alleging that his 85-year-old client had been assaulted at their facility. A Middlesex County jury entered a Massachusetts verdict for Hamill's client on Dec. 17th, 2013 for $2,000,014.00 against Kindred Healthcare, Inc.

The Plaintiff was found with a bruise and bleeding on her vaginal area. Hamill argued that the bruise was caused by abuse. Kindred argued that she had fallen. Because there were no eyewitnesses to any abuse, the defense contested Plaintiff's allegation strenuously, presenting expert medical testimony about falls and other medical conditions that could result in Plaintiff's injury.

Kindred's position was that since a police investigation resulted in no charges and a state investigation was inconclusive, there was no merit to Plaintiff''s claim. Plaintiff successfully argued that she had been assaulted and produced hospital records in support of their claim. The jury deliberated only 3 hours.

With interest the Verdict was $2,477,000.00 for emotional distress, loss of dignity and pain and suffering.

From the official court notice:

"Judgement on jury verdict for plaintiff(s), Jeanne Stanford POA:
It is ORDERED and ADJUDGED: That the plaintiff, Jeanne Stanford POA recover of the defendant(s), Kindred Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a Kindred Transitional Care and Rehabilitation-Marlborough, Kindred Nursing Centers East, L.L.C., Kindred Healthcare Operating, Inc. the sum of $2,014,000.00 with interest in the sum of $460,189.23 as provided by law, and its costs of action. (Paul D. Wilson, Justice). 12/18/2013"

No stranger to litigation against Kindred, Attorney Hamill previously obtained a judgment of $750,000 for two Kindred nursing home abuse victims who were handled roughly. This award was for purely emotional distress as there were no injuries. He advocates for elderly nursing home residents and has a successful track record including the highest awards for emotional distress caused by nursing home abuse.

This award represents the largest jury verdict ever awarded in Massachusetts for nursing home abuse.



Massachusetts Attorney Bernard Hamill Advocate for the Elderly in Long-Term... -- BOSTON, Feb. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/

Nursing Home Staffer Raped Patient according to NY Police

A Bronx nursing home nurse was arrested Tuesday, accused of raping a 64-year-old patient who cannot communicate, police and relatives say. 

Police said the 42-year-old supervising nurse at Manhattanville Health Care Center in the Bronx has been charged with nursing home rape. The alleged attack took place overnight into Tuesday as the woman was sleeping. 

Bronx Nursing Home Staffer Raped Patient: Police | NBC New York

Elder advocate criticizes new Florida nursing home bill

A Senate committee Tuesday gave swift approval to a bill that is being panned by some elder advocates as a bill designed to help nursing homes and trial lawyers make money but do little to help residents.

The bill would shield some nursing home investors from lawsuits. The bill also would give families easier access to documents.

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2014/02/elder-advocates-blast-and-lawyers-and-nursing-homes-for-self-serving-accord.html#storylink=cpy

Elder advocate blasts lawyers and nursing homes for self-serving accord | Naked Politics

Dementia care rules finalized for Massachusetts nursing homes

Workers in nursing home dementia care units will have to receive eight hours of initial training and four additional hours annually, under final rules state regulators adopted Wednesday.

The regulations, approved nearly two years after Massachusetts lawmakers passed legislation mandating minimum standards for these specialized units, also require that the facilities have at least one “therapeutic activities director” dedicated to the dementia unit to ensure meaningful and appropriate activities for residents.

The rules close a loophole that had allowed nursing homes to advertise dementia units without any specific training for their workers, specialized activities for residents, or safety measures in place, such as high fences, to prevent residents from wandering.

“These regulations have really been a labor of love for thousands of people affected by this difficult disease,” James Wessler, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, said in a statement.

Few changes were made in the dementia care standards since they were unveiled last August by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. They were finalized Wednesday by the Public Health Council, an appointed body of academics and health advocates that sets public policy

Dementia care rules finalized for Massachusetts nursing homes - Health & wellness - The Boston Globe



by Bernard Hamill



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Nursing Home Abuse Verdict against Kindred - Final Jury Verdict Massachusetts

Nursing Home Abuse Verdict against Kindred - Final Jury Verdict Massachusetts

Med tech admits killing nursing home resident

David Satterfield, 34, recently confessed to police that in 2007, he killed Marcelline Katherine Sommer Vale, an 86-year-old widow, Louisville police said in a press conference Tuesday.
Vale had been helpless, lying in a nursing home bed in a fog of Alzheimer’s, and Satterfield had been hired as a medical technician to care for her."
The nursing home was short-staffed for the July 4 holiday, and Satterfield was called in for the overnight shift. He worked from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. July 5. The morning shift found the three women around 6:30 a.m. with critically low blood sugar readings, according to the investigation
Parkway Medical Center declined to comment.

Louisville police: Med tech admits killing elderly woman with insulin injection in 2007 | The Courier-Journal | courier-journal.com

Elderly patients with dementia were abused for 'sport'

"WEAK" and "inadequate" management led to the "gratuitous sport" of mistreatment of elderly dementia sufferers at a nursing home, a judge has said.
Residents at Hillcroft nursing home in Slyne-with-Hest, Lancaster, England, were mocked, bullied and tormented because they would have no memory of the abuse.

One man had his foot stamped on and another was nearly tipped out of his wheelchair. The vulnerable victims were also pelted with bean bags and balls were thrown at their heads "for entertainment".
Elderly patients with dementia were abused for 'sport' -- judge - Independent.ie