Bledsoe, founder of the watchdog group A Perfect Cause, returned to Albert Lea, Minnesota, to rally support for his efforts. Bledsoe has been to Albert Lea numerous times in response to news reports about the “abuse-for-thrills” case at Good Samaritan Society nursing home where two nursing aides have been charged with a linty of crimes including disorderly conduct, assault and criminal sexual abuse.

According to prosecutors, Brianna Broitzman and Ashton Larson held down residents, put their fingers in residents’ mouths and noses to quiet their cries and screams for help, hit and rubbed their breasts and genitals, and sexually “humped” some residents. They told coworkers that they partook in the crimes for “work fun or to get a good laugh.”

Bledsoe explained the problem with the five-star reporting system by poring through Minnesota Department of Health reports, including one that was released last August in which the “abuse-for-thrills” case was reported by Good Samaritan. He said since nursing homes self report incidents of abuse and neglect and implement a plan of correction before the state Department of Health arrived, Good Samaritan received no deficiencies for the abuse.

Since the federal database tracks deficiencies at homes and not substantiated abuse cases, people who refer to the federal database have no way of seeing an accurate picture of the care a nursing home provides. Bledsoe is fighting to get substantiated abuse cases added to the federal database, and urged others to contact their state legislators, U.S. congressmen and senators.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Advocate wants federal nursing home database to include abuse cases

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Hidden video surveillance

The indictments follow the guilty plea of a third nursing aide, Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle. Van Winkle was sentenced to 12 months in jail but will serve two years probation for agreeing to testify against other cases of criminal conduct at the nursing home.

Family members of Madison Manor resident Armeda Thomas became suspicious about her care and placed a hidden video camera in her room. The videotape showed a total of nine nursing assistants physically abusing the woman and failing to clean or feed her. Thomas’ family members moved her out of the home, and she later died from complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Extendicare, the Wisconsin-based company that owns Madison Manor, fired the nine nursing assistants, made staff changes, and set up a retraining program for staff as a result of the videotape. “We do not condone this kind of behavior,” said a spokesperson for Extendicare.

Hidden video surveillance has led to convictions of numerous nursing home residents since the practice has been approved in select states. New York has used the practice throughout the state, which has led to the conviction of more than 25 nursing home employees.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Hidden cameras lead to nursing home abuse charges

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Apparently the new rule slid under most radars, but the results have left those pursing lawsuits fighting a more difficult battle than before to prove their cases against nursing homes. The rule designates state inspectors and Medicare and Medicaid contractors as federal employees, which helps prevent them from getting involved in private litigation without approval from the head of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Litigants now must jump through more hoops – like obtaining court orders – to get information that was once much easier to obtain, such as inspection reports. Those inspection reports can often reveal signs of abuse or neglect that the average person may not be aware of.

Proponents of the ruling say that it was necessary in order to hire new contractors to carry out activities like federal payments to providers, perform audits and oversee certification and surveys of nursing homes.

A representative from the American Health Care Association says the organization also is having difficulty getting details on how state inspectors determine penalties and citations. But, it seems, it’s the victims of potential abuse and neglect who will suffer the most.

According to a representative with the National Senior Citizens Law Center in Los Angeles, “This change hurts nursing-home residents and their families by allowing bad practices to be kept in secret by nursing homes and inspectors. … Government inspectors have the right to go into nursing homes and investigate, and they learn things that residents and families otherwise could never find out.”

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › New rule makes obtaining nursing home information more difficult

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Now Maryland may be following suit. MSNBC reports that a bill is making its way through the house that would require nursing homes in Maryland to let people install cameras into patients rooms. The cameras would have to be purchased by the patients or their families and would not be allowed in bathrooms, according to the report.

According to the bill, the cameras could not be hidden, and a sign would hang on the door announcing that the room as being monitored. But even if staff is aware that a patient’s room is being monitored, it may serve as a deterrent against potential abuse and neglect.

The cameras would also give family members peace of mind, especially for those family members of patients who have lost the ability to speak, says Tyonja Bathgate, whose husband lives in a Maryland nursing home.

“He can no longer talk, so if something happens during the day, he can’t tell me any longer. If he wants a drink, he can’t call out,” she told MSNBC.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Maryland may allow video surveillance of nursing home rooms

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Bedsores are one of the most serious problems facing people with disabilities or the elderly who are bed ridden, use a wheelchair for mobility, or are unable to change positions without help. They can develop quickly, progress rapidly and are often difficult to heal. They are often caused by sustained pressure on the body and usually happen in areas that aren’t well padded with muscle or fat, such as the spine, tailbone, shoulder blades, hips, heels and elbows.

An autopsy listed Gerhardt’s death as caused by complications from a hip fracture and that the manner of death was an accident. Despite the ruling, the attorney general’s office continued to investigate the case.

Last week, the owner of the nursing home was found guilty of felony abuse and neglect in Gerhardt’s death. The nursing home faces a possible $5,000 fine and could be stripped of its ability to receive federal payments for health care. Sentencing is schedule for March 13.

The family of Gerhardt filed a civil suit in 2006 against the nursing home. It was settled out of court.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home found guilty in death of man left on bedpan for 24 hours

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Pressure sores, also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers, are areas of damaged skin and tissue that develop when sustained pressure – usually from a bed or wheelchair – cuts off circulation to parts of the body. The sores are most often found on the skin on the buttocks, hips and heels. Lack of adequate blood flow can cause tissue in the area to die. If left untreated, pressure sores can lead to serious or life threatening infections of the skin, muscle or bone.

Bledsoe urged a group of concerned citizens at a town hall meeting last week that vigilance and frequent visits can help prevent neglect.

Bledsoe’s advocacy group has continued to look out for the rights of nursing home residents. The group has lobbied for a stand-alone, long-term care facility in Oklahoma for sex offenders so they would not have to be admitted into other facilities. The group also has fought to have all allegations of abuse be reported to police for investigation, rather than just to state agencies that don’t always follow through with a formal investigation. The group also has helped garner attention for cases of abuse and neglect in nursing homes, most recently the “abuse-for-thrills” case at Good Samaritan Society nursing home in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home advocate says to heed warning signs of neglect, abuse

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Three deaths that occurred in three weeks on the same floor of the 240-bed home for the developmentally disabled have raised the suspicions of Nebraska Advocacy Group. “This demands an immediate response, not a promise to do something in the future. They’ve had a history of un-kept promises,” Nebraska Advocacy Group litigation director Bruce Mason told the newspaper.

The group sent a letter last week to state leaders including Gov. Dave Heineman. They have yet to get an answer. In the letter, the group recommended that the state make arrangements to have residents treated at Omaha hospitals or by medical professionals.

The Gage County Attorney’s office is investigating the three deaths for any criminal wrongdoing. But the advocacy group wants the investigation to go further. The group wants to know a cause of death and establish liability in hopes of preventing more deaths in the future.

A U.S. Justice Department investigation revealed that about 200 cases of abuse and neglect have been reported at the Beatrice home since 2006. It concluded that the center had a “cultural undercurrent that betrays human decency at the most fundamental levels.”

The problems at the state-run home now put Nebraska in jeopardy of losing its certification and thus $29 million in federal funding. To keep the federal government from pulling the certification, the state appealed the feds decision. A ruling is expected this summer. Meantime, Gov. Heineman is proposing spending $17 million to improve problems areas at the center and get it back up to par so that keep the federal funds.

If the home loses its funding, state officials may role to shut the center down all together.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Advocacy group demands answers from state

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Bixby police arrested Marshall and charged him with making a lewd proposal and sexual battery. He was transported to Tulsa jail where he was held on $27,000 bond. He was released Saturday.

“There might be nothing to this, but we felt the authorities must make that call,” said Scott Pilgrim, the nursing home owner. “Because our resident safety and well being is what we stand for, we took this action.”

Cases of nursing home abuse and neglect are not uncommon. In Oklahoma alone, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services recorded 160 referrals of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Forty-four – or 70 cases – were verified by caseworkers, according to a related story on Tulsa television station Fox23.

Wes Bledsoe with the advocacy group A Perfect Cause who spoke with a reporter about the case says that the nurse who walked in on Marshall did the right thing, adding that all cases of suspected of abuse or neglect of nursing home patients should be immediately reported to law enforcement and the state Department of Health.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Oklahoma man accused of sexually abusing nursing home patient

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If Winchester Centre loses its contract, the home will stop receiving Medicare and Medicaid payments from the federal government and will no longer be certified to care for patients receiving those services. In that event, patients at the home would then be transferred to certified nursing homes, which may result in the closing of Winchester Centre. Officials say they are unsure what will happen to Winchester Centre and that other options besides closing are available, such as bringing in a new group of professionals to run the nursing home and incurring daily fines until specific citations are resolved.

Currently, 166 patients reside in the 183-bed facility. The home offers skilled nursing and rehabilitative care as well as a special unit for patients with dementia. Central Kentucky already has lost 400 Medicaid beds for nursing home patients, said Gannoe. “It’s a disaster for Central Kentucky,” she says.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Kentucky nursing home facing most serious citation

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Five days later, the same woman was found lying in her bed naked while Chandler sexually abused her. When the nursing aide found Chandler he asked the nursing aide not to tell authorities. Meanwhile, his victim cried hysterically. For months after the incident, the woman refused to eat and would have crying episodes.

Chandler was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and unlawful sexual penetration for the alleged molestation of the woman. A judge found him unfit to stand trial and committed him to a mental health unit.

The lawsuit, filed Monday against Healthcare at Foster Creek, alleges that the nursing home failed to protect one of its most vulnerable residents. The lawsuit also contends that 38 complaints of abuse or neglect were substantiated at the home between 2004 and 2008.

Nursing home administer Bill Swanson, who came to Foster Creek three months before the sexual abuse incident, says he is aware of the nursing home’s troubled past but he and a new management company are working to change things for the better.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home faces $2 million lawsuit for sex abuse incident

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Chmura had scooped the ice from the ice bin at By the Lake senior assisted living facility she owns in Hayden, Idaho. She immediately had a suspect in mind – a disgruntled employee who had just joined two other employees in a walkout to protest of a firing of two employees three days prior, according to The Seattle Times.

“I won’t put up with this crap,” Chmura told the newspaper. Chmura opened the facility two years ago.

Chmura contacted Kootenai County officials and informed them of the urine-in-the-bin incident as well as suspected theft and fraud by the former employees. The facility owner accused the former employees of stealing money and prescription drugs from the assisted living center, including OxyContin and hydrocodone. She claims the three made more than $10,000 in credit card purchases for personal items such as groceries and gift cards, restaurant dinners and theater tickets.

She told police that before the walkout, the employees woke up residents and told them the assisted living center was closing and that all employees had been fired.

Chmura is part of an advocacy group that fights for stronger laws against those who abuse and neglect vulnerable adults. The group is credited with triggering the 2005 state legislation that made abusing the elderly a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Disgruntled employee accused of putting urine in ice bin

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The violent acts are hard to fathom. Corey Austin, a certified nursing aide (CNA), was convicted of using racial epithets and attacking a patient by assisting another staff member in taking the patient back to his room and then repeatedly pushing the patient onto the floor. Austin then allegedly pinned the patient to the bed with his knee. Austin, who will be sentenced in January, faces a two-year sentence.

Those charged with crimes against the elderly include CNA Patricia Penman, who is accused of slapping a 100-year-old patient in the face. The patient has dementia and physical disabilities that left her unable to defend herself. Penman is charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and willful violations of health laws, according to the news report.

CNA Jeffrey Perry was charged with the same offense stemming from a late August incident in which he tied a patient with dementia to a chair for two consecutive nights. Licensed practical nurse Jeanette Sovereign found the patient alone in his room and is accused of knowing about the abusive act but not reporting it to proper authorities.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Cuomo continues to investigate nursing home abuse, neglect

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Lemire was transported to Central Vermont Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead, according to the Times Argus (Vermont).

Lemire lived at the home of Julie A. Davis, who was assigned to be her caregiver beginning last spring. Davis had had other disabled individuals living with her in the past but there were never any complaints from neighbors to police, according to the report. No previous abuse complaints had been filed and Davis’ home appeared tidy and well kept.

Davis worked for Lincoln Street, a specialized service agency. She, like other caregivers, received a monthly, tax-free stipend for having someone in her care.

Last summer was one of the rainiest on record for Vermont, which may have contributed to Lemire’s hypothermia and subsequent death, police said. Hypothermia is condition that results when the body loses too much heat and can hinder metabolism and bodily functions and can lead to death.

Davis was charged with abuse and neglect of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver, which carries a $10,000 fine and/or up to 15 years in prison. Davis is due in Washington County District Court on Dec. 4th.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Caregiver charged in hypothermia death of disabled woman

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

But when Fitzgerald returned 2 ½ hours later, the facility was overrun with firefighters and deputies, according to the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times.

While Fitzgerald was out of the building to handle what she later told police was a home health crisis, an 88-year-old woman fell on the bathroom floor. Unable to get up, she asked a fellow resident to call 911. When medical personnel from Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue arrived, they discovered there were no staff members on site and called the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office to investigate.

When Fitzgerald returned, she willingly told police she had left a resident in charge. Police then found Vicodin, a controlled substance, in her pocket. Fitzgerald, 60, was booked on one count of abuse and neglect of the elderly, a second-degree felony and one count of possession of a controlled substance, also a felony. Police say other charges may follow. Fitzgerald was jailed with a $12,000 bail.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nurse arrested for leaving 21 assisted living residents alone

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Early last month we reported that four employees of Medford Multicare Center for Living in Medford, NY were charged with criminal neglect after investigators reviewed tapes from video cameras hidden in some residents’ rooms.

The videos showed that one patient wasn’t turned and positioned to prevent painful pressure sores or given range-of-motion exercises to keep his muscles from contracting. One patient also didn’t receive water through his feeding tube – his only means of hydration. The staff charged with the neglect also administered heart medication without first checking his pulse rate, which could have resulted in an adverse response in his medication. And rather than changing his briefs every two hours as per doctors’ orders, the patient was left to sit in his waste for hours. The video also showed that the resident had not been bathed in a week.

Hidden video surveillance is not an uncommon practice in New York and has lead to numerous convictions of nursing home employees. Last week, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that more hidden cameras will be installed in the rooms of nursing home patients in western New York in an effort to curtail abuse and neglect against the elderly.

The most recent arrests include two licensed practical nurses (LPN) and two certified nurse’s aides (CNA) at the same Medford facility. The charges include endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person by failing to provide basic standard care and falsifying business records.

One of the LPNs, Kim Purdum, was charged with falsifying business records based on evidence unrelated to the video surveillance. Purdum is accused of changing a resident’s chart to conceal that she had not done the necessary blood tests to monitor her blood thinning medication. This caused the resident to suffer internal bleeding and extensive external bruising. The patient required immediate emergency medical attention.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Video surveillance leads to more arrests at NY nursing home

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Timothy Allen Brown was arrested Tuesday evening in St. Louis on charges of abuse or neglect of an adult and interstate flight to avoid prosecution. Police say Timothy will likely face more charges.

As we reported Oct. 29, Timothy checked his sister Penny Brown out of Georgetown Healthcare Center in 2006 and moved her into his home with his 8-year-old son. Penny suffered from Cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair for mobility, and had a room to herself in her brother’s home.

In mid September, police visited Timothy’s home as part of a child welfare case. The boy was later removed from the home after social service workers discovered deplorable living conditions, such as human feces on the floor. The boy told police he was not allowed to go into his aunt Penny’s room, which then led police back to Timothy’s home to search for her. Neither Timothy nor his sister were there. Police later found Timothy’s car abandoned and found Penny’s body “wrapped in quilts and then the quilts were wrapped in construction-grade plastic to make it more of an air-tight package, and then placed in the back of his car, in the trunk,” said county coroner John Goble.

Police believe that Penny could have been dead since she was released from the nursing home in her brother’s care. Once released, Penny stopped using her food stamps and her medical card. But her $600-$700 per month social security disability checks continued to be cashed, police say.

Penny’s father, Terry Gray of Georgetown, told police he spoke with his daughter by phone in December 2007. Otherwise he was not involved with either Timothy or Penny.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Police arrest brother of disabled woman found dead in car trunk

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I-1029 requires all new caregivers beginning in 2010 to be certified by the state, undergo an FBI background check and get at least 75 hours of training. The initiative is sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

PAS-Port for Change, an eight-member statewide steering committee, argues that the initiative fails to address the core issues of abuse and neglect against the elderly and disabled. While it supports the training of caregivers, the organization believes the type of training and the method of delivering that training should be in the hands of the clients.

Debb Snyder, a member of the PAS-Port for Change steering committee who also is disabled, has tried but failed to get SEIU to circulate a questionnaire to those who use caregivers on the quality of care they receive. The questionnaire asks whether the recipient has been verbally or physically abused by a caregiver, whether a caregiver has failed to show up for work or arrived under the influence of drugs or alcohol, whether a caregiver has asked them for food or money or threatened them with abandonment, according to the story.

Snyder says she would like to use those questionnaires during interviews with the accused caregivers as a means of training.

The Washington Attorney General’s office forwards complaints of abuse and neglect to Adult Protective Services, which in turn investigates each case to determine if criminal charges are warranted. The state receives about 13,000 complaints of abuse and neglect each year from adults living in their own homes.

“We’re not against the workers,” Snyder says, “but they need to be trained by us.”

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Advocacy group wants more control over caregiver training

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Earlier this month we told you how hidden surveillance cameras installed at Medford Multicare Center for Living in Suffolk, New York gave the attorney general’s office evidence enough to charge at least four nursing home employees with criminal neglect.

New York leads the nation in using hidden video surveillance to investigate whether there is abuse in its nursing homes. At least 26 of the nursing home employees in New York have been convicted based on hidden video recordings.

The hidden cameras are installed in residents’ rooms with prior permission of family or legal representatives and without the knowledge of the nursing home. Gov. Cuomo hopes the cameras serve as more of a deterrent than means for evidence.

“We’ve had reports [of abuse] for many years, but they are hard cases to make,” Cuomo said in the story. “This allows us to make cases we couldn’t make before.”

While the practice has been lauded by the president of New York AARP, some individuals in the nursing home industry argue that the cameras bring up concerns of a patient’s privacy violation.

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), statistics on abuse, neglect or exploitation among the elderly is hard to track. However, according to the best available estimates, as many as 1 to 2 million Americans age 65 years and older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by a caregiver.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › New York puts more hidden cameras in nursing homes

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Disability Rights Washington (DRW), a nonprofit organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities, reported numerous examples where the three state agencies charged with investigating reports of abuse and neglect failed to protect frail adults. For example, clearing a nursing home of abuse allegations against a 93-year-old resident with suspicious injuries without reviewing photographs or talking to witnesses.

The three agencies cited in the report include Adult Protective Services, Residential Care Services and Health Professions Quality Assurance. The Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) oversees both Adult Protective Services and Residential Care Services. The state Health Department oversees Health Professions Quality Assurance.

The Seattle P-I report cites 2006 data that claims only 10 percent of the more than 13,000 complaints made to Adult Protective Services were substantiated; less than 6 percent of the nearly 23,000 complaints made to Residential Care Services were substantiated; and Health Professions Quality Assurance took disciplinary action in less than 10 percent of the more than 6,500 complaints it received and pursued no criminal charges against a single facility.

All three agencies claim they have insufficient staff with inadequate training to meet the demands of their offices. A spokesperson with Residential Care Services, which investigates allegations against nursing homes and other residential services, says it has begun investigating specific reports of abuse in all facilities. And while the agency recently hired seven additional staff members, they are still too understaffed to oversee the state’s 3,000-plus licensed facilities.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Washington agencies accused of not investigating abuse claims

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Five years ago my sister and I found ourselves in a similar situation. Our mother, who was an only child, had passed away years earlier. Her parents – our grandparents – lived more than 2,000 miles away. Their health was rapidly declining. My grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease just six months apart. My grandfather was battling diabetes and was simply unable to care for my grandmother. (We suspect it was because my grandmother had spoiled him for so many years!)

Our visits to their house became more and more worrisome. Food was left rotting in the refrigerator, medications were left sitting out, and my grandmother had taken to wandering outside in the middle of the night. (One night she was spotted walking along their neighborhood lake in her nightgown.)

When my grandfather was diagnosed with terminal cancer, we had to act quickly to get them both in facilities that could provide the medical and custodial care they needed. Unfortunately, we had to separate them.

Their health had declined to the point that neither could be moved closer to my sister and me. Working long-distance arrangements was daunting, especially since states differ in how they structure levels of care. Hospital social workers were a tremendous help, as were online resources.

For those who are finding themselves in similar situations with family members, the online magazine CityView offers a detailed listing of care options. It has a 10-point check list for choosing a facility, explains who pays for long-term care, and gives an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and options for those suffering from memory loss disorders.

Statistics of neglect and abuse in long-term care facilities can make the decision to place a family member in one even more stressful. Good facilities do exist but you must know how to identify them. Research several facilities and take time to visit each. Be aware of the environment: Are calls from residents being answered quickly? Does the home look and smell clean? Does staff appear friendly and know the residents by name? Do residents look comfortable?

I also encourage you to question staff and talk with other family members about their experience with the facility. And once your family member is placed in long term care, remain in contact with staff, visit your family member as much as possible, and continue to be aware of the surroundings. Know the signs of abuse and neglect, and report any suspicious behavior.

For more tips on what to look for in a long-term care facility, click here.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Do your research when considering options in long term care

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Today, the Miami Herald reported that three state agencies and Miami-Dade police were investigating how second-degree burns were found on a 12-year-old girl living in the Florida Club Care Center. The girl, who is a foster child, suffers from severe cerebral palsy, is unable to communicate and is completely dependent on others for activities of daily living. The burns were found on her hand and thigh, according to the Child Protection Team, a group of University of Miami doctors and nurses.

The case also is being investigated by the Department of Children & Families (DCF) and the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). AHCA, a nursing home regulator, claims there was no evidence of mistreatment toward the girl.

In a letter to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Child Protection Team representative and pediatrician Michael D. Strong wrote “We fear that the potential risk for further harm of the other residents in the nursing home facility is high and that little to nothing is being done in response.”

However, a recent AHCA inspection of the facility showed high marks for quality of care and quality of life as well as nutrition and hydration, patient dignity, the prevention of pressure sores, and limiting the use of physical restraints.

For now, the DCF investigation into the girl’s injuries remains open.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home investigated for harming 12-year-old foster child

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

However, of the 37,150 complaints inspectors received in 2007 about the condition of nursing homes, only 39 percent were substantiated and about 20 percent of those verified complaints involved patient neglect.

Measuring the quality of a nursing home is not always clear-cut. More that 1.5 million people live in 15,000 nursing homes throughout the country. Each facility is inspected annually and must meet federal standards in order to participate in Medicaid and Medicare. Unfortunately, while the standards are the same from state to state, deficiency rates vary.

“Inspectors are subjective and inconsistent. They interpret federal standards in different ways,” the Times quotes Bruce A. Yarwood, president of trade group American Health Care Association. Thus, some states show much higher percentages of deficient nursing homes than others, in what may not necessarily indicate a vast difference in quality of service.

In December, the Bush administration will institute a five-star system to rate overall quality of care in nursing facilities. The rankings will be published on a federal Web site, according to the New York Times report.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Gauging nursing home care quality can be tricky

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Then her health began to spiral downward, confining her to bed and leaving her helpless. Neighbors no longer saw her and trusted Clifford was handling her needs.

When Ruth died, medics came to their house and were horrified. The deceased woman had wasted away to a mere 79 pounds. Her frail body lay atop a soiled mattress. Excrement was smeared on the carpet below. A medical examiner called it the worst case of neglect she had ever seen, according to the Fort Myers, Fla., News-Press.

The sad truth, the paper later reported, is that abuse and neglect of the elderly is often hard to detect – whether it is in someone’s home or at a nursing facility. Elderly often refuse help or are too incapacitated to seek help outside the abusive environment.

Thus, it is difficult to know how many of the elderly population are abused, neglected or exploited, according to National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), an organization directed by the U.S. Administration on Aging that helps national, state and local partners in the field be fully prepared to ensure that older Americans will live with dignity, integrity, independence and without abuse.

Citing the National Elder Abuse Incidence Study, NCEA reports that only 16 percent of abusive situations are referred for help, leaving 84 percent hidden. While some studies estimate that between 3 percent and 5 percent of the elderly population have been abused, the Senate Special Committee on Aging estimates that there may be as many as 5 million victims every year.

Clifford now sits in prison. He wrote a letter to his neighbors arguing that what happened to him – how he lost control of the care of his mother – could happen to anyone, according to the News-Press story. Neighbors still wonder why he didn’t get help.

Don’t be blind to elder abuse and neglect. Know the signs of elder abuse.

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Elder abuse, neglect often goes unnoticed

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act is sponsored by New Mexico’s senior senator, Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.

This process could greatly reduce the number of nursing home abuse and neglect cases that plague the long-term care industry. These are tragedies we hear about daily in the news, like the report two days ago of the Jacksonville, Ill., woman suing her father’s nursing home for his wrongful death just 19 days after he was admitted; or the painfully sad story last month of the four nursing home aides in Minnesota who taunted and molested 15 residents suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia simply to “get a good laugh.”

“This bill is an important step in providing the safeguards needed to prevent abuse and mistreatment by those who care for our elderly and disabled,” Sen. Domenici was quoted as saying in The Daily Times. “I hope the Senate will pass it during this legislative session.”

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Senate to consider Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention bill

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Of those 23 homes, 16 stand to collect bonus Medicaid payments this year from state and federal taxpayers, according to the Register. The bonuses are tied to a state program that rewards nursing homes for providing quality, cost-effective care.

Elderly abuse is a crime. If you or a loved one have suffered nursing home abuse and neglect, please contact us today or call your local law enforcement agency.

Here’s how much each home was fined in 2007 and how much it stands to collect this year in performance-based bonuses. The homes are ranked based on the amount of their 2007 fines.

Meadow Lawn Health Care, Davenport
2007 fines: $33,350
2008 bonus: $0
Goldenrod Manor Care Center, Clarinda
2007 fines: $20,000
2008 bonus: $9,680
ManorCare, West Des Moines
2007 fines: $19,500
2008 bonus: $0
Risen Son Christian Village, Council Bluffs
2007 fines: $18,500
2008 bonus: $0
The Abbey, Le Mars
2007 fines: $17,300
2008 bonus: $11,339
Cedar Falls Health Care Center
2007 fines: $16,500
2008 bonus: $0
Iowa Masonic Home, Bettendorf
2007 fines: $15,000
2008 bonus: $44,502
USA Healthcare, Urbandale
2007 fines: $13,400
2008 bonus: $76,859
Ramsey Village, Des Moines
2007 fines: $13,000

2008 bonus: $8,133

Glen Haven Home, Glenwood
2007 fines: $13,000
2008 bonus: $12,028
Park View Care Center, Burlington
2007 fines: $12,250
2008 bonus: $22,418
Woodlands Rehabilitation Center, Council Bluffs
2007 fines: $12,000
2008 bonus: $33,801
Lantern Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Coralville
2007 fines: $12,000
2008 bonus: $0
Good Samaritan Home, Villisca
2007 fines: $11,500
2008 bonus: $25,198
Wesley Acres, Des Moines
2007 fines: $11,500
2008 bonus: $8,894
Nelson Nursing Home, Fairfield
2007 fines: $11,500
2008 bonus: $17,972
Oakwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Albia
2007 fines: $11,500
2008 bonus: $0
Red Oak Rehabilitation and Care Center
2007 fines: $11,000
2008 bonus: $9,225

Riverside Manor, Ames
2007 fines: $10,500
2008 bonus: $0
Windmill Manor, Coralville
2007 fines: $10,500
2008 bonus: $24,811
The Manor, Malvern
2007 fines: $10,350
2008 bonus: $18,555
Clearview Home, Mount Ayr
2007 fines: $10,000
2008 bonus: $57,552
Elm Crest Retirement Community, Harlan
2007 fines: $10,000
2008 bonus: $24,142

Source: Iowa Department of Human Services, Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. (Specialized facilities, hospital affiliates and state-run homes do not participate in the bonus program.)

SOURCE: Nursing Home Abuse › Nursing home fines, bonuses

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.