Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver signed a bill in to law this week that removes fines imposed on nursing homes that do not meet minimum health and safety standards, according to the Des Moines Register.

Under the new law, nursing homes would no longer be fined for not having competent, licensed administrators or caregivers in their facilities; not having a qualified nurse on duty, or for understaffing at the facility, one of the leading contributors to resident neglect.

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Wandering is a common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other cognitive disorders. According to the Alzheimer’s Association more than 60 percent of those with the condition wander at some point and up to 70 percent of those who wander will do so again. More than 127,000 critical wandering incidents are reported each year. If not found within the first 24 hours, up to half of all persons with dementia who wander will become seriously injured or die, according to research obtained by the Alzheimer’s Association.

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Had it not been for  video surveillance in nursing homes throughout New York state, many nursing home residents who were the victims of neglect and abuse at the hands of their caregivers would still be suffering. The use of hidden video surveillance has become so effective in prosecuting the offenders there that over the past few months New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has increased the number of nursing homes that have cameras.

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Most people don’t want to even think that their parents have having sex – much less their grandparents. However, researchers from Kansas State say that physical and sexual intimacy is alive and well in many nursing homes and caregivers should be trained on how to handle situations that arise, according to The Hays Daily News.

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The 75-year-old woman with diabetes and dementia who is recovering at the state-run Emily P. Bissell Hospital, a skilled nursing facility in Delaware, after fracturing her leg after a fall in January 2007, told her visiting nieces that staff members were mean to her. Those family members also noted signs of neglect in personal hygiene of their ailing aunt, and secretly installed a hidden video surveillance camera to keep watch on their aunt, according to Delaware Online. The $600 motion-sensitive video camera showed staff yelling and slapping the hands and face of the bedridden aunt while she pleaded for help.

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A Washington, D.C.-area emergency room doctor fed up with seeing so many patients from one area nursing home sick from obvious neglect, spoke to ABC 7/News Channel 8 to warn others of the poor care offered at the home.

The doctor said he routinely sees patients from Grand Park Care Center on the verge of death with serious conditions ranging from acute kidney problems, severe pneumonia and malnutrition. He said the conditions indicate neglect by caregivers.

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The Ontario, Canada coroner’s office blames a malfunctioning lifting device for the death of a 67-year-old Toronto nursing home resident, according to The (Toronto) Star.

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Jean Lemire was alive when police arrived at her caregiver’s home in Calais, Vermont. But she was unconscious and only partially dressed. It was obvious to police what had happened to Lemire. The 47-year-old developmentally disabled woman who was involved in the Special Olympics and worked in a restaurant, was suffering from hypothermia as a result of going without medical attention, food or drink for six days.

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A Washington state advocacy group is hoping to raise awareness of the problem of abuse and neglect by caregivers of the elderly and disabled before voters approve Initiative 1029 on November 4, according to Columbian.com.

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Concerned at the 71 percent increase in elder abuse cases in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, over the past five years, city officials decided to pool resources and fight back. Earlier this month Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone and Elders Affairs Secretary Mike Festa announced an initiative to prevent elder abuse, according to the Boston Globe.

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