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There is a horrifying report out of Minnesota today about nursing home residents abused by their caregivers. The patients, all suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, were teased, spit on, and sexually assaulted. The Associated Press report said four nursing assistants were involved.
Some disturbing allegations of abuse and neglect are aimed at an Oklahoma nursing home, according to a report yesterday by KOTV in Tulsa. The station reports that family members of 41-year-old James Curnutt say the man was raped and abused while living at a nursing home facility in Jones, Okla., near Oklahoma City.
This week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced plans for the establishment of a new ranking system for nursing home performance. Similar to rating systems that the public is familiar with in relation to products or facilities like restaurants and hotels, the new CMS system will rate nursing homes with a “star” system, with five stars being the best and one star the worst.
A joint meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition and Consumer Rights and U.S. Senate Aging Committee was held this morning to discuss S. 2838, The Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act, sponsored by Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. The bill’s sponsors argued that more nursing home facilities are requiring patients and their families to sign mandatory arbitration agreements, signing away their right to sue in the event of abuse or neglect, which they said is unfair.
As for people with family in nursing homes, Kathleen Sadlier says to be careful. “If you have someone there, really keep an eye on everything to see what is going on. Don’t just think they are being taken care of, because they might not be. I feel sorry for those in nursing homes who don’t have family members to watch over them. More people need to speak out about this.”
The family of an 84-year-old man who died while in the care of a Louisiana nursing home has been awarded $1 million in damages stemming from a nursing home neglect and medical malpractice lawsuit. Leon Nelms of Tallulah, La., died in November 2004 because of complications arising from neglect at Olive Branch Senior Care Center, the jury found. The 12-person jury rendered its verdict on Nov. 2.
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