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Nursing home neglect has been cited against a facility in Minnesota, where investigators say a man with severe cognitive disabilities died after he was given 10 times his prescribed does of morphine. 

According to the Star Tribune, the alleged medication error occurred at the 42-bed facility, where the man had been transferred for hospice care. He was suffering from chronic kidney disease. The victim’s age and identity was not disclosed in the state report, which determined the mistake occurred when the nursing home staff failed to accurately transcribe the man’s prescription.

His death happened approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes after the huge dose of narcotic painkiller was delivered. State investigators determined the facility did not have adequate policies in place that would have ensured the medicines were transcribed and also administered accurately. Had the policy been in place, the man likely would not have died when he did, officials said.  Continue reading →

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The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the launch of 10 regional Elder Justice Task Forces, which will coordinate with state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and other agencies to not only provide services to the elderly, but also to take action against facilities that perpetuate nursing home abuse.

Stuart Delery, the acting associate attorney general for the initiative, said that while millions of elderly Americans count on nursing homes and staffers to provide adequate care and treat them with dignity – which is a baseline requirement – too many nursing homes are putting profits before people.

Task force members will seek to identify potential problems before they grow into serious issues and also to take to task those facilities who fail in their duties to patients who are elderly, frail and suffering from dementia and other similar conditions. Continue reading →

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A nursing home in Massachusetts is facing thousands of dollars in federal fines after a state investigation revealed the facility employees violated state law in treating an 83-year-old woman who died after falling from a mechanical lift. 

Nursing home deaths resulting from falls are far too common. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 1,800 older adults living in nursing homes die every year from fall-related injuries. Even those who live often sustain injuries that result in permanent disability and substantially reduced quality of life.

That’s why we must treat these matters with grave seriousness. Unfortunately, as one ProPublica investigation found there are often greatly disparate penalties for deadly mistakes at nursing homes. Continue reading →

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A new report released by federal regulators indicates that the percentage of nursing homes that receive spotless deficiency records is increasing. That means, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, that nursing home residents may be receiving better care on the whole. 

Of course, that’s not to say nursing home abuse, neglect and negligence is no longer a problem. Indeed, relatives and loved ones must still remain vigilant.

But the latest information from the Nursing Home Data Compendium for 2015 is encouraging in some aspects.  Continue reading →

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A nurse in Alabama recently pleaded guilty to elder abuse after she reportedly failed to inform her employer that she had committed a medication error by giving a nursing home patient the wrong drug. 

The 53-year-old licensed practical nurse (LPN) pleaded guilty to reckless abuse of a protected person. Although it was not an intentional act, the fact that the nurse failed to report her action put the patient at serious risk. In fact, the patient almost died.

This kind of medication error in nursing homes is a serious and unfortunately common problem. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) defines “medication error” as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medicine is in control of the health care professional, patient or consumer. Continue reading →

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Federal lawmakers are demanding action from government regulators to curb nursing home abuse and privacy violations of residents caused by degrading and dehumanizing images and videos posted of them on social media by caregivers. 

Citing a December expose published by non-profit journalism outlet ProPublica, which reported 35 cases since 2012 in which workers at nursing homes or assisted living facilities covertly shared videos or photos of residents – many with dementia – on social media. At least two cases have occurred since the story was published.

Nearly half of those cases involved a platform called Snapchat, in which the photos or videos appear for only a set amount of short time before they are deleted. But of course, those images and videos can be copied or captured in screen grabs. Nothing on the internet is ever guaranteed to be truly impermanent.  Continue reading →

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The family of an 87-year-old California woman wanted to ensure she was taken care of. That’s why they invested in one of the best regional facilities money could buy for her elder age care. And yet, she still succumbed to one of the most unnecessary and painful forms of death: Complication from pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores. 

Her untimely death, according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, spurred a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility that recently resulted in a $1 million settlement.

Medical records indicated the woman died from sepsis after nursing home staffers allegedly erred in treating a pressure ulcer on her back. Proper care was not received until the sore became heavily infected, at which point it was too late to reverse the effects.  Continue reading →

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A 55-year-old woman has been arrested for abuse of an 89-year-old dementia patient at a nursing home in Minnesota, after the alleged victim’s daughter installed a hidden camera in patient’s room.

Investigators say snippets of video from last month showed the staffer hitting the victim in the head and on her back with her hands and a brush and also pulled her hair. Bruises were reported on the victim’s hands from trying to defend herself.

The accused has denied she struck the patient or pulled her hair, but it may be difficult to deny accusations that are clearly shown on film.

The facility has released a statement calling the incident, “detestable,” adding it was contrary to the facility’s values and “deeply offensive to us as people.” Continue reading →

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An increasing number of nursing home abuse lawsuits boil down to this single question: Who signed the admissions contract?

Specifically at issue is who signed the provision compelling arbitration or agreeing to release the center from liability. The reason this question is central is because if the person who signed was not authorized to do so on behalf of the patient, the contract is invalid,. That means plaintiff has the right to sue.

In some cases, if the patient personally signed the contract, was he or she legally fit to do so? Many times, the answer is no, and that too can work in a plaintiff’s favor.

This issue was recently underscored by The New York Times, which highlighted a 2009 case in which a nursing home resident was murdered by her roommate. Her son sought to hold the nursing home accountable for this violent act.  Continue reading →

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For some, being given the wrong dinner is a matter of simple annoyance. For a substantial number of residents in nursing home and long-term care facilities, it could be fatal. 

In a recent nursing home negligence lawsuit filed in Minnesota, the family of an 88-year-old woman who died following an Easter Sunday meal three years ago alleges her death was preventable, and occurred because she was given the wrong food. The complaint points the finger at least partially at a computer malfunction.

Decedent, known widely by the nickname, “Toots,” suffered from dementia and was placed on a dysphasia diet. That meant it was imperative she receive only pureed food. She didn’t get it that day. It was her last meal. Continue reading →

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