Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog

Antipsychotic medications are typically used to treat patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, helping reduce and control delusional thinking and hallucinations. In nursing homes around the United States, staff also use antipsychotics for patients suffering from dementia as a way of controlling paranoia and aggression. These medications can be useful for the small percentage of dementia patients who actually demonstrate psychotic behavior and constitute a risk to other nursing home residents and themselves. For most dementia patients, antipsychotics may only further isolate them and make them even less communicative. This is of particular concern to families and loved ones of dementia patients, who wish to ensure that they are receiving the best possible care.

An FDA warning from 2005 gives notice to doctors of an increased risk of death from pneumonia or heart attacks among dementia patients prescribed atypical antipsychotics. This class of drug includes Abilify, Geodon, Invega, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Zyprexa. The agency added the older class of drugs known as typical antipsychotics to that warning in 2008. Typical antipsychotics include drugs like Thorazine and Haldol. Despite the warnings, off-label use of antipsychotic medications in dementia patients continues.

The Associated Press reports that nursing homes are beginning to take notice of the risks inherent in using antipsychotics for dementia and are gradually decreasing their rate of use. One nursing home in Florida has seen a reduction in the rate from twenty-five percent of all patients to a current rate of fourteen percent. A Brooklyn, New York nursing home went from thirty to fifteen percent without much trouble. Most patients taken off the antipsychotic regimen reportedly displayed significant improvements in both mood and behavior.

Among nursing home staff, the concern is that, without the antipsychotic medications, they will be unable to control aggressive or violent dementia patients. Some patients may truly need such medication, especially since there are no FDA-approved drugs specifically treating behavioral aspects of dementia. Patient advocates cited by the Associated Press argue that the use of such medications has more to do with keeping patients sedated for staff convenience. In situations where use of antipsychotics may be endangering a patient’s life, all other concerns should be secondary to protecting the patient.

Continue reading "Pressure Mounts to Reduce Use of Antipsychotics in Dementia Patients" »

Recently, our Baltimore nursing home abuse blog discussed the financial abuse of elders--a hugely under reported problem affecting around 3.5 million seniors around the country every year.

In recent nursing home abuse lawsuit news, a 68-year-old retired preschool teacher has sued a Seal Beach nursing home for elder abuse, alleging that as a resident, she was chemically restrained with drugs against her will, while the nursing home staff tried to take control of her retirement income.

According to the lawsuit, Marsha Davis lived in her own home until November of 2010, and suffered from many health issues, including diabetes. After collapsing at her home In the fall of 2011, Davis was reportedly hospitalized and then transferred to the Country Villa nursing home, for a three-month stay.

Davis alleges that while residing at the home, she was medicated with psychotropic drugs for chemical restraint against her will—allegations that were reportedly found to be true by state investigators in February. The lawsuit claims that after she was medicated to the point of being entirely disorientated, the nursing home stated that she was suffering from "cognitive impairment” and tried to collect her Social Security payments.

Although Davis has no immediate family members to act as an advocate on her behalf, a friend of hers reportedly intervened, and the medication was stopped. Davis was later transferred to another home where she remains today.

Continue reading "Former Schoolteacher Sues Nursing Home For Elder Abuse" »

As our Baltimore, Maryland accident lawyer blog recently reported, the family of an elderly nursing home resident whose wrongful death lead to a nursing home abuse and negligence lawsuit, was awarded $91.5 million earlier this month, after a Charleston, West Virginia jury found Heartland of Charleston nursing home and its corporate owners guilty of negligence—a verdict that the nursing home owners are likely to appeal.

According to the lawsuit, in September of 2009, Tom Douglas placed his mother Dorothy, who suffered from dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease among other conditions, in Heartland of Charleston nursing home temporarily—until there was room for her in a nearby facility that specialized in Alzheimer’s disease healthcare and treatment.

Before placing Douglas in the home, her son claimed that his mother had lived with he and his family, experiencing improved health conditions that included walking, speaking and even recognizing her own family members.

Three weeks after Tom Douglas placed his 87-year old mother into the nursing home he reportedly found out that she was confined to a wheelchair, and suffered from malnutrition, and dehydration. By the time she was transferred to Heritage Center, the nursing home specializing in Alzheimer’s Disease healthcare, Douglas was reportedly unresponsive, had lost fifteen pounds and suffered such severe dehydration that she died the following day after her nursing home transfer.

Continue reading "Nursing Home to Appeal $91.5 Million Negligence and Wrongful Death Settlement" »

In recent nursing home abuse news that our Baltimore, Maryland attorneys have been following, two former nursing aides in a Northern California nursing home were sentenced to a twenty day county jail sentence for allegedly organizing a prank for other workers by rubbing eight dementia nursing home patients with ointment to make them slippery to care for.

According to the Ukiah Daily Journal, Jennifer Louise Burton and Monica Rose Smith were found guilty of masterminding the nursing home abuse incident at Valley View Skilled Nursing facility in 2009, receiving a twenty day county jail sentence and two years probation for misdemeanor charges of elder abuse. Douglas Parker, Deputy District Attorney claimed that the elder abuse convictions and the fact that their nursing assistant licenses have been revoked by the state will ensure that the producers of this prank will on longer have the opportunity to work in a position of trust at a skilled nursing facility in the future.

The nursing home abuse incident reportedly occurred in November of 2009, and was investigated by then-Attorney General Jerry Brown, after he received an alert about the abuse by another nursing home operator. The company reportedly instantly fired six employees—Burton and Smith, along with three other defendants, all five of which have had their nursing home licenses revoked. Jared Buckley, the third nursing home defendant was also charged with a misdemeanor for elder abuse, and two other nursing assistants were found guilty of failing to report the elder abuse. The sixth nursing assistant had the charges against her dismissed.

The dementia patients were reportedly not physically injured or harmed in the prank, but they were unable to object to their mistreatment or stop it because of their mental and medical conditions and limitations.

Continue reading " Nursing Home Aides Found Guilty of Elder Abuse by Engaging in Prank with Dementia Residents" »

According to a recent Baltimore County nursing home lawyer blog entry, our attorneys discussed recent cases of nursing home abuse and negligence, where hidden cameras or “Granny Cams” were used in nursing homes by families who suspected that their loved ones were being treated with abuse or negligence, and didn’t trust the nursing home staff responsible for their healthcare and safety—filing lawsuits after the abuse was revealed on-camera.

In another recent nursing home abuse lawsuit, the children of an 87-year-old resident of a New Jersey nursing home have sued the home for wrongful death, after the children caught the their mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, being physically abused by a nurse on a hidden camera placed in her room—which they claim led to her death.

The resident's children reportedly suspected that their mother was being abused by her nurse, and installed a hidden camera to protect her health and safety. The camera footage reportedly showed the nursing home aide removing the victim’s oxygen mask and negligently, recklessly, and intentionally hitting and abusing her while she was supposed to be providing proper healthcare.

The victim’s family claim that this kind of abuse made their mother suffer, and violated her rights as a citizen and as a nursing home resident—as all nursing home residents under law are entitled to receive quality care and attention in an environment that improves and maintains the quality of their mental and physical health.

Continue reading "Family Installs “Granny Cam” to Catch Nursing Home Abuse—Sues for Wrongful Death" »

In a recent Maryland nursing home lawyer blog, our attorneys discussed the prevalence of nursing home abuse in facilities across the country, and how families are fighting back by installing hidden cameras to ensure the safe and proper treatment of their loved ones.

In a recent nursing home abuse incident, the son of a 78-year-old resident installed a hidden camera in April of this year, after he feared that his mother was being mistreated at MetroHealth Medical Center’s nursing home care facilities in Ohio.

According to WKYC- Channel 3 News, Steve Piskor felt that his mother, who suffers from advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, was being abused by the staff. Piskor contacted administrators to discuss marks on her face, and the fact that when he approached her, she would raise her hands to protect her face in a fearful manner. He also reported incidents of negligence, after he found the heat off and the window open in his mother’s room in the middle of winter.

After MetroHealth reportedly ignored his complaints of abuse, Piskor installed the camera to prove that his mother was experiencing nursing home abuse and mistreatment. Although the camera was hidden inside a fan, Piskor put up a sign warning workers that a camera had been installed in the room.

Piskor said that it took only a few days to capture abuse—showing a nursing aide striking his mother’s face, violently shoving her into bed and the wheelchair, and pushing her face into the wall. Other footage reportedly showed another nurse’s aide hitting his mother, while another nursing home employee turned a blind eye to the abuse. Piskor kept the hidden camera rolling for two months to ensure that MetroHealth wouldn’t dismiss the nursing home abuse.

Continue reading " “Granny Cam” Footage Documents Nursing Home Abuse of Alzheimer Resident" »

According to a recent Los Angeles Times report from the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting, the United States needs to prepare itself for the growing number of elderly people with dementia and other mental illnesses—as the first group of baby boomers are turning 65 this year.

The problem, according to the report, is not due to an increase in mental illness with older people— but rather that 20% of this country’s population will be 65 and older by 2030. This will be a 12% increase from now.

The average life expectancy is also increasing with seniors, so elderly people who suffer from mental problems like dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease are living longer, with illnesses that can cause forms of behavior that are aggressive, with disorientation, delusions, nursing home wandering and other behavior, leading to harm or resident injury.

A recent Queen’s Medical Center study in Honolulu, Hawaii, found that the number of senior patients with mental illnesses receiving emergency treatment has spiked, with a 30% jump from 2008-2009. Many elderly patients were reportedly brought into the hospital by caregivers or family members who were unable to deal with the severe symptoms of the mental illnesses, and were exhausted or overwhelmed by the caregiving. The study found that emergency room treatment often occurs after many attempts of local placement for the senior.

Continue reading "Psychiatric Report Says U.S. Needs to Prepare for Increase of Elderly Dementia" »

In a recent Talbot County, Maryland nursing home lawyer blog, our attorneys discussed a devastating nursing home wandering case, that was allegedly caused by negligence and resulted in the resident's wrongful death.

Nursing home wandering frequently occurs with residents who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and suffer from confusion and disorientation. It is important for nursing homes to recognize residents who are at-risk for nursing home wandering and falls to prevent patient injury or wrongful death.

In another tragic nursing home wandering case, a home was recently fined over $20,000 after an elderly blind resident with dementia wandered from the Kernersville home and drowned in a puddle around 200 feet away from the facility.

The resident reportedly approached the staff in the home’s lobby three times late in the evening, each time in a disoriented state, wanting someone to take her across the creek to the next county. The staff reportedly took the resident back to her bed each time, where she remained until they did the 2 a.m. bed check.

According to the state investigation, the resident left the building sometime between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The alarm on the door did not turn off, as it had been reportedly deactivated so staff could go outside for smoking breaks. The staff allegedly neglected to turn the alarm back on.

Continue reading "Dementia Patient’s Wandering Leads to Death—Nursing Home Fined $20K for Negligence" »

According to a shocking Miami Herald expose that our Hartford County, Maryland nursing home abuse attorneys have been following, nursing homes throughout Florida are being accused of horrific cases of elder abuse and neglect. The series of articles in the Herald highlight an alleged breakdown in the state’s nursing home enforcement system—leaving thousands of residents in conditions that are both dangerous and decrepit.

The Herald spent a year examining assisted living facilities and found that as the number of homes have increased to accommodate the state’s major elderly population increase, Florida has failed to protect the very people it was meant to safeguard. Although the number of new nursing homes has totaled 550 in the last five years, the state has reportedly dropped necessary home inspections by 33%, allowing homes with the worst abuse and neglect offenses to remain open.

Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration oversees 2,850 facilities, and has allegedly neglected to monitor nursing home operators for abuse or neglect, investigate nursing home reports citing dangerous practices, and shut down the homes with the worst offenders—many of which lack necessary staffing, disregard nursing home regulations and deprive their residents of the most basic needs, like food, water and safety.

The investigation found that nearly once every month, residents die from nursing home abuse and neglect. In one incident, a 75-year-old dementia resident, who was at high risk for nursing home wandering, walked away from the Pinellas County nursing home, and reportedly had his body torn apart by alligators. In another home, a 71-year-old resident with a mental illness was burned so severely from being left in a bathtub that was carelessly filled with scalding hot water, that he died from a result of the burns.

Many nursing homes, according to the article, are also regularly caught using restraints that are against the law, including ropes and powerful tranquilizers. In one assisted living home a 74-year-old woman was bound for over six hours, with restraints allegedly wrapped so painfully tight that the device her tore into her flesh, causing her death.

Continue reading " Florida Nursing Homes Investigated for Severe Abuse and Negligence" »

In a recent Baltimore, Maryland nursing home lawyer blog, our attorneys discussed a shocking case of nursing home abuse, that was only discovered after a family installed a hidden camera after witnessing their terrified mother speak of abuse. What they found was harrowing evidence that their mother, a dementia patient, was being physically and emotionally abused by the nursing facility staff, and even made to stand topless during the assault and harassment.

In related news, the nursing home abuse victim, 78-year-old Lois McCallister is now living with her daughter Mary French and her husband. French has recently come forward, speaking for the first time about the abuse case, and how devastating it was to see her beloved mother be abused and beaten.

Last month, as our Prince George’s County nursing home attorneys reported, three nursing home employees from the home, Quadrangle in Haverford, were arrested, on charges ranging from assault, to negligence and misconduct. Mark Ordan, the Chief Operating Officer of Sunrise Senior Living, Inc., who operates Quadrangle, claims that this nursing home abuse was an isolated incident, and that he has been cooperative with the authorities.

French claims that if Ordan would have been cooperative, the home would have reported the early abuse complaints to the Department of Public Welfare in Pennsylvania. But instead, Sunrise ignored McCallister’s initial complaints of abuse, citing her Alzheimer’s disease as the issue. French plans to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit to change how Sunrise treats future nursing home abuse complaints. French hopes that when the next family reports abuse, Sunrise won’t blame it on dementia.

Continue reading "French Family Plans Lawsuit in Quadrangle 'Nanny Cam' Nursing Home Abuse Case" »

Our Maryland nursing home abuse attorneys have been watching the shocking news development this week of yet another nursing home abuse incident, where 22-year old nursing home worker Samirah Traynham and two co-workers from Delaware County were arrested after being caught abusing a 78-year old patient on a hidden camera.

According to Philly.com, Lois McCallister, a dementia patient of Quadrangle Assisted Living Facility in Haverford, repeatedly told her family that she was being slapped, punched and picked on by the nursing facility staff. The family discussed the nursing home abuse with the home administration, and the home reportedly blamed the claims on McCallister’s dementia, calling the allegations unfounded.

After discovering bruises on McCallister’s hand and wrist on a later visit, the family secretly installed a hidden camera or ‘nanny cam” in a clock, to record McCallister’s treatment at the home.

The video reportedly showed McCallister being hit in the face and head while being dressed, along with other abuse. In another reported video, Traynham and two other workers laughed and mocked the victim’s dementia for 12 minutes while McCallister stood in front of them, with no clothes from the waist up, trying to leave the room. Another employee reportedly danced on McCallister’s bed post like a stripper, or pole-dancer, while one of the other employees tried to pull on McCallister’s ears, knowing they were sensitive from previously having hearing aids.

Traynham was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment, neglect of a person who is care-dependent, recklessly endangering another person, and criminal conspiracy, and according to the assistant district attorney, addition arrests at the home are expected.

Continue reading "Nanny Cam Catches Nursing Home Abuse—Dementia Patient Forced to Stand Topless" »

As our attorneys discussed in a recent Baltimore nursing home abuse blog, elder abuse is a huge and growing problem in the United States, with more than one in ten elders experiencing abuse and only one in five reported every year. According to the U.S. Government, approximately 700,000 to 3.5 million elderly Americans are abused, exploited and neglected in this country every year.

The New York State Department of Health released new documents last week detailing a disturbing nursing home abuse case where employees in Wheatfield nursing home harassed and abused two elderly residents suffering from dementia by placing them in the same bed together and trying to convince them that they were husband and wife—to allegedly spur inappropriate interaction for their own amusement.

According to the report, Gloria Maxwell, an employee of the home, and Alicia Clemens, a certified nursing assistant, placed an elderly female resident who suffers from schizophrenia and mild retardation, into a room occupied by an elderly resident and his actual wife. The elderly man, who suffers from dementia and is reported to be legally blind, is described in the documents as being occasionally prone to sexually inappropriate behavior. By placing the female resident in his bed, Clemens and Maxwell reportedly engaged in nursing home abuse by attempting to convince the two residents that they were married in order to solicit physical interaction—providing sexually provocative commentary, and taking cell phone photographs of the two.

According to the 10-month investigation conducted by the health department, the evidence of the case did not rise to the level of criminal activity, but was considered inappropriate interaction with residents, and the nurses aides were immediately fired and fined after the incident, and are not eligible to work at any other nursing home in the state.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Staff Tries to Initiate Sexual Behavior Between Two Dementia Residents for Amusement " »

As Baltimore County nursing home injury attorneys, we have recently read about yet another nursing home negligence lawsuit filed in Illinois, where a health and rehabilitation center is being sued for failing to properly care for Betty Dressel, a resident suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, who reportedly developed pressure ulcers all over her body while residing at the home that her family claims led to her wrongful death.

Decubitus Ulcers, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores often occur with elderly nursing home residents suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, who are resting in the same position for long periods of time without moving—causing areas on the body to lose circulation, which leads to skin breakdown, a problem that our lawyers recently stated in a Maryland nursing home injury blog, is entirely preventable.

Without proper nursing home staff attention, pressure sores often progress into the four stages of bedsore development, where small sores turn into deep painful craters as a result of skin breakdown, damaging joints and tendons and causing major infections which can lead to personal injury or even death.

The lawsuit claims that Betty Dressel was treated at Cedar Ridge Health Care and Rehab Center with substandard care, and as a result of her deteriorated mental condition, they restrained her to her bed, placing her at a high risk of physical deterioration. According to her daughter, this negligent treatment lead to the development of pressure sores that reportedly formed on Dressel's back, legs, buttocks and feet that became infected, causing sepsis, a potentially fatal infection of the blood.

Continue reading "Daughter Sues Nursing Home for Negligence After Mother Dies from Pressure Sores" »

Our Baltimore County nursing home attorneys were stunned to see the recent details revealed in a nursing home abuse sentence from this month, where two women working at a Tennessee nursing facility were given a two-year prison sentence for engaging in the abuse of elders by taking video and photos of severely disabled residents on a cell phone in degrading and helpless positions.

According to the Knox News Sentinel, two Pigeon Forge Care and Rehabilitation Center nursing assistants, Mary Ann Burgess and April Longmire, 52 and 37, were indicted after the TBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found that the two certified nursing assistants took photos at the center from 2007-2009 that were, according to Judge Richard Vance, the Sevier County Circuit Court Judge, shocking, offensive and reprehensible.

The duties of the two women included changing, dressing and feeding adults in the home who were severely disabled, from mild dementia to severe Alzheimer’s disease. According to the TBI, the photos were discovered after a cell phone was turned in and administrators tried to figure out who the missing phone belonged to. After TBI interviews, it was determined that Longmire was the owner of the phone, who is also stated to be one who instigated taking the photos.

Photos that were taken by Burgess and Longmire reportedly include images of naked elderly residents in helpless positions lying on the floor, in the bathroom, or in their beds, as well as abusive and degrading shots of some residents attempting to eat while food fell from their mouths.

Continue reading "Nursing Assistants Sentenced to 2 Years For Taking Derogatory Photos Of Helpless Residents" »

In a recent blog, our Maryland nursing home attorneys discussed nursing home negligence and the prevalence of pressure sores plaguing elderly and immobile residents in nursing homes across the country, as well as the importance of pressure sore prevention to avoid nursing home injury or wrongful death.

Pressure ulcers commonly develop on areas of the body that are bony and close to the skin, with less padding by muscle and fat. Common areas include the tailbone, heels, hips, ankles, tailbones, shoulder blades, elbows, backs, shoulders as well as the back of the head. With pressure sores, one small inflammation can quickly develop into a deep crater that can be extremely painful, hard to heal, and can cause infections that are life-threatening.

To prevent bedsores, also called pressure sores, or decubitus ulcers, it is important to avoid lying directly on bony areas, as they are prone to pressure sore development. The Mayo Clinic recommends:

• If lying on your side, try lying at a 30-degree angle.
• When lying on your back, always support your legs with a pillow or soft pad from the middle of the calf to the ankle, to increase blood flow.
• Try to keep bony areas like ankles and knees from touching.
• Try and avoid raising the head of the bed more than 30 degrees, as this could cause the resident to slide down and increase friction. If the bed needs to be raised to a high height, pillows or foam wedges should be placed on hips and shoulders to help maintain proper alignment to reduce any rubbing.
• Patients who are lying down should be moved every two hours, and if in a wheel chair, should be manually moved every 15 minutes.
• Try mattresses and wheelchairs that are pressure-reducing.

For elderly or post-surgery residents who are immobile, diet is an essential part of pressure sore prevention and healing, as balanced meals supply the necessary nutrients needed to keep residents healthy. The Mayo Clinic recommends to:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently, to help ensure that residents are getting enough calories, protein, minerals and vitamins.
• Take advantage of times when residents have a hearty appetite, like when they are rested in the morning.
• Limit the amount of fluids given to residents during mealtime. Liquids can prevent a resident from eating higher calorie foods.
• If swallowing is a challenge, pureed foods, shakes and soups with protein can be easier to ensure calorie intake.
• Never rush a resident’s mealtime.

For families who have loved ones in a nursing home or care facility, it is also important to check the resident’s condition with each visit. The resident’s skin condition, weight, and general healthcare should be monitored with each visit, as well as weight. If there are any signs of nursing home neglect, like pressure sores, the nursing staff and doctor should be contacted immediately.

Continue reading "Steps to Prevent Bedsore Development in Nursing Homes" »

In a recent blog, our Washington D.C. nursing home injury lawyers discussed nursing home negligence, and the danger of pressure sores in nursing homes today. Pressure sores, also known as decubitus ulcers or bedsores, affect around one million people across the country with nearly 60,000 people dying each year from complications of the very advanced stages of pressure sores, like osteomyelitis, a bacterial inflammation of the bones, and sepsis, an infection of the blood.

Pressure sores often develop as a result of nursing home negligence, when nursing home residents are immobile, confined to their beds or wheelchairs, have circulation problems, debilitating illnesses, incontinence, diabetes, dementia or other mental disabilities that lead to decreased mobility. When a nursing home resident sits or rests in the same position for long time periods without being moved by the nursing home staff, the circulation of blood to the skin is cut off, leading to the breakdown of skin, and pressure sores can rapidly develop.

There are four stages of pressure sore development, starting with Stage I, where an area of skin becomes red and discolored. In Stage II, the red area develops into a scrape or blister that forms an open sore, which results from the skin deterioration. If the wound is not cared for immediately, the skin continues to breakdown, leading to Stage III, where there is a greater degree of soft tissue loss beneath the surface of the skin, forming a shallow crater. With a Stage IV pressure sore, the crater becomes deeper, in some cases as large as a grapefruit, and the bone and muscle can be severely damaged, as well as joints and tendons. There is serious pain and depression associated with Stage IV pressure sores, and the deep craters can lead to life-threatening infections like osteomyelitis or sepsis, that can lead to nursing home injury or wrongful death.

As our nursing home attorneys in Washington D.C. discussed in a related blog, pressure sores are preventable, and at-risk residents should receive daily skin inspections for pressure sores, especially the bony areas of the body. Every two hours, bedridden residents should have their positions changed to relieve pressure on the skin, and every 15 minutes while sitting in a wheelchair. Residents should also have their skin protected from dampness caused by wound drainage, sweat, or incontinence. Some residents may benefit from a mattress or pad to relieve pressure on the skin, along with other technology designed to prevent pressure sores and nursing home injury. All nursing home residents should be also be given a healthy diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals to assist in pressure sore prevention and healing.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Negligence—The Four Stages of Pressure Sore Development" »

In recent news that our nursing home injury attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland have been following, the wife of a nursing home resident who died last year after suffering from multiple nursing home falls as well as an infected pressure sore, has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois nursing home, seeking more than $50,000 in damages for nursing home negligence.

According to the lawsuit, Ralph Shafer was admitted to the nursing home in September of 2007, after suffering from two strokes, with signs of hypertension, dementia, and diabetes, among other health concerns. Shafer, who was 87 at the time, was reportedly at risk for nursing home falls, and according to Shafer’s wife, the nursing home facility failed to prevent his frequent falls. One tragic fall in 2008 led to a massive nursing home injury, where Shafer broke his hip and required surgery.

Shafer’s wife is also accusing the nursing home of failing to prevent the infection of a pressure sore on Shafer’s ankle, that reportedly developed as a result of his diabetes. Shafer died in April of 2009 from gangrene and osteomyelitis at the site of the wound, as well as complications from advanced dementia.

Osteomyelitis is a bacterial inflammation of the bones, that can develop when a Stage IV pressure sore causes severe damage to the skin, muscle and bone. As our Maryland nursing home injury lawyers discussed in a related blog, if a nursing home resident is bedridden, in a wheelchair, immobile with diabetes, has circulation issues or mental disabilities, and incontinence, the residents should be checked daily for pressure sores, and moved every two hours to relieve pressure and prevent skin breakdown that leads to pressure sores. The primary goal of pressure sore treatment is preventing them before they start.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Sued For Failing to Prevent Resident’s Death from Pressure Sores, Falls" »

Our Baltimore nursing home injury attorneys have been following a recent lawsuit filed by the children of well-known Hollywood film and television actor Gene Barry, who allege that a nursing home neglected to monitor the actor’s health after he suffered a tragic nursing home fall, which led to his death.

Barry was reportedly admitted to Sunrise of Woodland Hills nursing home in stable condition in June of 2009 at the age of 90, even though the home was not equipped to properly care for the actor’s health needs, as he suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Barry’s children allege that their father suffered a devastating nursing home fall at the facility in December of 2009, that left him with major head injuries, brain damage, broken ribs, and an injury to his hip. The lawsuit claims that after Barry’s fall, the nursing home failed to notify a doctor and Barry’s children, and for four days he was neglected while he suffered in great pain. According to Barry’s family, this nursing home fall caused his wrongful death.

Barry’s children state that the nursing home staff, management and corporate officers are liable for nursing home negligence, elder abuse, wrongful death and nursing home fraud, in relation to the tragic incidents that led to Barry’s death. The suit claims that Barry was not properly assessed during the pre-admission process in the home, and the facility staff and management reportedly falsely represented the home to Barry’s children—as Barry was promised a nursing home environment filled with a proper standard of care that he was legally entitled to. The complaint alleges that the facility fell short of this promise, and was not equipped to handle Barry’s needs.

Continue reading "Children of Hollywood Actor Gene Barry Sue Nursing Home for Elder Abuse and Negligence" »

In a recent wrongful death and negligence lawsuit settlement, the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has agreed to pay the family of a retired Philadelphia police officer and Korean war veteran $250,000, after the elderly man wandered unsupervised from the state veterans nursing home and froze to death.

According to an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, that our Baltimore nursing home negligence attorneys have been following, Chapman was 75-years-old, and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. On December 31, 2007, Chapman reportedly wandered away from the home wearing his pajamas, to the outside cold that fell below freezing that night. The surveillance camera recorded Chapman’s exit, where he walked right by the security staff, and was unnoticed by the staff.

Chapman’s daughter alleged in the lawsuit that the workers were negligent in their duties and distracted because of the home's plans for a New Year’s party. Chapman’s wandering was reportedly not noticed for two hours, even though it was their duty to monitor him. Chapman’s body was found the next morning, and according to his widow, it was only a few hundred yards from them home. The cause of death was ruled as hypothermia by the autopsy.

In an inspection report that came from the state Health Department, the home was cited for failing to take timely action, that resulted in harm and death to the veterans home resident. After the incident, records reportedly show that several of the veterans home staff were suspended or received reprimand. According to agency officials, procedures have been put into place to prevent a recurrence of this type of tragedy. The settlement agreement will reportedly be given to Chapman’s daughters, and to the family’s estate.

Continue reading "Negligence Lawsuit Settlement Reached—Home Sued After Wandering Veteran Froze to Death" »

As nursing home abuse attorneys in Baltimore, Maryland, we recently reported in a blog on a series of lawsuits against Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea, Minnesota, by families of a nursing home abuse victims—after an investigation revealed nearly half a year of alleged nursing home abuse in 2008.

A recent article from the Argus Leader reports that yet another lawsuit has been filed against the nursing home in the U.S. District Court of South Dakota, as the Evangelical Good Samaritan Society’s corporate offices are based in South Dakota. In Minnesota, civil suits reportedly die with the abuse victim, but the abuse and assault claims are still open for South Dakota litigation.

According to the lawsuit, Sylvia Wulff, now deceased, was one of the victims of the alleged nursing home abuse in Good Samaritan Society's facility. Wulff’s family reportedly filed the lawsuit on September 29 in Sioux Falls, claiming that the company failed to monitor the staff, and properly screen the employees. Wulff is the sixth deceased victim who has had a lawsuit filed in South Dakota.

Brianna Broitzman and Ashton Larson were charged earlier this year with civil assault, disorderly conduct by a caregiver, abuse of vulnerable elders, and failure to report abuse, among other charges. In August, Briotzman pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct by a caregiver. Four other women, who were teenagers at the time, were reportedly charged in the case as juveniles with failure to report abuse.

According to the investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health, Larson and Broitzman were found to have allegedly encouraged young staff members at the facility to routinely abuse fifteen dementia and Alzheimer’s nursing home residents in a sexual, emotional, and physical way, while videotaping the abuse.

Continue reading "Another Minnesota Family Files Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit in South Dakota" »

In a related blog, our Baltimore nursing home injury attorneys discussed the use of chemical restraints in nursing homes, and the recent indictment of a registered nurse from Britthaven of Chapel Hill Nursing Home, after a nursing home resident died from a morphine overdose. The nurse, 44-year-old Angela Almore was charged last month with one count of second-degree murder, and six counts of felony resident abuse, for over-medicating residents with morphine, that allegedly caused hospitalization and wrongful death.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that they are recommending that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should fine Britthaven nursing home the maximum allowed fine by federal law, $20,000.

The nearly 100-page report based on the investigation performed by the North Carolina Nursing Home Licensure and Certificate Section reportedly revealed details of patient lethargy and altered states with the residents who tested positive for opiates.

The Herald-Sun reports that further investigation from the toxicology reports indicate that 14 residents out of 29 in the Alzheimer’s wing at Britthaven tested positive for opiates in February. Not one of these patients had prescriptions for opiate medication. Rachel Holliday, an 84-year old resident, and one of the hospitalized patients with high levels of morphine in her system, died on February 16, 2010 from pneumonia due to reported morphine toxicity.

Britthaven was reportedly investigated after patients were hospitalized from the Alzheimer’s wing of the nursing home, which lead to the discovery of opiates in their blood. A criminal investigation was launched in February by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit, and The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), to investigate for nursing home abuse or neglect, over-medication, or chemical restraint in an effort to make the nursing home residents more manageable.

Continue reading " Report Recommends CMS to Fine Britthaven Nursing Home for Wrongful Death" »

In yesterday’s blog, our attorneys discussed the prevalence of pressure sores in nursing homes and assisted living residences, that often result in injury or wrongful death.

In a recent wrongful death lawsuit, the family of Frances Graham, a former 81-year old resident of an assisted living home in San Leandro, California, is suing Graham’s doctor, as well as the assisted living home, after Graham suffered from nursing home violence and devastating pressure sores all over her body, some reportedly as large as a baseballs—that lead to her tragic death. Graham’s family is also suing the nonprofit responsible for her care, the Center for Elders Independence, claiming that they put profits over her nursing home health and safety.

According to the suit, Graham was kept at the Andrew Elijah residential care home even though laws require that Alzheimer’s patients are cared for by a nursing staff that is skilled for such illnesses. Graham reportedly shared a room with a 72-year old dementia patient, who in June of last year, was found attacking Graham with a plastic hair pick. Graham suffered dozens of cuts on her body, and her left eye was bleeding and also bruised. Graham was reportedly treated by a doctor, and sent back to the Andrew Elijah home and put in a room that was private.

Graham’s son claims that soon after, Graham was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia, where a doctor discovered multiple bedsores on her body, so many that the doctors wrote in the notes that they weren’t sure that they even seen them all. The worst sore was allegedly a 4-inch hole that had eaten down to the tendons and smelled horribly. The doctor also found her to be anemic and dehydrated. Graham was moved to another health care center, and died two days later.

Continue reading "The Prevalence of Pressure Sores—Family Sues Assisted Living Home for Negligence" »

In recent news that our Maryland Nursing Home Injury Attorneys have been following, an assisted-living facility in Rochester, Minnesota is being sued for negligence, wrongful death and medical malpractice, after a resident with dementia was allegedly assaulted and died.

According to the civil lawsuit, Donald R. Salli, 78, was assaulted by another resident in September of last year. The complaint claims that Salli was found by the staff at Sunrise Cottages on the floor on September 19th, with a resident assaulting him. Salli allegedly had a large hematoma on his head, as well as a red area from where he had been kicked in the back. He was reportedly not evaluated by a licensed nurse until seven hours after the attack.

The lawsuit also claims that the next day, Salli was found on the floor of his cottage apartment by three staff members, crying and in a great amount of pain, and was unable to walk on his own. He was documented as being unresponsive, sleeping through the day, was unable to stand or communicate, and yelled in pain when his back was touched.

After Salli’s daughter, Elizabeth Pulsifer, asked that Salli be sent to the emergency room, they discovered that he had suffered a fractured skull with internal bleeding and three ribs were fractured. He reportedly remained in the intensive care unit until he was transferred to hospice care, where he died on October 7, from a brain injury. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, neglect was the direct cause of his demise and they cited the facility for negligence.

Continue reading "Resident Assault Leads to Wrongful Death Lawsuit" »

In recent blog, our Baltimore, Maryland Nursing Home Attorneys discussed the topic of chemical restraints, in regard to a February case, where Britthaven of Chapel Hill Nursing Home was investigated by local and state authorities after Alzheimer’s patients tested positive for opiates that had not been prescribed to them.

This month, Angela Almore, a 44-year old registered nurse, was indicted in the case, on one count of second-degree murder in relation to the death of Rachel Holliday, a resident of the nursing home who died after being given a heavy dose of morphine. Almore was also charged with six counts of felony resident abuse, related to administering morphine to several patients of the nursing home, causing hospitalization.

The investigation reportedly began after a few patients from the Alzheimer’s wing of the nursing home were hospitalized for odd behavior, which led to the discovery of opiates in their blood. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit, with the Orange County District Attorney, launched a criminal investigation of the nursing home in February to determine if the patients were being over-medicated, abused or neglected, or being subjected to chemical restraint.

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office claims that after testing, nine out of over twenty-five Alzheimer’s patients at the nursing home tested positive for opiates in February. Holliday, one of the hospitalized patients with high levels of morphine in her system, died on February 16, 2010.

Continue reading " Nurse Indicted for Chemical Restraint Leading to Nursing Home Resident’s Death" »

A wrongful death lawsuit has recently been brought against Brandon Woods of Dartmouth nursing home, by the family of Elizabeth W. Barrow, a 100-year old resident of the facility who was allegedly strangled to death last year by her roommate, who was 98-years old.

Barrow reportedly shared a room with Laura Lundquist, a 98-year old who has been diagnosed with having dementia and paranoia. According to Barrow’s son Scott, Lundquist allegedly harassed his mother for weeks, making her life miserable because she was jealous of all the attention that Barrow received, as well as the window view. Scott Barrow reportedly asked for the women to be separated, but according to the director of the home, Scott Picone, Barrow declined the option of moving rooms. Picone said the two roommates acted like “sisters” and took walks together.

On September 24th of last year, Elizabeth Barrow was reportedly strangled to death in her bed with a plastic bad. The autopsy revealed that she died by means of asphyxiation, but also received blunt force trauma to her arms, leg, skull and chest. Lundquist has been charged with the murder.

The lawsuit claims that the nursing home staff and executive director were negligent, as they were responsible for providing his mother with a safe environment, and they failed. He claims that as a result of the nursing home’s carelessness and negligence, Barrow was forced to suffer consciously until the time of her death.

Continue reading "Family of 100-year old Nursing Home Resident files Wrongful Death Suit Against Home" »

In a recent blog, our Baltimore, Maryland Nursing Home Attorneys discussed a new Maryland initiative, led by the Maryland Patient Safety Center (MPSC), to reduce the number of nursing home resident falls that can result in nursing home injury and deaths throughout the country.

According to the CDC, more than 1,800 people die in nursing home falls every year. In 2003, 1.5 million people over the age of 65 reportedly lived in nursing homes. The CDC projects that if this rate continues to rise, by 2030, there will be around 3 million nursing home residents—so understanding and evaluating nursing home falls and ways of preventing them is necessary for the health and safety of nursing home residents, to prevent nursing home injury and wrongful death.

Nursing home falls can be linked to the result of many health problems, including older residents who are weak, have difficulty caring for themselves or have difficulty walking, have chronic health conditions, or residents who have memory problems like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Among the most common causes of nursing home falls are muscle weaknesses and walking problems, leading to 24% of falls. Environmental hazards like wet floors, poorly fitted wheelchairs, bad lighting, or improper bed heights, have also lead to a reported 16-27% of nursing home falls. Medications can also increase the risk of falls, especially if a patient is taking drugs that affect the nervous system, like sedatives or anti-anxiety drugs. Physical restraints, the controversial method used to try and keep residents from falling, can actually increase the risk of fall-related injuries and wrongful deaths.

Nursing home falls can also be caused by poorly trained staff, understaffing, or by using incorrect or outdated equipment to transfer or transport nursing home residents properly.

Continue reading "CDC Guide to Nursing Home Fall Prevention" »

As Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys, we have been following a recent story from the Dallas Morning News, covering nursing home abuse incidents and allegations surrounding seven veterans nursing homes in Texas that are state-owned.

According to the article, regulators have repeatedly found abuse and neglect problems in the Texas homes, which are open to veterans and their spouses who are Texas residents, and did not receive dishonorable discharge.

One of the homes with nursing home abuse incidents was at the Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez State Home for veterans in Big Springs, where John Harris, a 97-year old World war II veteran lived before he died in 2007. A nurse aide reported that she witnessed a colleague grab the resident from his wheelchair and shove him so aggressively into the bed that he was hospitalized that night complaining of pain in his hip. In another incident from the same year, Albert Teague, a Marine who had once served at Iwo Jima reportedly experienced nursing home violence, when an employee allegedly punched and choked at the home.

The article states the criminal investigation into these two cases was drawn out because of a bureaucratic jumble over who should perform the investigation—home administrators, local police, or state officials. Last month, felony charges were finally filed against the former employees.

Continue reading "Investigations of Elder Abuse at State Veterans Home" »

In a recent blog, our Maryland Accident Attorneys discussed the topic of whether bed rails in Maryland nursing homes are a potential health hazard, or whether they protect the health and safety of residents.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.), nearly 2.5 million nursing home and hospital beds are currently used in this country. In an F.D.A. study, from 1985 to 2008, there have reportedly been 772 incidents where hospital and nursing home patients have been trapped, stuck, or strangled in beds that had rails. Out of this number, 176 were saved by the staff before experiencing injury, 136 experienced personal injuries that were nonfatal, and 460 patients died.

Bedrails are designed to aid in helping patients pull themselves up, turn into a different positions in the bed, provide a feeling of security, and keep patients who are frail, or who have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s safe from harm, such as falling, or rolling out of bed.

Unfortunately these very patients often get trapped or stuck in the space between the mattress and the bedrails, causing personal injury, strangulation, suffocating, and wrongful death, which can result in a Maryland personal injury lawsuit. Bedrail injuries can often result in nursing home falls, when a patient attempts to climb over the rails, bruising or scrapes to the skin, as well as a feeling of restriction, and agitated behavior from being restrained.

Continue reading "F.D.A. Bed Rail Safety Guidelines for Maryland Nursing Homes" »

As Washington D.C. area nursing home lawyers, we have been following a recent lawsuit settlement, where a 94-year resident who lived in a convalescent home in Santa Clarita, California was awarded 12.5 million by a jury in punitive and compensatory damages for enduring nursing home abuse and sexual assault.

According to the lawsuit, Sophie Schwartz, a resident at Oakdale Heights facility who has dementia, was sexually assaulted by Jose Vazquez in her room on December 16, 2007. Vazquez was a dietary aid working at the facility, and was hired by Oakdale Heights Management Corporation, although he was allegedly an illegal immigrant.

The jury ruled that the corporation falsified certain documents relating to employment when hiring Vazquez, and also violated many California state laws that govern the quality of care for dementia residents in nursing homes that can lead to resident neglect, poor supervision, negligent in hiring practices and understaffing.

Vazquez allegedly had keys that gave him access to all of the resident’s room. According to the suit, his background check was not valid before being hired, and he had no training on how to deal with residents who were elderly. Vazquez was admittedly drunk at the time, and he claimed that he and other workers often drank on the job.

Continue reading "94-Year Old Sexual Assault Victim in Nursing Home Receives $12.5 Million" »

In recent national news that our Maryland-based Nursing Home Attorneys have been following, two nursing homes have settled in a wrongful death lawsuit, after the family of a resident sued the homes for not providing adequate care, and acting with nursing home negligence.

In the lawsuit, the family members of Ralph Seewald claimed that both Riverside Health Care Center and Village Health Care Center failed to provide proper care for the late-87-year old resident during his stay at the homes before his death in November 2005.

According to the suit, Seewald entered the Riverside Health Care Center in December 2004, with slight symptoms of dementia, and the plan for his care required two nursing home attendants to use a safety gain belt to assist him with all lifting and transfers to and from the wheelchair. Seewald was reportedly often transferred from the wheelchair by only one attendant with no gain belt, which reportedly lead to numerous falls.

Seewald allegedly suffered a fall while being transferred by only one attendant without a gain belt, from his wheelchair to the toilet on May 23, 2005, and broke his neck—leaving him bound to his bed. While immobile and bedridden, he developed serious decubitus ulcers, or pressure sores, that progressed rapidly during a few months, and led to a case of gangrene in his leg that allegedly caused his wrongful death.

Continue reading "Pressure Sores Lead to Wrongful Death—Nursing Homes Settles Suit with Family" »

As nursing home attorneys in the state of Maryland and the Washington D.C. area, we have been following the recent Britthaven of Chapel Hill Nursing Home investigation where Alzheimer’s patients have tested positive for serious pain-management prescription drugs that weren’t prescribed for them, and that they weren’t supposed to be receiving.

According to a recent news article, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Unit have launched a criminal investigation of the nursing home to determine if the patients were being over-medicated, abused or neglected, or being subjected to chemical restraint.

The investigation began after three Alzheimer’s patients from the nursing home were taken to local hospitals after nursing home staff claimed the patients were acting in an unusual manner. The hospital officials contacted the police, and the state Department of Health and Human Services, and officials from Britthaven after their blood tests showed strong drugs in their system that were not prescribed to them as patients.

The nursing home officials then reportedly tested all of the nearly 25 residents in the Alzheimer’s unit for drugs. Six of these patients tested positively for opiates, the drugs often used for pain management. Three of the patients were subsequently hospitalized, one of which died two days later.

Continue reading "State Investigates Nursing Home for Possible Negligence and Chemical Restraint" »

Our Maryland Nursing Home Attorneys have been following the recent story about a New York nursing home that is hoping to use new Israeli devices that can reportedly track wandering nursing home patients to maintain resident health and safety, and prevent nursing home falls or injury.

According to the article, the Hebrew Home, a prominent nursing home in New York, has been awarded a special legislation by New York State to try a new healthcare project, as part of the Managed Long-Term Care of the state.

The goal of the Hebrew Home’s CEO, Dan Reingold is to work with cutting edge technology companies and government officials in Israel to utilize innovative technologies, to find ways to maintain the health and safety of the residents, provide quality care, reduce nursing home falls with frail patients or patients experiencing dementia, and at the same time, cut nursing home costs. Reingold claims that the medical technology in Israel is far more advanced than technologies in the United States.

Some of the new technologies that are being developed focus on monitoring patients with devices that can keep track of how much time a person spends in bed, as well as monitoring patients who have a tendency to wander, and are at risk for falls or nursing home injury.

Continue reading "NY Nursing Home Looks to Israel Technology to Stop Resident Wandering and Falls" »

In yesterday’s blog, our Maryland Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys discussed the complaint filed last week by the U.S. Justice Department against Johnson & Johnson, for allegedly paying millions of dollars in kickback payments Omnicare, the largest pharmacy in the country, to increase sales of antipsychotic prescription drugs given to nursing home patients. According to the complaint, Omnicare was allegedly persuading physicians to prescribe drugs like the antipsychotic Risperdal for patients with dementia, even though the Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for dementia treatment.

In 1987, Congress passed landmark laws protecting patients from unnecessary drugs, and, according to these regulations, nursing home residents have the right to be protected from chemical restraints and medication for the sake of convenience or discipline to nursing home staff or doctors. It is illegal for facilities to give strong psychotropic drugs to patients without a doctor’s orders, patient’s consent and treatment justification, as patients may experience dangerous side effects like tremors, severe lethargy, nursing home falls, and wrongful death.

The Department of Health and Human Services states that nursing homes are required to have an outside pharmacist consult and review a patient’s medication schedule at least once a month. Once the outside pharmacist checks with the patient, they are obligated to report any oddities in the prescription drug schedule with the physician, and are able to make recommendations on how they would alter the medicine plan. But according to the complaint by the government, Johnson & Johnson used the consultant pharmacists as a tool to increase market share—dissolving the trust and integrity that should be a cornerstone for the health and safety of nursing home residents.

The New York Times reported this is not the first time that a drug company has been charged for using antipsychotic prescriptions to drug elderly residents. Eli Lilly pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor last January in a nearly $1.5 billion settlement of criminal and civil charges that the pharmaceutical company had marketed Zyprexa, the antipsychotic drug for the treatment of dementia with elderly people. Omnicare and Johnson & Johnson were reportedly trying to compete against AstraZenica’s antipsychotics, by increasing market share for Risperdal.

Continue reading " Nursing Home Residents Allegedly Drugged for Pharmacy Gain" »

In a recent nursing home injury blog, our Maryland-based attorneys discussed the epidemic of unnecessary drugging and chemical restraints going on in nursing homes, that can cause nursing home injury and threaten the lives of elderly residents.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department filed a civil False Claims Act complaint against the drug giant Johnson & Johnson, for allegedly paying millions of dollars in kickback payments to a pharmacy company, in order to boost sales of antipsychotic prescription drugs for nursing home patients—drugs that can be used as chemical restraints with residents, that patients may or may not need.

The complaint alleges that from 1999—2004, pharmacists from Omnicare, the nation’s largest pharmacy, worked intensively to persuade physicians to prescribe Johnson & Johnson drugs in nursing homes, including the antipsychotic drug Risperdal, in exchange for kickback payments. The kickbacks were reportedly delivered to Omnicare in the form of rebates, grants, or educational funding.

Johnson & Johnson reportedly turned to Omnicare to increase the building of market share, knowing that physicians accepted advice on drugs from Omnicare pharmacists more than 80% of the time, and they were seen as an extension of the Johnson & Johnson workforce. The nursing home residents allegedly included people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Continue reading "Johnson & Johnson Accused of Pharmacy Kickbacks" »

Our attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen, LLC, have recently read a study on nursing home residents with advanced dementia, published in the October 15, 2009, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. According to the report, dementia is not just a disease of the mind, it is a physical illness as well—a leading cause of death in this country, and should be recognized as a terminal illness that requires high quality palliative care.

The report, led by Dr. Susan L. Mitchell from the Hebrew Senior Life Institute for Aging Research in Boston, studied 323 nursing home residents with advanced dementia and their families, in 22 different homes over a period of 18 months. The goal was to better understand the clinical complications of dementia and the families’ comprehension of the dementia prognosis, in order to make the right decisions in patient placement—reducing pain, suffering and nursing home injury and neglect in the final stages of life.

Patients with advanced dementia experience severe memory loss, have difficulty speaking, are restricted to the bed, and are totally dependent on others for care. The report argues that because dementia is consistently not recognized as a terminal illness, patients with advanced dementia are not being diagnosed as high risk for death, and are receiving poor palliative or nursing home care.

Mitchell argues that families need to clearly understand the prognosis of advanced dementia as a terminal illness, and the complications to expect, so patients can receive proper advanced care—like access to a high quality hospice, or improved skilled nursing home services. The goal, states the report, is to avoid patient suffering and pain, as well as nursing home negligence, due to lack of skilled nursing home services and supervision.

Continue reading "Advanced Dementia and Nursing Home Error" »