A home healthcare service provider based in Columbia, Maryland, Maxim Healthcare Services, Inc., has entered into settlement agreements with the federal government and several state governments to resolve allegations of fraudulent reimbursement claims. The federal case, which involved both civil and criminal complaints, accused the company of defrauding public programs…
Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Allegations of Illegal Pharmaceutical Marketing Rarely Lead to Penalties for Doctors
A recent review by the Washington Post of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies shows that drug manufacturers pay billions in settlements and criminal penalties for irregular and illegal marketing of prescription medications. Doctors who participate in the marketing schemes, usually by accepting kickbacks for prescribing particular drugs, however, rarely if ever…
October is Long-term Care Residents’ Rights Month in Maryland and around the Country
October is Long-term Care Residents’ Rights Month, a time to celebrate the rights and dignity of people living in nursing homes. Thanks to strong legislation and regulations, nursing home residents have a legal guarantee of certain protections against abuse and neglect. Residents do not give up their rights as adult…
Investigation Finds New York Caregivers for Mentally Disabled Rarely Lose Their Jobs, Even in Cases of Wrongdoing
A study conducted by the Poughkeepsie Journal has found that the state of New York has only succeeded twice in twenty attempts since 2007 to fire employees at local state-run facilities that care for the developmentally disabled. The Journal reviewed 1,900 pages of documents relating to disciplinary proceedings for 98…
Indictments Issued in Two Separate Maryland Nursing Home Assault Cases
Two recent incidents involving assaults on Maryland nursing home residents have led to indictments for abuse and assault. The incidents occurred in different facilities in nearby towns, but both involve nursing home employees allegedly assaulting vulnerable residents. The cases demonstrate the importance of vigilantly protecting the rights of nursing home…
Pressure Mounts to Reduce Use of Antipsychotics in Dementia Patients
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…
“Granny Cam” Technology May Be Effective at Deterring Nursing Home Abuse
The use of surveillance cameras to monitor treatment of elderly patients by nursing home staff, sometimes known as “granny cams,” is becoming more and more common in Maryland and around the country. While granny cams raise some concerns about the privacy rights of the patients, they have proven to be…
Flu Vaccination of Nursing Home Staff Linked to Decline in Patient Flu Outbreaks
A study has identified a link between increasing rates of influenza vaccination among nursing home staff and decreasing rate of flu infection among patients. The study, which looked at 75 New Mexico nursing homes, found an 87% decrease in the likelihood of a flu outbreak in facilities where 51% to…
Maryland Nursing Director Faces Prescription Fraud Charges
A nursing director at a Maryland nursing home faces charges of forging signatures on prescription slips and attempting to obtain oxycodone at an area pharmacy. On August 24, 2011, Maryland State Police arrested Pamela Brittingham Quillen, nursing director of Manokin Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Princess Anne, and charged…
Former Schoolteacher Sues Nursing Home For Elder Abuse
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…