Articles Posted in Nursing Home Abuse

It can be an incredibly difficult decision to trust the care of your loved ones in a care facility. Entering into the process is always easier when you know you can trust the staff members at a facility. As people age, it can sometimes be necessary to consider nursing homes and other care facilities as an option. An unfortunate reality in the nursing home business is that understaffing has led to a string of elder abuse throughout the nation. A recent news article detailed the culmination of a four-week inspection of a nursing home following allegations of abuse and one death.

What Should I Do if I Suspect Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?

In Maryland, the appropriate program to contact if you suspect your family member or loved one is suffering from abuse is the Maryland Adult Protective Services (APS). APS investigates the exploitation and abuse of adults and elderly individuals throughout the state, including physical, mental, emotional, and financial abuse. Common signs of abuse include unexplained bruising, burning, scarring, depression, confusion, or dramatic changes in spending habits. Simply staying in close contact with your family member or loved one can tip you off to these common symptoms and could potentially save lives. It is important to remember that abuse can be perpetrated by a loved one, caregivers, or staff at a nursing home facility.

According to a recent news piece, an eastern Iowa nursing home has been cited for numerous instances of resident abuse and for contributing to the death of a resident. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) recently completed a four-week inspection of Parkview Manor in Wellman and cited the nursing home facility for 24 state and federal regulatory violations, an extremely high number. The state agency proposed $35,750 in fines but is holding those fines in suspension while the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determine whether to impose federal penalties for the violations. State records indicate that at the time of the inspection, DIAL had a backlog of 16 uninvestigated complaints involving the nursing home. Of the 24 violations, issues range from allegations of medication errors to failure to manage residents’ pain, and failure to provide sufficient nursing staff. One of the incidents investigated by inspectors was regarding a death in the facility that occurred in September.

It can be an incredibly difficult decision to trust the care of your loved ones in a care facility. Entering into the process is always easier when you know you can trust the staff members at a facility. As people age, it can sometimes be necessary to consider nursing homes and other care facilities as an option. An unfortunate reality in the nursing home business is that understaffing has led to a string of elder abuse throughout the nation. A recent news article detailed an elder abuse event.

According to a recent news piece, an employee at a Youngstown nursing home is charged with patient abuse after accusations that he verbally abused multiple patients and splashed one of them with a water hose. According to the police report, officers were dispatched to the Gateways to Better Living nursing home on August 31 regarding a staff member who was being “aggressive” with patients. Police spoke to the overseeing director at Gateway who told the officers that the staff member was acting “verbally aggressive” towards two patients. The director then told the officers that the employee had splashed the patients with a water hose while they were in the shower. The police report described all the patients as bedridden and disabled, in need of constant care.

Who Can You Contact in Maryland if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse?

In Maryland, the appropriate program to contact if you suspect your family member or loved one is suffering from abuse is the Maryland Adult Protective Services (APS). APS investigates the exploitation and abuse of adults and elderly individuals throughout the state, including physical, mental, emotional, and financial abuse. Common signs of abuse include unexplained bruising, burning, scarring, depression, confusion, or dramatic changes in spending habits. Simply staying in close contact with your family member or loved one can tip you off to these common symptoms and could potentially save lives. It is important to remember that abuse can be perpetrated by a loved one, caregivers, or staff at a nursing home facility.

Why Does Nursing Home Abuse Go Largely Unreported?

There is an inherent power balance between residents and staff in nursing homes. Staff members are in charge of feeding, treating, and caring for residents, often making residents fully or largely reliant on staff members. That imbalance can result in a hesitation to report or take action when abuses are occurring. Additionally, many residents may have trouble directly or clearly communicating their experiences. As a result, it often falls to visitors and loved ones to advocate for them when things go wrong. It is extremely important to take a resident seriously if they disclose or report instances of nursing home neglect or abuse.

A new report by the Long Term Care Community Coalition, titled “They Make You Pay,” the coalition details the pervasive impact the fear of retaliation has on the entire nursing home resident community. The report detailed instances of residents being denied medicine, food, and even physical abuse such as beatings. The title of the project was inspired by a survey report that detailed how the residents of a nursing home in Florida chose not to report or file grievances related to poor care by staff due to fears of retaliation. During an interview with a surveyor for the report, a resident said she did not file a grievance regarding her poor treatment “because they get back at you . . . They are watching even now to see which rooms you go to and listen to what you ask.” The resident then asked the surveyor to leave and return at a later time because staff members were lingering at her door.

Choosing the right care facility or nursing home for a family member is a stressful and complicated process. It is vital to know that our most vulnerable loved ones are being placed in a caring, comfortable, and safe environment. Unfortunately, recent events have left many nursing and care homes with staffing shortages, training deficiencies, and a lack of supplies. When nursing homes fail to meet the basic requirements of care for residents or worse, they must be held accountable.

How Many Nursing Home Complaints Are There Each Year in the US?

In 2020, Nursing Home Abuse Justice, an advocacy organization for nursing home abuse, found that over 15,000 complaints filed with nursing home ombudsmen were about abuse or neglect. Maryland is sadly no exception to this trend. If you have a loved one or family member in a nursing or long-term care facility, you must recognize the signs of neglect or abuse and report them promptly to the relevant authorities in order to hold the perpetrators accountable. Signs of abuse range from unexplained bruising to the sudden onset of depression and confusion, or dramatic changes in spending habits. It is important to remember that abuse can be perpetrated by a loved one, caregivers, and staff at a nursing home facility.

According to recent local news reporting, a Charlotte nursing home is under investigation after a family claims their loved one was neglected, abused, and later died. The patient was rushed to a hospital from the nursing home suffering from malnutrition and neglect. Several days later, the patient died from pneumonia, septic shock, and aggressive dementia. According to the hospital, he should not have been in his condition of health coming from a care facility. The hospital also noted that there were very clear signs of abuse and neglect, and the hospital reported the facility to Mecklenburg County.

The State of New York has unveiled a distressing lawsuit that exposes the grim reality of nursing homes’ misuse of taxpayer money and the horrific consequences it has on the elderly. The case sheds light on the heart-wrenching mistreatment faced by vulnerable residents at four nursing homes in New York, owned and operated by a profitable corporate entity. The ordeal endured by these individuals emphasizes the need for strong legal representation to combat such atrocities and seek justice for the victims.

According to the facts discussed in a recently released news article, the owners, operators, and landlords of four nursing homes in New York allegedly diverted more than $83 million in Medicare and Medicaid funds away from the essential care of their residents. As a result, the elderly individuals entrusted to their care faced unimaginable suffering, including neglect, humiliation, and even death. The lawsuit highlights instances of severe dehydration, malnutrition, untreated bed sores leading to infections and sepsis, as well as life-altering injuries caused by preventable falls.

This lawsuit highlights the critical importance of robust oversight and accountability in the nursing home industry. The accused nursing homes have reportedly been associated with such negligence for years. The lawsuit draws attention to the fact that these horrors were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their existence predates the outbreak. This demonstrates that addressing the inadequacies and misconduct within nursing homes is an ongoing battle that requires persistent effort and legal intervention.

Choosing the right care facility or nursing home for a family member is a stressful and complicated process. It is vital to know that our most vulnerable loved ones are being placed in a caring, comfortable, and safe environment. Unfortunately, recent events have left many nursing and care homes with staffing shortages, training deficiencies, and a lack of supplies. When nursing homes fail to meet the basic requirements of care for residents or worse, they must be held accountable.

According to recent local news reporting, the care facility Pruitt Health in Lilburn has recently been under investigation for allegations of abuse. Adult protective services investigations in Georgia are confidential and closed, but police records indicate that officers in Lilburn have investigated at least three recent allegations of abuse at the facility. The reporting detailed multiple patients alleging abuse at Pruitt Health.

One patient, who is at the facility to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation following a truck accident that left him largely paralyzed, accused Pruitt of failing to provide any physical therapy for him. Following eight months in the hospital, he arrived at Pruitt Health, he said he’s since reported several instances of alleged abuse and neglect to his ombudsman, a government-appointed advocate tasked with investigating complaints. The patient stated that he’s been left sitting in his feces and urine for seven to eight hours at a time, he’s been verbally abused, and often has food shoved down his mouth. The resident states that he now suffers from anxiety attacks. Another patient at Pruitt had significant facial bruising when interviewed, while another suffered a broken shoulder while leaving their bed. A fourth patient alleged being raped at the facility.

There is an inherent power balance between residents and staff in nursing homes. Staff members are in charge of feeding, treating, and caring for residents, often making residents fully or largely reliant on staff members. That imbalance can result in a hesitation to report or take action when abuses are occurring. Additionally, many residents may have trouble directly or clearly communicating their experiences. As a result, it often falls to visitors and loved ones to advocate for them when things go wrong. It is extremely important to take a resident seriously if they disclose or report instances of nursing home neglect or abuse.

A recent survey by the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a nonprofit organization that advocates for residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, examined 100 complaints by nursing home residents across the country. One of the biggest issues, the report found, was that residents rely so much on staff members, that any perceived issues could be met with retaliation, big or small. For many residents, staff members provide daily basic care, including assistance using the restroom, showering, and getting changed. The power imbalance is extreme, making individuals in nursing homes uniquely vulnerable to abuse. The survey even documented instances of staff members threatening family members of residents if they reported issues to the state or ombudsman association. Residents interviewed for the survey told investigators “they were afraid to voice concerns ‘because it backfires on you,’ as ‘staff became aggressive.’”

Compounding many of the existing issues is the lack of funding for nursing care facilities. The survey acknowledges that many nursing home staff members are “underpaid and undervalued.” The report suggests staff education as one of the methods to combat abuse within nursing homes. The survey stated: “What we already knew but learned again in horrific detail during COVID was that care in nursing homes is unacceptable . . . let’s understand the phenomenon. Let’s name it, let’s teach, how to prevent it, how to anticipate the way it feels to families and older people and the staff.”

It can be an incredibly difficult decision to trust the care of your loved ones in a care facility. Entering into the process is always easier when you know you can trust the staff members at a facility. As people age, it can sometimes be necessary to consider nursing homes and other care facilities as an option. An unfortunate reality in the nursing home business is that understaffing has led to a string of elder abuse throughout the nation.

Who Should You Contact if You Suspect Elder Abuse?

In Maryland, the appropriate program to contact if you suspect your family member or loved one is suffering from abuse is the Maryland Adult Protective Services (APS). APS investigates the exploitation and abuse of adults and elderly individuals throughout the state, including physical, mental, emotional, and financial abuse. Common signs of abuse include unexplained bruising, burning, scarring, depression, confusion, or dramatic changes in spending habits. Simply staying in close contact with your family member or loved one can tip you off to these common symptoms and could potentially save lives. It is important to remember that abuse can be perpetrated by a loved one, caregivers, and staff at a nursing home facility.

A recent news article detailed an elder abuse event.

A recent news report highlights that a New Hampshire nursing home is under investigation after a state report accused the facility of abuse of several residents and of failing to prevent abuse that might have contributed to a resident’s death. According to the report, a resident had unexplained injuries that contributed to their death, and several other residents were allegedly abused by staff. The Department of Health and Human Services conducted an inspection of the facility. The report alleges that the facility failed to ensure that residents were free from abuse and neglect. In one incident, a resident said that a licensed nursing assistant “slapped his buttocks, smacked them with plastic bags and laughed about it.” The report also documented that a resident’s autopsy should that they had a fracture and dislocation to the right shoulder and a dislocation to the left shoulder which contributed to the resident’s death. The case is being further investigated. The report also detailed some changes made by the facility, which included random weekly audits to make sure staff members are following procedures to prevent abuse and neglect.

What to Do to File a Lawsuit After Nursing Home Abuse?

Elder abuse in Maryland is unfortunately not uncommon. In 2020, the Maryland Department of Aging, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program received a total of 283 abuse allegations. This included 110 physical, 70 gross neglect, 49 psychological, 37 financial, and 17 sexual abuse allegations. This one department in Maryland, although there are multiple departments that received other substantial reports of alleged abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities in that year. When preparing to file a lawsuit due to abuse suffered in a nursing home, it is important to collect the necessary evidence to help prove your case – it can even be helpful to collect evidence that you have available before meeting with your lawyer, although your lawyer can help figure out ways to collect such evidence. Evidence may include medical records from the nursing home, medical records from hospitalizations related to the suspected abuse, an autopsy report and/or death certificate if applicable, funeral expenses if applicable, any documentation of relevant communication with nursing home, photos of injuries, and any other documents you believe may be helpful. In addition to collecting evidence, it can be extremely helpful to find a lawyer who has experience handling these types of personal injury cases to discuss a plan for filing a claim, and a timeline.

Many individuals and families must make the difficult decision to send their aging loved ones to nursing homes or assisted living facilities to aid in their care. While this is a perfectly valid decision that can often ensure your family members will get the care they need in their last stages of life, trusting nursing homes can be difficult. Maryland has requirements for mandatory reporting of abuse, provides quality reports on nursing homes, and conducts regular inspections of facilities to help ensure your experience with nursing homes will be safe and positive.

Unfortunately, people who perpetuate abuse and neglect in nursing homes are all too often able to continue caring for your loved ones. A recent article reports that a nurse who allegedly tied an elderly woman to her wheelchair with a bed sheet was able to keep her nursing license. The nurse will undergo 30 hours of patient management education and the care facility involved was fined $41,605. According to reports, the nurse used a sheet to restrain a resident in a way the state nursing board described as potentially adversely affecting the health of the patient. The woman who experienced the abuse was suffering from dementia and cognitive problems when she was restrained, and there is no evidence that this was to protect the staff or others in an emergency situation.

What Are the Different Types of Elder Abuse?

To rectify issues of elder abuse, it is important to be able to identify what it could look like. According to Maryland’s Department of Aging, elder abuse can take many forms, but most fall into one of six categories. However, the Department notes that is common for aging individuals to experience more than one type of abuse at once.

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