Nursing Home News

Social Media Posts May Be Key Evidence in Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cases

August 22, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland nursing home abuse takes a significant physical and psychological toll on the victims and their families. Recently, a national news outlet reported on a disturbing nursing home abuse case. Evidently, nursing home aides were accused of abusing a resident, recording the incident, and posting it on SnapChat. Maryland nursing home residents may face these situations, and families must be aware of this type of abuse.

Historically, people thought nursing home abuse to be mostly physical in nature. However, verbal abuse and public shaming through social media is a very real form of abuse in today’s society. Some common signs that a loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect are weight loss, changes in temperament, and unexplained injuries. However, sadly, many elderly victims suffer from severe memory loss or dementia and may not be able to recall the abuse. If a family suspects abuse and emergency medical treatment is needed, the family should contact police officials.

Additionally, the family should gather information to substantiate their claim of abuse or neglect. Loved ones should take photos, speak with other residents, and save anything that may contain evidence. Evidence gathering includes taking screenshots of any internet posts and keeping videos posted on social media platforms. Loved ones must be removed from an unsafe living arrangement. Finally, families should contact a Maryland nursing home abuse attorney to discuss their rights and remedies.

New Rule Allows Maryland Nursing Homes to Include Arbitration Agreements in Pre-Admission Paperwork

August 14, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

For decades, arbitration has been the favored way for Maryland nursing homes to resolves dispute made by residents and residents’ families. In part, this is because arbitration is confidential, meaning that the facility does not need to worry about the news of a resident’s injuries or suffering getting out. However, there is also evidence suggesting that nursing homes get better results in cases that go to arbitration. Arbitration is also less expensive, which primarily benefits nursing homes, as they are the party who is frequently engaged in litigation.

While arbitration is rarely, if ever, in the best interest of a nursing home resident, many residents end up signing agreements to arbitrate their claim. Often, prospective residents are presented with these agreements in highly stressful times when they may feel as though they have limited options. Other times, residents sign arbitration agreements because they do not fully understand the rights they are giving up by signing, and feel pressured to sign. Consequently, many residents who suffer abuse or neglect at the hands of their caregivers are devastated to learn that they cannot file a lawsuit in court, and must proceed through the arbitration process.

In 2017, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid, under the Obama administration, implemented a ban on arbitration agreements in pre-admission paperwork for all nursing homes that accepted Medicare or Medicaid. However, under a new rule scheduled to go into effect on September 16, 2019, nursing homes will once again be able to include arbitration contracts in their pre-admission paperwork.

Ten Underperforming Maryland and Virginia Nursing Homes Put on the Federal Governments “Special Focus” List

July 25, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The federal government is keenly aware of the fact that many Maryland nursing homes, as well as nursing homes across the country, routinely provide residents with an insufficient level of care. For this reason, each year, the federal government releases a report detailing the state of the country’s nursing homes. This June, Senators Casey (D-PA) and Toomey (R-PA) released a report entitled “Families’ and Residents’ Right to Know: Uncovering Poor Care in America’s Nursing Homes.”

The report begins by noting that aging citizens who live in nursing homes too often experience “outright neglect,” and that some residents are subjected to physical or sexual abuse. In an attempt to reduce the number of homes exposing residents to this neglect and abuse, the federal government implemented the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program. The SFF program seeks to identify the most problematic nursing homes across the country and increase supervision over these facilities. Once a facility is in the SFF program, it must be inspected no less than once every six months. Non-participants must be inspected once every 15 months.

The selection process for the SFF program focuses on those nursing homes that “persistently underperform in required inspections.” Under the SFF program, up to 88 nursing homes are selected, which amounts to less than .6 percent of all skilled care facilities in the United States. These facilities are referred to as “participants,” and the government releases the name of the facility to the public to assist potential residents in making important care decisions.

Pregnancy Is an Obvious Sign of Sexual Abuse in Maryland Care Facilities

June 26, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When someone is admitted to a Maryland nursing home or care facility, it is typically because they cannot perform the necessary daily tasks to lead a normal life. In many – but not all – cases, younger residents suffer from severe intellectual disabilities that render them incapable of providing consent for sexual intercourse. However, there have recently been reports of pregnancy among nursing home residents.

Last December, a nurse at an Arizona nursing home called the police in a panic when a resident unexpectedly gave birth. Apparently, this was the first time anyone at the nursing home knew that the woman, who was non-verbal due to a near-drowning accident, was pregnant. As it turns out, the pregnancy was the result of the resident being raped while at the nursing home.

One of the many questions this tragic situation raises is, how could the nursing home fail to notice that the resident was pregnant? The woman’s family wonders the same thing, and has filed a claim against the State of Arizona based on the state’s failure to provide sufficient oversight.

New Legislation May Prohibit Arbitration Agreements in Maryland Nursing Home Contracts

May 7, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The United States Constitution guarantees all citizens equal access to our court system. However, courts have repeatedly held that the right of access to the court system, like many other important rights, can be waived. In theory, by signing an arbitration agreement a person gives up their right to file any future claim in the court system and agrees to resolve the claim through binding arbitration.

Arbitration clauses are used in many situations, including employment contracts, cell phone contracts, and, of course, nursing home contracts. However, there is a serious concern that those who are asked to sign an arbitration agreement – and, in the process, give up fundamental constitutional rights – do so unknowingly. Indeed, it is not uncommon for the victim of Maryland nursing home abuse to file a claim, only to learn for the first time that they must resolve the claim through arbitration

Despite the important rights that a person gives up when agreeing to arbitration, too often, arbitration clauses consist of a few paragraphs in a much longer contract. These contracts are usually written in small print and, at first glance, would seem to be unimportant. Thus, when consumers, nursing home residents, or employees are presented with these lengthy documents, they frequently overlook the arbitration clause, or at least fail to fully comprehend the importance of the document that they have just been asked to sign.

Residents of Washington, D.C. Veterans’ Administration Nursing Homes May Be in Jeopardy

April 5, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

One would like to think that aging service members are provided with the care and compassion they deserve as they begin to require more and more assistance with their daily routine. However, Veterans’ Administration (VA) nursing homes have been continually under scrutiny for the poor quality of care they provide residents. A recent report illustrates just a few of the horrors that VA nursing home residents across the country are experiencing.

According to a report by USA Today, in VA nursing homes across the country, veterans are suffering actual harm due to a variety of deficiencies. Evidently, private inspectors determined that residents in 52 of the 99 surveyed homes suffered some type of actual harm based on the inadequate level of care being provided by staff. A Washington, D.C. VA nursing home was among those in which residents suffered actual harm. Several other VA nursing homes were found to have put residents in “immediate jeopardy.”

One of the most common problems inspectors found was that residents in many of the VA nursing homes suffered from preventable bedsores. Bedsores develop when a person who is confined to a bed remains idle for too long. Bedsores can be prevented by frequently rotating a resident, or providing a resident with ample cushion under their body. Inspectors noted that one resident developed five bedsores in just six months. However, when inspectors went to visit this resident, they determined that no staff member had moved the man, or provided him with additional cushions to alleviate the condition.

Update: Sexual Assault in Maryland Nursing Homes

January 29, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While sexual assault has always been a concern among those who have family members living in Maryland nursing homes, given the recent headlines those concerns have come to the forefront. Back in December of last year, a 29-year-old resident in a long-term care facility gave birth to a baby boy. The woman had been incapacitated and in long-term care since she was three years old.

According to a recent news report, police have arrested a man they believe raped the woman. After the resident gave birth, police obtained a DNA sample from the baby. Police then obtained DNA samples from each of the nurses at the care facility where the resident was staying. Evidently, the DNA taken from the baby matched one of the nurses who was charged with overseeing the resident. The nurse had been working at the facility since 2011, and there is no indication at this point that there had been any previous complaints or similar incidents. Of course, given the compromised condition of the residents in the facility, it is likely that other incidents would not necessarily be reported.

Signs of Sexual Assault

Certainly, this news comes as a shock to many. However, sexual abuse is not uncommon in nursing homes and skilled care facilities. One reason for this is the compromised condition of the residents make them ideal victims for predators. In addition, many nursing home residents have little contact with those outside of the facility, and fear that they may not be believed if they did make a report.

Low Pay May Be a Contributing Factor to the High Rate of Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

January 8, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past several years, there has been a significant increase in the number of reported instances of Maryland nursing home abuse and neglect. In part, this is due to increased awareness of the problem, as social media has allowed for news of these disturbing events to disseminate more easily. However, experts still believe that the majority of nursing home abuse and neglect goes unreported.

Experts believe that there are several causes of nursing home abuse and neglect. Not surprisingly, most of the causes relate to the environment created by nursing home management rather than specific issues with individual nurses or employees. However, some nurses are better suited for the job. Often, this is due to the level of training or experience the nurse has obtained.

Studies have shown that low staffing levels are correlated with increased instances of abuse and neglect. Thus, it is generally agreed that the more stressful the work environment, the more likely employees are to “snap.” According to a recent article, Maryland and Virginia nurses are offered some of the lowest rates to provide in-home care to residents. Apparently, in-home nurses in Virginia and Maryland make only $20 to $35 per hour. This is about 30% lower than nearby states. As a result, qualified nurses are leaving Maryland and Virginia to pursue employment in states where they can earn a better living. Thus, residents are having a difficult time securing in-home nurses, especially during off-peak hours and on weekends.

Federal Agency Takes Steps to Counter Low Nursing Home Staffing Levels in Maryland and Nationwide

December 14, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Study after study has shown that one of the root causes of Maryland nursing home abuse and neglect is understaffing. Federal regulations require that a Registered Nurse is on staff seven days a week for at least eight consecutive hours a day. And in general, the fewer qualified staff members a nursing home has, the more work each staff member must take on. Without a registered nurse on staff, the level of care a nursing home can provide is greatly limited. At some point, overworked employees face a reduced ability to perform the functions of their job with the patience and care that is required.

According to a recent industry news report, a few weeks ago the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new rule that will increase the agency’s oversight of nursing homes in an attempt to lower the number of homes that operate with reduced staffing levels. States have always been required to survey nursing home staffing levels. However, under the old rule, only 10% of those surveys had to be conducted during the weekend and off-peak hours. However, the new rule requires that state conduct 50% of surveys during weekend and off-peak times.

The new rule uses payroll-based journal data to identify the 20% of nursing homes in each state with the lowest level of staffing on the weekends and during off-peak hours. Once the 20% in each state is identified, the CMS will provide the names of the facilities to state agencies. Each state will then be responsible for following up with additional surveys. If a facility remains out of compliance, it will be sanctioned accordingly. Understaffing can also result in a nursing home receiving a low star-rating.

Veterans Reportedly “Routinely Receiving Substandard Care” in VA Nursing Home

November 29, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Although most people would prefer not to have their loved ones move into a Maryland nursing home, there is often little choice in the matter. As a result, nursing homes have become commonplace in Maryland and across the country. When a family trusts a nursing home to care for an aging loved one they assume, at a minimum, that their loved ones will receive the appropriate care.

The Standard of Care in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are required to provide a certain level of care to residents. This is called the “standard of care.” The applicable standard of care varies based on the particular jurisdiction, and is often based upon local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Generally, although a nursing home cannot guarantee the safety of its residents, a nursing home must exercise reasonable care so that residents do not suffer physical injury and unnecessary mental distress. The applicable standard depends on the resident’s condition, which has to be evaluated by the nursing home, and addressed in properly caring for the resident. That means that if a resident has special needs, the nursing home should provide appropriate treatment and supervision to meet the standard of care for that particular resident.

Veteran’s Administration Nursing Home Among the Nation’s Worst

An internal report from the Department of Veterans Affairs found that a Veterans Affairs nursing home in Brockton, Massachusetts had “blatant disregard” for veteran safety, according to one news source. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began its investigation of the facility after a nurse brought her concerns to the VA’s attention. Residents at the VA nursing home in Brockton were almost three times more likely to develop bedsores than residents at private nursing homes, and were generally more likely to experience serious pain.