Tacoma Personal Injury Lawyer - Nursing Home - Most Commented

Nursing Home Outreach

Michael Myers — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:09:46 GMT

I recently read that there are over three million elderly people residing in nursing homes in the United States. Alarmingly, twenty-five percent of them are neglected or abused. Medicare indicates that nursing home residents receive four hours of hands-on care per day. That means that they spend about twenty hours per day unattended.

We are currently working on a case where a resident of a nursing home needed help getting to the restroom. Staff at the nursing home did not respond to her repeated requests for assistance. After 20 minutes she attempted to make her way to the restroom--she understandably did not want to urinate in her bed. She fell on the way to the restroom. She broke both of her legs. One of them had to be amputated below the knee.

Her story is not unusual. Nursing home residents needlessly suffer catastrophic injuries such as head trauma with subdural hematoma, hip fractures and aspiration pneumonia. Understaffing and lack of proper training result falls, skin breakdown, infection, malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration and blood clots. Unfortunately many of the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect do not fully understand their rights. It's our responsibility to advocate for them.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Michael Myers

Suit Filed Against McKenna Nursing Home

Ryan Nute — Wed, 09 May 2007 09:14:37 GMT

The Nisqually Valley Care Center in McKenna, Washington is being sued by the daughter of a resident (Florence Pierpoint, 79) who reportedly died after being given a morphine overdose when staff did not follow her doctor's instructions about pain medication.

While prosecutors declined to file criminal charges, the nursing home received a citation in connection with her death because the staff failed to mention Ms. Pierpoint's deteriorating condition or ask if it could have been caused by medication.

Nursing home negligence cases are often unique because of the various roles nursing homes play and the scope of the services they provide. Some residents require significant and constant medical attention. Other residents may require fall prevention assistance. The legal duty the nursing home may owe to a resident may depend on the language of the contractual agreement between them. Testimony from experts familiar with the requisite standard of care will usually be required in a nursing home negligence case.

California Nursing Home Sued for Abuse

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:12:47 GMT

Pleasant Care Convalescent of Riverside is being sued by the family of a former resident for abuse they allege happened there. The resident was given physical therapy for 10 days for knee pain when in fact she has a broken hip and required surgery. While at the hospital for treatment is was found she had other signs of poor care, including bed sores.

"It's our theory that they're understaffed - they put their profits ahead of people," said Michael Young, Davis' attorney. "They make these representations that they're going to take good care of grandpa and grandma, and they don't."
La Ca ada Flintridge-based Pleasant Care Corp., the parent company of the Riverside skilled nursing facility, is also named as a defendant in the suit, which was filed Feb. 14 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Emmanuel Bernabe Jr., the company's attorney, declined to comment.
In March 2006, Pleasant Care settled a lawsuit brought by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer that cited 160 incidents of substandard care, documented by the Department of Health Services over five years. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to pay $1.3 million in fines and improve care at its 30 facilities statewide.

The nursing home claims to follow state mandated nursing home care which requires each patient to receive 3.2 hours of care each day. It had no comment on the former resident or the care she received.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann