San Antonio Personal Injury Lawyer - Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Caretaker Guilty Of Elderly Abuse

Beth Janicek — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:36:49 GMT

On March 10, 2008, Alma Berlanga was found guilty of elderly abuse. Ms. Berlanga was the caregiver to Ofelia Escobar who is a bedridden 83 year old woman with Alzheimer's. The family had concerns about Ms. Berlanga's treatment to their mother and installed a hidden camera. The video tape showed Ms. Berlanga slapping and force-feeding Ms. Escobar.

The jury took five minutes to convict Ms. Berlanga and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Overuse of Antipsychotics in the Nursing Homes

Beth Janicek — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:51:06 GMT

Antipsychotic drugs are over prescribed to all the elderly including those in the nursing homes. Medicaid sent out a mandate last year to nursing home inspectors to crack down on the over prescribing of the antipsychotic drugs.

Of the state's 398 nursing homes, 38 percent were cited last year for using such medications inappropriately, up from 27 percent in 2006.

The drugs are often precribed whether the resident is pyschotic or not. They are used to quiet the disruptive nursing home resident rather than add more staff to care for the residents. The drugs may help some patients but for others increase the risk of falling and increase the risk of confusion.

Unless the resident is combative because of a mental illness such as paranoia, there's almost always a better way to control disruptive behavior in someone with dementia than with drugs, said John Brose, a Minneapolis psychologist who consults at more than 100 nursing homes, including Hopkins.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Nursing Homes Bad List

Beth Janicek — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:42:05 GMT

Centers of Medicare Services published its nursing home bad list. The list includes bad nursing homes from all over the nation and including eight nursing homes in Bexar County. The following are on the list; Buena Vida Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of San Antonio; Leon Valley Care Center; Mayfield Care Center; Meridian Care; Princeton Place Rehabilitation & Healthcare Bander; Regent Care Center of San Antonio; Texas Specialty Nursing and Rehab Center; and The Chandler Estate in Laurel Heights.

If you have had a family member in a nursing home and they have been injured due to the nursing home and staff, please contact our office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Centers of Medicare Name Worst Nursing Homes

Beth Janicek — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:44:00 GMT

Here is the list of the worst nursing homes.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Nursing Home Abuse

Beth Janicek — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:38:30 GMT

A nurse is accused of raping and assaulting a paralyzed patient at a nursing home. John Riems, an Ohio nurse, has admitted to over 100 cases of abuse but claims to be able to remember the details on a couple dozen. "Police say Riems sexually assaulted a 55-year-old man as he lay partially paralyzed in his bed at Concord Care and Rehabilitation Home"

Reims worked at over 10 different nursing homes. Others who worked with him, have reported he would spend as much time as an hour alone with a resident with all the doors shut. Residents refused his care and would refuse medications just to keep him from coming in their room.

Another colleague, Olivia Burns, said she warned supervisors that Riems verbally abused patients by swearing at them. She resigned Tuesday after hearing of the arrest. She said Reims had a temper and slammed his fist on the counter when residents sought nursing assistance by hitting their call lights.

If your family has suffered abuse at a nursing home please contact my office immediately.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Kerrville Woman Accuses Care Center Employee of Sexual Assault

Beth Janicek — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:12:23 GMT

A 52 year old mentally disabled woman claims to have been sexually assaulted by a male caregiver at her adult day care center. She was living at The Special Opportunity Center in Kerrville, Texas.

The Police are investigating this claim, but have not made any arrests. The Special Opportunity Center has placed the accused on administrative leave as a precaution.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Autistic Boy Wanders Off From Facility and Dies

Beth Janicek — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:52:25 GMT

A 10-year old autistic boy who was cared for at Howell Care Centers-Clear Creek facility wandered off on Sunday morning.

The boy was able to just walk away from the facility. Searchers were found him about an hour later in a pond about a quarter mile away. He was taken to the local hospital but did not survive.

The facility has approximately 100 mentally disabled residents.

Howell Care Centers-Clear Creek, Cabarrus County Sheriff's Department North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation are investigating this incident for any negligence.

If you or a loved one has ever been injuried or died due to the negligence of a care facility, please contact our office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Nursing Homes Ordered to Pay Millions to Patient's Estate

Beth Janicek — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:22:01 GMT

The suit was filed again Barry Manor and White Oak Manor nursing homes and the suit claimed the facilities were negligent and failed to properly care for patient, John Novogradac.

Mr. Novogradac lived at both facilities and developed bedsores on his body. He also had to have both legs amputated from above the knee due to his wounds becoming severely infected with dead and gangrenous tissue.

The jury ruled that the nursing homes failed to provide adequate staffing, didn't attend to Novogradac's bedsores or turn and reposition him to prevent the problem. They also found the staff didn't properly treat Novogradac's wounds and no one monitored his condition or alerted a physician when his condition worsened.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Abuse in Nursing Homes

Beth Janicek — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:42:16 GMT

On October 28, 2007, Ken Conner, attorney, spoke at "Nursing Homes: A Failed Experiment". As an attorney he spoke regarding abuse in nursing homes and regarded nursing homes for putting profit over care.

Mr. Connor urges people to pay attention to signs from their loved ones in nursing homes. You should check for pressure ulcers, infections, or foul odors.

Bernie Vonderheide, president of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, said his group was working to change state law so criminal background checks and random drug tests are required for all nursing home employees. Most important, he said, they are fighting to ensure there is a minimum staffing standard.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek

Nursing Home Chain under pressure promises better patient care

Beth Janicek — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:56:43 GMT

The Carlyle Group has purchased the nursing home chain, Manor Care. They are claiming they will not cut staff and will make patient care a priority.

David Goldstien, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California, referred to the pledge as "meaningless" and stated "For-profit companies should not be in the business of health care. Their allegiance is not to patients. It's to their stockholders."

The Senate Finance Committee has authority over the nursing homes. They have sent letters to The Carlyle Group and others regarding their ownership and management interests. Additionally, they have sent letters to Medicare and Medicaid to account for a report of higher health and safety violations in nursing homes that have been bought by private-equity investors.

Dr. Goldstien is correct that the promise is meaningless. It will take strong regulations by the government to ensure patient care, otherwise it will be more profitable to these companies to eliminate costs by cutting staff. If your loved one has been injured in a nursing home please contact our office for assistance.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Beth Janicek