Posted on June 11th, 2010
Officials say that a 44-year-old caregiver has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly killing an Alzheimer’s patient after a heavy dose of morphine.
The 80-year-old woman was killed in February 2010 and the caregiver was indicted in early June. In addition, the woman is charged with felony abuse for the hospitalization of six patients.
Authorities began to investigate for possible abuse after patients tested positive for morphine. Officials think that morphine may have been given to the patients to make them more manageable.
Nursing home abuse can leave elderly people in a helpless situation, our condolences are with the friends and family of the victim.
Posted on June 4th, 2010
A woman filed a suit against a Caseyville Nursing Home and Rehabilitation center claiming that a man died because of the staff’s failure to treat the man appropriately.
The woman claims that the man was admitted into the nursing home in May 8, 2008, where he developed leg ischemia which is painful condition with non-healing wounds and gangrene. The man also suffered from a urinary tract infection and decubitus ulcers that stem from malnutrition and dehydration.
The man died on May 31, 2008. The woman filing the suit claims that the man’s death was caused from the injuries and that the staff performed many negligent acts.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of negligent nursing home care, contact the New jersey nursing home abuse lawyers of Levinson Axelrod, P.A. by calling 800-346-5529.
Posted on June 4th, 2010
A licensed practical nurse pleaded guilty to having sexual contact with a mentally incapacitated patient in a Rochester nursing home. According to court reports, the man plead guilty to a misdemeanor of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.
For the misdemeanor, the nurse will serve nine months in jail with the possibility of being free in six months. The man was also charged with second-degree rape, but those charges were dropped.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of nursing home abuse, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers of Levinson Axelrod, P.A., at 800-346-5529.
Posted on May 28th, 2010
The Illinois Attorney General’s office conducted a sweep this week at the Golden Moments Senior Care Center in Jacksonville, Illinois. This is the 11th sweep of a nursing home in the state in the last few months, in an effort to clean up the state’s less than stellar nursing home record.
The nursing home was one wherein both elderly patients and convicted felons are housed, a sadly common state of affairs. Five former sex offenders are housed in the Golden Moments Senior Care center, and the nursing home was targeted for failing to provide risk assessments to the state for three of those five offenders.
Earlier this year, the nursing home was fined $50,000 in connection with the death of a 74-year-old resident who choked on food despite staffers’ knowledge of that possibility given the patient’s history. In 2009, the home was fined $20,000 for failing to keep residents from being mentally, verbally, and physically abused. Staff members were found to be slapping and bullying residents.
Nursing homes with a history of abuse need to be held accountable for their inaction if they do not fix their problems. If you or someone you love has been the victim of elderly abuse, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible.
Posted on May 28th, 2010
A Corlandt, NY, nursing home employee has been arrested for stealing an elderly resident’s debit card and withdrawing over $2,000 from a number of banks around town.
The 26-year-old man, or 5 Redway Road, Ossining, was charged with first-degree identity theft, which is a felony.
The man worked in the laundry and maintenance department of Bethel Nursing Home in Cortlandt. He used the card to withdraw money at banks in Elmsford, Peekskill, and Ossining.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of elderly abuse, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible.
Posted on May 14th, 2010
On May 6, Illinois state lawmakers passed a nursing home reform bill, 118-0, that will increase the number of state checks on nursing homes as well create more strict safety guidelines.
“Far too often, nursing home residents are subjected to violence at the hands of other residents and abuse and neglect at the hands of those entrusted to care for them,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan said.
“It is the state’s obligation to address these failings and ensure that nursing homes provide safe and therapeutic environments for their residents,” she said.
“Nursing home residents and their families depend on the state to ensure that vulnerable adults are treated with care, compassion and dignity,” added Madigan.
The new mandated checks will be unannounced and random.
Elderly abuse is despicable and those who take advangate of their position in nursing homes need to be held to account. If you or someone you love has been the victim of elderly abuse, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible.
Posted on May 14th, 2010
Colonial Healthcare of Auburn, Calif., and its parent company, Horizon West of Rocklin, Calif., were found guilty Wednesday of elder abuse in the 2005 death of a 79-year-old woman. The jury leveled $28 million in punitive damages against the nursing home corporation in a case brought by the woman’s daughter.
According to reports, the woman was admitted to the nursing home with full mobility but mild dementia. She fell and broke her hip, reports say, and seven months later she died from an infected bedsore. Her daughter’s lawyer accused the nursing home of putting corporate gain ahead of good resident care. The nursing home was also accused of being understaffed and keeping poor medical documentation. The company denied the charges of nursing home abuse and argued that the woman was never neglected but had one-on-one care.
Posted on April 30th, 2010
A 45-year-old Cincinnati caregiver appeared in court this morning to face allegations that she abused patients at a Roselawn nursing home.
According to court documents, the caregiver abused at least two elderly patients at Harmony Court on Glen Meadow Lane in January.
Evidence shows that the woman became angry and grabbed a resident by the hair before throwing the patient to the ground. In another incident, the caregiver punched an elderly man in the chest.
She is currently released on her recognizance and is due back in court soon.
This kind of abuse is completely unacceptable and the caregiver as well as the nursing home that failed to monitor her behavior need to be punished. If you or someone you love has been the victim of elderly abuse, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible.
Posted on April 30th, 2010
The Florida Legislature this week unanimously passed a new bill that would require potential caregivers for children, seniors, and the disabled pass background checks before being hired.
Governer Charlie Crist is expected to sign the bill into law early next week following a statement issued today in support of it.
“Thoroughly screening the backgrounds of those who work with children, elders, persons with disabilities — and then verifying those screening results before employees are authorized to go to work — will no doubt improve overall public safety in the Sunshine State,” Crist said.
Prior to this bill, felons with prior convictions for rape, child abuse, and even murder were allowed to work in nursing homes and daycares as long as they made what amounts to a promise to not offend again. The state cleared more than 8,500 people with criminal records for work through this exemption system. Twenty percent of these people were re-arrested at some point after being exempted.
The new law bans sex offenders and career criminals from ever becoming caregivers as well as requires state officials to sign off on all exemptions for other felons who wish to enter the field.
Loose regulations and poor safety measures can lead to tragic consequences, especially in nursing homes and other caregiving institutions. Contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible if you suspect someone you love has been a victim of their caregiver.
Posted on April 21st, 2010
The owners of Somerset Place, a Chicago nursing home, have paid fines amounting to over $20,000 and agreed to surrender the facility’s license.
Until last month, when the facility was closed by the city, it housed over 300 mentally ill patients. The nursing home had been repeatedly cited by authorities for verbal abuse, lack of supervision, and fights. The federal government had already terminated their funding before the nursing home was forced to shut down.
The settlement with the state has allowed the owners to avoid a license-revocation hearing. This means that the group of investors who owned Somerset Place could potentially renew the home’s license.
The owners have refused to admit any wrongdoing.
This is a bitter victory for advocates against nursing home abuse. While the home was shut down, the irresponsible and unrepentant owners could potentially open a new nursing home. If you or someone you love has been the victim of nursing home abuse and neglect, contact the New Jersey nursing home abuse attorneys of Levinson Axelrod at 800-346-5529 as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.
