Fort Lauderdale nursing home neglect

Published on: February 11, 2017

Nursing Home Neglect Led to Two Patient Deaths Just Months Apart

Within a span of just a few months, two residents at the same facility passed away as a direct result of nursing home neglect. That’s according to a new report by state health officials in Minnesota, whose findings were reported by the Star-Tribune.

The two separate incidents involve neglect and failed oversight, with one person suffering fatal injuries after a staffer used the wrong lift device and failed to get the proper assistance in moving the patient. In another case, an 85-year-old woman was denied life-saving measures during a heart attack because her directive on file was overlooked.

In many cases, nursing home neglect is the result of a combination of factors, namely:

Lack of staff experience/ training.
Failure to make there are enough staffers present to take care of patients’ basic needs.
Failure to provide the appropriate equipment/ tools to properly care for residents.
Lack of proper supervision.

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Published on: January 17, 2017

Report: Nursing Home Residents Empowered by New Federal Rules

By Dean Freeman

There are currently nearly 1.5 million residents in nursing homes across the country. Now, with the passage of new federal rules – the most expansive update in a quarter century – those residents will have more involvement in their own care.

The new regulations were first proposed in 2015 by Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who advocated for a shift toward care that is “person-centered.” That includes efforts to:

Hasten the development of care plans;
Allow greater variety and flexibility in snacks and meals;
Improved review of residents’ drug intake;
Heightened security;
Streamlined procedures for grievances;
Careful review of discharges that are involuntary.

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Published on: September 21, 2016

Feds Accused Nursing Home of Fraud, “Non-Existent Care”

By Dean Freeman

Federal authorities are suing a nursing home system alleging the company committed fraud by filing false claims to both Medicare and the state-based TennCare (in Tennessee) on behalf of senior residents. Even as these facilities were being compensated for a litany of specialized services, they were not extending even the most basic level of care to residents, authorities say.

The Tennessean reports residents suffered a host of injuries, ailments and injustices, including:

Pressure ulcers (also known as bed sores)
Falls
Dehydration
Malnutrition
Improper feeding

The lawsuit alleges these incidents were systemic and occurred in at least six different facilities throughout Tennessee, in Murfreesboro, Nashville, Shelbyville, Madison, Manchester and Memphis. Continue reading →

Published on: October 2, 2015

Diversicare Leasing Corp. v. Hubbard – Wrongful Death Following Sepsis of Disabled Man

By Dean Freeman

Sepsis, which is also sometimes referred to as septicemia, is a life-threatening illness that occurs when bodily chemicals are released into the bloodstream to fight infection, and instead cause inflammation. Failure to deliver timely, appropriate treatment can result in septic shock, which leads to organ failure, brain damage and death.

Sepsis can occur in nursing home patients who contract it from bacterial infections from:

Urinary tract infections
Bed sores
Respiratory tract infections
Infections from IVs, catheters or other tubes
Pneumonia

Nursing homes that fail to secure proper treatment for nursing home patients who suffer from sepsis may be liable for wrongful death. This was the allegation in the case of Diversicare Leasing Corp. v. Hubbard, before the Alabama Supreme Court. Continue reading →