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The study also uncovered how the pharmacists overlooked and approved cases where the medications were being prescribed at questionable levels or in unsafe combinations. These combinations often had lethal consequences like risks of seizures, death, or accidents. This problem is widespread throughout the country and it is affecting thousands of elderly everyday. The study also showed that the nursing homes were severely underpaying the pharmacists, which might be one of the reasons why the pharmacists are trying to push various prescriptions towards the patients without evaluating if it is the best fit.

Pharmacists are entrusted with knowing the right prescriptions are given to your loved ones. When they fail to check the properties of each prescription and fail to think about how it will affect your loved one, they should be held accountable for those errors. Your loved one’s health is important, if it is every compromised by another person’s actions contacting a professional is the best option for compensation.
 

The study showed that seniors at nursing homes were 4 times more likely to acquire an infection following a trip to the emergency room.   The group of researches suggested that additional precautions may be reasonable for five to seven days after their return from the emergency room because the elderly patients may be picking up pathogens in the waiting room or exam room from patients or staff. If a patient becomes infected, it heightens the chances of infecting other nursing home residents when they return from the emergency room.   A prior study suggested that an influenza outbreak would kill one in 100 nursing home patients and cost $6000 over 30 days. 

It is important to consider and question whether hospitals are doing enough to help protect elderly patients who are more vulnerable to infections. If your loved one has to undergo an emergency room visit for any reason, it might be best to at least ask the physician about the probability of an infection and what can be done to protect your loved one.  If there was any part of negligence on the hospital's part, and they failed to protect your loved one from getting an infection then they could be held responsible for making your loved one sick.

Some groups are stating that there is no evidence that the vaccine actually protects the patients or if it is safe for the workers in general. Many are wondering if this new proposal is imposing on American’s individual medical decisions. There are currently no specific statistical information on what percentage of workers get the flu vaccine, but some studies have suggested 64% do get the vaccine from the worker’s in the field. The flu gives exemptions to people who do not get the flu vaccine because of religious reasons or because of a medical reason. The proposed rules would require those who fit into the exemptions to wear a mask during flu season. The flu is the reason for approximately 3,300 deaths a year. The elderly are extremely susceptible to getting the flu because of how their immunity to illness is very vulnerable.

The fight between what is best for nursing home patients and what really protects them is ongoing. Are nursing home workers doing their best to keep patients safe? When a person decides to enter the medical profession the patients become the priority. If the added installment of this mandatory vaccine is viewed as an infringement of a person’s medical choices, then what happens if the worker is the cause of the illness their patients suffer?
 

Governor Quinn formed a task force to investigate nursing home abuse in 2009 after a string of high-profile incidents and investigations by local newspapers. In response, last year the state legislature passed a bill requiring increased staffing and safety provisions, as well as revisions to the screening process for nursing homes to protect residents from other residents with a history of violence.

The $110 million fund will be created by a tax on nursing homes and federal Medicaid matching funds. The money will help nursing homes hire additional staff and bring their safety regulations in line with the new state standards.

Yet the NRA is against any time of legislation like this one because their defense that just because it is a medically charged environment, does not make the area less susceptible to crime and danger. They also state that individuals should have the right to defend themselves in any environment. The main concern is wondering with all the emotional intensity a hospital and nursing home bring, if carrying firearms would compromise the safety of patients, doctors and other people in the hospital. It would be interesting to research whether or not allowing people to carry gun’s has played apart in violence in nursing home or how the patients feel about it.

The issue that should be at the forefront of concern should be the standard of care for the patients in nursing homes and hospitals. Will the presence of firearms be a distraction for staff and patients? Or is the fear unprecedented and the guns are actually a safety measure for an environment that is actually not staffed adequately with security personnel?
 

The 92-year-old victim was a resident at a nursing home and suffered from dementia. Her body was found at the bottom of a stairwell while she was strapped in a wheelchair. The staff at the nursing home testified that the door to the stairwell was supposed to be locked at all times but that many members of the staff disabled the alarm in order to go smoke. The nursing home had been cited multiple times with deficiency citations and abuse complaints while the aids stated that it was frequently understaffed. The case was against Trans Health Management Inc., who at the time had the sole authority to operate the home at the time.

It is important when pursuing a case against a nursing home that you are choosing a professional who is knowledgeable and experienced. Families should feel like they can trust their nursing home with their loved ones and that all the safety precautions are being followed. It is important to choose a nursing home that is appropriately staffed and that has a good reputation and record. Your family member’s safety is the most important thing especially when they are in this fragile state, do not be victimized by abuse.
 

The inside of the residential property was extensively damaged and the man had suffered serious burn injuries. The investigators of the fire suggested that the fire had extinguished itself due to a lack of oxygen because there were no windows open at the time. The fire appears to have started in the lounge room because of the amount of damages that were present. While there were no cooking devices in use in that room, there were some cigarettes that were found, investigators are still looking into what caused the fire. The elderly man was said to have been in good health before the fire and was last seen by other residents the night before the fire. The man had a relative living elsewhere in the village. The management of the retirement village chose not to comment on the man’s death and police officials are still trying to figure out what time the blaze started or how long the house may have been on fire before the alarms were able to activate.

If the alarms on the property were faulty and the fire had been going on much longer before they picked up the fire, the next of kin could file a case against the retirement home whose responsibility is the upkeep of these properties. There is also question as to whether or not the man had lived alone or if someone was possibly hired for his care. Regardless of the cause, if you lose a loved one in these types of circumstances you should hire a professional to investigate the cause and find the responsible party.
 

The elderly woman suffered from dementia and passed away while she was waiting for a new facility that was built to care for Alzheimer’s patients to open. When the woman arrived at the new facility she was severely dehydrated and unable to feed herself. The facility described her as “comatose” upon her arrival and was unresponsive three weeks later. The woman’s son tried to push the nursing home into getting her appropriately situated but stated that he was bombarded with piles of paperwork and delays. She died after the nursing home transferred her to a hospital due to her failing health. The jury awarded the family $90 million dollars in punitive and economic damages. The amount however is still subject to a post trial reduction by the trial court.

Nursing home neglect and abuse cases are tragic and no family ever predicts that their loved one will be subject to it. In most cases like this one, it is too late and your family is left mourning the loss of a loved one that could have been saved. Long term care facilities have the resources and staff to ensure that your loved one is cared for. When cases like this one occurs, the guilty party’s need to pay the price for their heartless neglect. Consulting with a professional when the unthinkable occurs at a nursing home is the best way to figure out what the options for compensation are.
 

The thief, 36, tied the 83-year-old woman with a cord from the venetian blinds and demanded that she drive him to the bank to use her ATM debit card. The elderly woman told the robber that she did not have a car, although it was hidden in the garage. And when he confronted her about the car keys in her room, she lied and told the robber it was to her son’s car that lived out of town. Then the woman pretended to have a heart attack, leaving the robber to go to the bank alone with her debit card and her PIN that she had given to him out of fear for her life. The police eventually captured the man, by seeing the video footage at the ATM and by a gas station camera where he also used the card. The man was charged with burglary and robbery that are both first-degree felonies that are punishable up to 20 years in prison.

It is inspiring that this woman was able to assess the situation and find the best way to protect herself even if she was physically unable to. It is important to talk to your loved ones about what to do in those scary situations. If your loved one was targeted at a nursing home or at a residence, contacting a professional can help in retrieving their losses and help to convict those responsible for the theft and emotional damage.
 

Witnesses at the care facility stated they saw the woman pluck the elderly man’s pubic hair with her hands when he was uncooperative when she was changing his diaper. Facility workers said the man was unable to speak or defend himself against the woman. The woman was subsequently fired from her job at the facility when the supervisor found out about these incidents. Her bail at Highlands County jail was set at $20,000.

There are always times when people are uncooperative for one reason or another. This is especially true for elderly adults who, for the greater part of their lives, were used to doing things for themselves. When a person reaches old age, it is often difficult for them to succumb to the idea that they must let go of some of their independence and allow others to assist them with certain parts of their daily lives. Unfortunately, some medical assistants and nursing home workers find this too difficult to deal with and often react in abusive or harmful ways against the elderly person. However, a lack of cooperation from the elderly person is no excuse for physically harming or injuring them. Every step should be taken to make their lives easier for them and help them maintain good health and at least some of their independence whenever possible. The perpetrators of elder abuse and neglect should always be brought to justice for the harm and danger that they put elderly individuals through.

A clinical outreach representative for South Central Behavioral Health Services stated that Hope will be traveling throughout Jones County stopping at several nursing homes and elder care centers raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and trying to raise money to search for a cure for the disease. The first stop in this effort was at Comfort Care Nursing Center and the nursing home could nominate a new location for the journey by donating $25 to the fundraising project. If anyone has a company in mind that would be willing and able to contribute to this fundraising project, they can call 601-426-4300. The fundraising project will culminate in Jones County on the first week of October.

Organizers of the event are also supporting Alzheimer’s Action Day on the 21st of September. These types of fundraising/awareness projects are a great way to spread the word about the dangers of Alzheimer’s disease and the damage that the disease could cause its victims. The organizers of this project said the funding they raise will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association to help researchers find a cure for this serious, debilitating disease. The Alzheimer’s Association also helps raise awareness and creates educational programs to help people become more aware of the symptoms and dangers of Alzheimer’s disease. Although contributing money to the organization may not guarantee a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it is a major step forward to help fund more research efforts to find a legitimate cure.

Police suspect that the woman who attacked the elderly victim went into the nursing home to look for a victim. The attacker was currently on probation for mailing bomb threats to Bangor-area schools in 2007 and has a history of mental illness. She accepted a six-year sentence that was jointly recommended by the district attorney and her defense attorney. By pleading guilty, the attacker admitted to removing the elderly woman’s glasses and straddling her legs to hold her down as the woman sat in her wheelchair. She then took the pillow off a roommate’s bed and pushed it tightly against the victim’s face. A staff member found the victim slumped down in her wheelchair looking pale. The woman was terrified and could not breathe.

It is a miracle that this poor elderly woman was not killed in this incident. There should have been a stronger security system set up at this nursing home, so strangers cannot just wander in and access the elderly’s bedrooms so easily. At the very least, a front desk should be at the entrance to ensure that guests are properly checked in and identified. This woman was also deaf and soft-spoken according to the news report, and therefore had no way to call for help. These vulnerable patients need special attention and care and the nursing home failed to provide this resident of that care and should be held partly responsible for the attack.

This is the first offense towards the attacker but police were not hesitant in notifying the proper agencies. The other staff members in the facility told police that the nursing aid had been trying to dress the patient when she became frustrated. The nursing aide then grabbed the woman’s arms and tried to force her on the toilet with her hand on the elderly woman’s chest. The woman later complained of chest pain and had bruising on her arms. After questioning the attacker about the incident, the nursing home put the employee on administrative leave and was later fired.

While the nursing home took the right measures in firing the employee, it does leave some questions unanswered. For example, in most cases of abuse there is usually a pattern of abuse or a previous incident. Did the nursing home fail to properly background check their employees? Or did they disregard previous complaints? All of these things should be evaluated by a professional when an employee of a nursing home has seriously injured you or a loved one.
 

The judge stated the supervisor did not show any criminal behavior. The prosecution stated they will be continuing with a case against the nurse who was accused of administering the morphine to the residents. The report states there are still several civil lawsuits pending against the operators of the facility.

Although the supervisor was cleared of all charges, the fact that she argued she was not aware of what was going on in the facility raises even more questions as to her ability to supervise the staff members. If the supervisor had no knowledge of the staff member’s actions and did not commit any wrongdoing herself, it begs the question how the staff member involved in this incident was able to get away easily after causing the death of six residents. The most unfortunate part of this incident is that the victims and their families will not see any justice in their favor for the suffering and loss the perpetrators caused in this incident.
 

The victim in this incident was placed in the nursing home after a debilitating stroke that left her paralyzed on the left side of her body. The stroke also rendered her unable to speak but she was still able to testify at the nursing home aide’s trial by pointing to letters on a paper while an interpreter spoke for her. The perpetrator claimed he was going to help her with matters of personal hygiene but the nurse on duty became suspicious when the woman’s call light to her room went on three times. When the nurse went to check on the woman and the nurse’s aide, she found the aide sexually abusing the woman.

This incident demonstrates the strength that the victim in this incident had following a very traumatic event. The woman was physically unable to defend herself and could not call out for help verbally. However, she still managed to get help and she was fully capable of testifying with the aid of an interpreter to bring the perpetrator to justice. Unfortunately, many elderly victims of sexual or physical abuse are left in a state that prevents them from bringing justice or seeing the perpetrators brought to justice on their behalf. This incident could easily have been more serious and the victim could have been severely injured or lost her life as a result of the abuse she suffered. Fortunately, the elderly woman will see the justice she deserves against her abuser.

However, the NZHerald website states that while the elderly man was in the younger man’s care, he received several injuries including a dislocated shoulder, several cuts and bruises and the recent attack against him left him with a detached retina. The report also states that the elderly man was not always fed properly while under the younger man’s care. The elderly man was found emaciated weighing only 41 kg (roughly 88 lbs) and he had bruises all over his body. A court judge stated that while he felt the 71-year-old man deserved a stiffer punishment for deliberately neglecting and abusing the elderly man, he was only sentencing him to 12 months in jail.

Even though the perpetrator of the abuse and neglect in this incident is also an elderly man, it does not give him an excuse for deliberately leaving another man neglected. No matter how old a person is, they should always take steps to ensure that people under their care get the proper medical care they require. Even if that means helping that person find a nursing home or assisted living center that can provide proper care, it is a better step in the right direction as opposed to deliberately leaving them neglected and abusing them. Despite the man’s age, he should still be held accountable for leaving this elderly man malnourished and causing him severe harm leading to very serious injuries.
 

According to the family, the tape showed the elderly woman simply trying to escape from the abuse she was suffering. An attorney representing the victim stated the facility should have reported the incident to officials at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare but they failed to do so. The family plans to file a lawsuit against the facility for the elder abuse their family member suffered. The family alleges the facility simply tried to blame the incident on the victim’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

If the video evidence the family has obtained clearly shows a violation of the victim’s rights and safety in this incident, it could be grounds for a lawsuit against the facility for elder abuse. The CEO of the facility’s parent company stated they were shocked and angered by the perpetrators’ actions in this incident and fully cooperated with authorities. However, simply cooperating to clean up this incident is not enough and they should take measures to ensure that this type of incident never happens again. Revoking the facility’s license seems as though it is a necessary action in order to prevent further victims at the hands of the facility’s employees.
 

Researchers found a connection between the citations for infection control and the number of staff members employed at the nursing homes that were cited. The report stated that facilities may hold back on infection control measures when the facility is understaffed in any way. The study has brought to light a major hole in nursing home care that could be prevented by developing an infection control program, according to the healthnews.com report.

Choosing a nursing home is a major decision that both potential residents and their families should make together and they should gather sufficient information to make the right decision. Studies like this one are extremely vital when a person is trying to choose a nursing home to help their loved ones get the medical care they require. This type of study can produce sufficient information for a person to make an educated decision on which locations are the best ones in their area so that they can rest assured that their loved ones are getting the best possible care. These types of studies could bring about questions for potential residents and their families to ask administrators and owners of nursing home facilities to make sure the facility is a safe environment medically and socially for their loved ones.

This bill was introduced in an effort to curb the increasing number of elder sexual abuse incidents that have been occurring. The current list already includes people convicted of sexual criminal conduct, kidnapping, soliciting a minor, and possessing child pornography. This new bill would force people convicted of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult to register to the list of offenders immediately.

Enhancing the list and adding those with criminal abuse charges to the list seems like a good way of ensuring the safety of elderly residents of nursing homes. However, many people are unhappy about the creation of this new addition to the list. Some people realize that a person added to the list of offenders will have a difficult time finding employment elsewhere. As a result, some people believe this will leave facilities shorthanded, causing the elderly to require assistance from relatives or other unqualified people. However, that is not a reason for any criminal abuse offenders to continue to be allowed access to vulnerable, elderly individuals. This new law will prevent elderly from facing possible pain and suffering that comes with elder abuse. Nobody should have to suffer in this way.

Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit of Vermont’s Attorney General’s Office to conduct an investigation into the matter. The Brattleboro Reformer report states that the 85-year-old woman died while being cared for at the hospital. Between March 23rd when she was hospitalized and April 1st when she died, the suspicious transactions began to take place

This incident demonstrates how most elder financial abuse and exploitation cases occur. The perpetrator takes advantage of a time when the victim is completely unaware of their financial standing. Unfortunately, if the woman is convicted of this crime, the 85-year-old woman will not be able to see the justice the woman is served for her actions. The elderly woman passed away during a time when her financial standing was in peril and she could potentially have lost all her money. The report states that the facility where the woman worked conducted background checks prior to hiring the woman. However, conducting a background check may not necessarily prove to be 100% certain in preventing a person with a criminal past from becoming an employee at a nursing home or assisted living facility. As a result, it is very easy for an elderly person to be victimized and abused physically, mentally, or financially.
 

The report states that if a fraction of the 28,000 elderly and disabled residents of Indiana were transferred to home-health care, the state could save between $4.6 and 13.6 million per year. However, funds still continue to be used for nursing home costs and funding has not increased for the two primary home-care programs available in the state.

In this case, there are a number of ways to approach the issue of tax dollars being used one way or another. If taxpayer dollars directed toward nursing home costs are reduced and funding increases for home-health programs, the state of Indiana could subsequently see a dramatic decrease in the number of elder abuse cases and lawsuits in nursing homes. The elderly deserve proper, and prompt medical care regardless of the source. Although elder abuse may not necessarily be completely removed, increasing funding and transferring elders to home-health care could assist in protecting elders and save them money at the same time.

A federal report shows 90% of all nursing homes in the United States employ convicted criminals. Authorities believe a lack of supervision is one of the major factors contributing to most cases of abuse or assault in nursing homes.

Some believe a national background check system should be put in place for all nursing home employees, as they can easily move from one state to the next and find employment despite criminal backgrounds. If an employee has a criminal record in one state, they can find work at another state simply because no national background-checks are conducted. Studies have found that about 33 states only require background checks within their own states and 10 other states require federal and local checks.

National background checks would be a great idea to prevent people with criminal backgrounds from getting employment at nursing homes or home-health centers where elders are most vulnerable. The statistics in this report demonstrate how serious the problem of elder abuse is and providing national background checks could easily reduce the problem significantly. By removing employees with criminal backgrounds, elderly residents of nursing homes can rest assured that they are in a safer environment where they will get the medical care that they deserve and require.
 

The 78-year-old woman’s family left a clock with a hidden camera inside to keep an eye on the woman’s safety. 22-year-old Samirah Traynham, 21-year-old Tyrina Griffin, and 19-year-old Ayesha Muhammad were all arrested in connection with this incident. Traynham allegedly physically abused the elderly woman, striking her in the face and head. The elderly woman’s daughter and son-in-law also found and photographed several bruises on the woman’s body.

Hidden cameras, or “nanny cams” installed in an elderly person’s room in a nursing home or in their home are an excellent way to ensure their safety. “Nanny cams” are becoming more and more popular because they easily provide irrefutable video evidence to use against perpetrators of elder abuse. They are very useful tools to assist the elderly in any abuse cases in order for them to get the compensation that they deserve. With nanny cams implemented in certain nursing homes, it will remove the facility’s ability to deny any claims made against it. Nobody deserves to suffer physical or emotional scars due to abuse and implementing nanny cams could possibly ensure they don’t have to suffer.
 

Kentucky police handed down 316 criminal charges total among the 1,859 cases. The report also provides information on abuse investigations involving victims ranging in age from 18 to 59 years of age. The findings in this report were presented to representatives for many agencies and organizations dedicated to preventing this type of abuse.

The most important thing to take away from this report is the sheer number of cases against both elders over 60 years of age and vulnerable adults under 60. There are many state and national organizations devoted to combating this problem of elder and adult abuse and neglect but the numbers reported in the state of Kentucky alone prove that there is still a long way to go. 7,365 investigations and 1,859 yielded actual abuse. This equates to roughly 25% of all investigations involving people over the age of 60.

This is an indication that the number of victims of elder abuse and neglect throughout the country is much larger. These annual reports provide a quantitative view of how many cases still plague the United States and they should also serve as a road map of sorts to determine if current actions dedicated to preventing and/or reducing elder abuse and neglect are truly working as they should be.
 

The schemer makes this promise to the victims and but disappears just after the victim hands them the donation. Talton is believed to have been involved in this scheme since last year, according to the Mercury News report.

Many reports arise about elderly people being scammed out of thousands of dollars of money. However, a majority of these reports involve perpetrators that are much younger than their victims. Many people do not realize that a nursing home or elder care facility is an easy target for other residents to steal money. Victims are within easy access for other residents of the facility to steal from them if the perpetrators are physically stronger or more capable than their victims. One other factor that plays into a person’s ability to scam the elderly is the person’s age.

Elderly people were raised during a time when trust and good faith were commonplace. Nobody wants to believe that there are people who would scam somebody else out of large sums of money without a second though, but the sad fact is scammers are becoming more and more common. Elderly people should not have to suffer any sort of loss and they deserve to be cared for and assisted in any way possible.
 

The FACE organization reportedly received $128,000 in grant funding from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. In addition to this organization, the Senate Aging Committee is trying to develop an Office of Elder Justice department within the U.S. Department of Justice to further assist elder abuse victims.

Given that this FACE organization is the first in the state of Indiana, it may take time before the organization functions at full capacity. However, the organization has taken major strides in the right direction ensuring that they provide education and training for workers involved in the organization. Providing a veritable one-stop center for elders to get the assistance they require; whether it is legal, medical or some other type of assistance, is an excellent idea and should have a dramatic effect on the current number of elder abuse and elder neglect cases throughout Indiana and throughout the United States as a whole. If the number of reported cases does not lag behind the rate at which elder care facilities and programs are being created, it could easily bring a halt to the number of cases of elder abuse and neglect that arise.

No charges have been filed as of yet and police continue to investigate this incident. The nursing home had not taken any action against the employee for this incident of abuse, according to the report.

There is no information on what caused the nursing home employee to react in this way. However, regardless of the cause, there is no excuse for harming an elderly person that you’re supposed to be caring for. Some people say their temper may flare up if they have a bad day, or in the case of nursing home employees, they may argue that their patient wasn’t being cooperative with them. None of these are valid reasons, though, and nobody deserves the sort of treatment that the elderly man in this incident received.

In the report of this incident, the witness stated that the nursing home aide yelled at the patient saying they didn’t have time to be dealing with the patient the entire night. The fact is, that is a nurse’s aide’s job. They are employed to assist elderly people with whatever they may need for proper care. Granted there are many residents in any elder care facility, but that does not give a person the right to abuse an elderly person.
 

On the surface, this potential legislation seems like a good idea because it would allow officials more power in investigating these types of incidents and possibly bringing justice for those that are victimized by an entire facility or specific employees. It would allow investigators to look into the entire history of the facility rather than be limited in their investigation. However, on the other side of the coin, it would be very easy for facility operators to hide this information simply by not reporting it or keeping a record of it. Therefore it could still be very easy for a facility to get away with seriously injuring or abusing residents at a nursing home. There are always several possibilities, both negative and positive, to these types of situations. It is important to look at both sides to determine what would be the best plan of action to assist nursing home residents in every way possible.

Advocates for seniors stated that while it is a good idea to install these cameras, permission should be granted from the home’s administrator first prior to installation. However, the report states California law prohibits such cameras as well as voice recordings taken without consent of those being recorded.

One of the key points in this report is that the cameras may not always be able to pick up everything that goes on in the facility. While these cameras may be a good idea to monitor the safety of the elderly residents, there is no way of knowing whether or not acts of abuse or neglect occur outside of the camera’s view. It is easy to hide such acts from cameras, especially if employees or even other residents are made aware of the camera’s placement. They could easily avoid being seen by the camera in many ways. However, it would also act as a deterrent for many people as well, thus bringing some semblance of safety to many residents at a nursing home facility.
 

A family member of one of the victims claimed her mother suffered stabbing pain, burning pain as a result of shingles she most likely developed because Delp stole the woman’s medication for a dislocated hip. Delp pleaded no contest to felony charges of elder abuse and drug possession as part of a plea agreement with the prosecution.

The report states that Delp readily admitted that she committed a very serious action by stealing the elderly people’s medication. However, admitting fault does not absolve a person by any means. Even though Delp admitted to stealing the medication, she should still be held accountable to the highest degree of the law because the elderly residents could have been harmed very seriously by having their medication withheld and stolen. Elderly people in nursing homes and in general require a tremendous amount of medical assistance including medication for various ailments. However, when their medication is stolen for seemingly no reason at all, it puts them in harm’s way because they cannot get the medical care they require.
 

King reportedly gave the woman a bloody nose at one point. An investigation has been conducted to determine if there were any other victims of abuse at King’s hands. Another employee reported seeing King verbally and physically abusing two other female patients, ages 70 and 79, at the nursing home in the past. King now faces 5 years in jail for each count against her.

When a person decides to live in a Nursing Home, it is an important decision because the care could be long term or short term. Safety and proper medical care are essential to the quality of life for the elderly residing in a home. When making this decision, it is extremely important that you look into the history of the facility including if there are any incidents of abuse; physical, verbal or emotional abuse, against any employees at the facility. It is important to ensure that the facility has no complaints to avoid potential cases of abuse against your loved ones.
 

The incident occurred in 2006 when an investigation showed the woman’s oxygen level reduced to 85%, which is a dangerous level for any person. The facility took steps to help the woman and gave her an oxygen mask but they did not stay there to ensure that the mask stayed on. The woman subsequently removed the mask and her oxygen level reduced once again. The facility was later fined another $35,000 for several other violations. However, they were able to negotiate the total amount (which should have been $60,000) down to $20,000 total. That fine has yet to be paid, according to the report.

The fact that these residents were killed as a result of negligence is significant enough for the fines to remain as high as they originally were. It is a travesty that the nursing homes are essentially let off the hook with a smaller fine because they were able to negotiate it that low. These medical facilities should be held completely responsible for their negligence and should be forced to pay the full amount in the fine. Allowing negotiations to decrease the fine by any amount is the equivalent of a slap on the wrist, demonstrating to other facilities that they can easily negotiate fines down and not have to lose money despite their negligence
 

Fischer and her husband are suing the facility for negligence because they gave Clark access to Corcoran and Murta despite a court order barring her from working with elderly. Clark had been previously charged with theft from another nursing home. The lawsuit declared that Galloway Ridge had the responsibility to check the criminal background. Clark has allegedly stolen up to $20,000 from her clients since 2001. Becky Fisher has suffered permanent disfigurement and is unable to use parts of her body since the attack. 

Nursing homes have the responsibility of checking their employee’s backgrounds and ensuring that their resident’s safety is never compromised. This incident could have been prevented if they nursing home had simply ordered a standard background check on their future employee. Elderly individuals are extremely susceptible to these dangers and their environment should be a safe haven not the danger zone in their life. If you or a loved one has been taken advantage of or attacked, then contacting a professional is your best option for compensation. 

The number of volunteers reportedly fell from 400 to 380 in just a year. The Obudsman program in Florida has seen an increase in complaints up to 9,098, the highest it has seen in its 35 year history. As a result of the economy, the number of paid staffing positions in the program has reduced by roughly 30% according to the information in this report.

Although those involved in the program were able to complete their duties and investigate all the complaints they deemed necessary, if the number of employees and volunteers continues to fall, it could potentially become harder and harder for all complaints to be resolved. The economic downturn in the nation has put a halt to many other jobs, causing other problems for people in the U.S. If this reduction continues, it could potentially put several residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in harm’s way because their complaints are not being investigated.

Olson reportedly housed at least five patients in her home without a license. One patient was locked in their bedroom and each of the patients were only fed twice a day and given minimal food and/or water. One of the resident’s daughters stated that her mother’s walker was taken away and she was tied to the bed. Olson also runs a limousine company out of her home as well. That company is still running as of now and only the nursing home company was halted.

Most states in the U.S. have regulations regarding turning a residential home into an assisted living or nursing home facility. Running this type of facility without any licensing is illegal and, in many cases, often leads to incidents of negligence or abuse because the owners and/or operators are not always able to keep track of any assistants they may have in the facility. There have been many cases in which an assistant at this type of facility abuses a resident.

The 53-year-old was taken to a medical facility in critical condition following the incident. The caregiver, 38-year-old Willie Lee Shorter Jr. was released from custody on $5,000 bond and could possibly face a trial pending the results of a preliminary exam. Another caregiver working at the facility noticed the burns on the victim’s body following the incident.

In some cases, incidents such as this one occur by accident. The caregiver may be trying to help the resident bathe and does not notice the temperature of the water they are using. However, incidents like this can easily be avoided and there is no excuse for not checking the water temperature in the first place. It is the legal obligation of any nursing home or assisted living center employee to ensure the safety and health of the facility’s residents. Anybody that does not take the time to ensure that their residents are safe and will not be harmed in any way should be held accountable for their actions.
 

The primary goal of the NHCC is to prevent cases where elderly people lose their life as a result of sepsis or any other preventable ailments. The NHCC argues that elderly neglect can easily occurin any facility as a result of many things and sometimes this negligence can lead to the elderly person suffering from sepsis.

Sepsis is a blood infection that can arise from various causes including infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and others. These infections can spread throughout the body and lead to sepsis, which in turn results in septic shock. Elderly people are especially susceptible to sepsis as well as children. Negligence from elder care facilities could easily lead to a resident suffering from sepsis. In many cases, a facility may be understaffed, leading to some residents being neglected either intentionally or unintentionally. Whether it is unintentional or not, though, it should never happen by any means.
 

The director states the facility always conducts background checks on all employees in the facility. Price will have to appear in court in three weeks on the 27th of January. According to authorities, this incident was an isolated incident and no other incidents have occurred at the facility. Price could face the minimum sentence for a Class B felony charge in this incident.

Although this incident is believed to be an isolated one, unfortunately, elderly sexual abuse is a serious crime that occurs often. According to statistics from Elderly Abuse Daily, there are roughly 129,952 total cases of elder abuse in the state of Arizona alone. A majority of elder abuse victims suffer from some sort of physical or mental disability, which allows the perpetrator to easily victimize the elderly person. They are completely unable to defend themselves or call for help. Many elder abuse victims are females that are 75 years of age or older. Elder abuse, including sexual abuse can be prevented, though. If an incident does occur, there are ways to get justice for any suffering you or your loved ones may experience.
 

The report does not state when these laws will take effect in Southern California. According to the lawmakers, these new laws could make it easier to choose a nursing home and could force nursing homes with low ratings to improve their scores.

The nursing homes will be required to display their scores for health inspections, quality of care inspections, fire safety and staffing inspections. The current system uses a five-star rating for each facility. The new laws will require all facilities to post these five-star ratings in their facility. This law could make it very easy to find a good nursing home for your loved ones because it would easily allow you to see which facilities earned high scores in all categories. It will allow you and your loved ones to make informed decisions about which facility is the best possible one. One downside to this law could be if a facility is able to falsify the information in the inspections, which has occurred before in other states. However, if falsification does not become a problem, this new law could potentially help the elderly tremendously.

The report states that the agency that oversees the facility did not find any problems with the facility’s policy until a complaint was sent to a legislator for the state. Following several investigations, it was discovered that there were many incidents of improper sexual behavior amongst the residents. In one particular incident, Kevin Rouse, a resident of the facility was found in the bathroom with another resident participating in sexual activity. However, the incident was not reported because the facility deemed the incident a consensual act and not abuse. Law enforcement was never made aware of this or any other incident in the facility because of the permissive policy. Now the policy for state-run group homes is being revised to avoid such incidents.

It is clear to see how such a policy could be viewed as blatant negligence on the part of the facility and also how it could lead to many more cases of abuse. The fact that the state is now stepping in and revising the policy demonstrates that such a policy is inappropriate, especially for a facility that houses mentally disabled individuals and known sex offenders. The revision of the policy would prevent group-home sexual abuse among residents and potentially between staff and residents as well.

Under the PACE program, sponsors receive a specific amount of state and federal funding to provide medical care and services to the elderly in each of the 166 sites. ElderPlus operates along with Johns Hopkins and they provide a clinic, a pharmacy, adult day-care center, dining hall and 8 vans to provide transportation for the elderly. In addition, they provide in-home care when it is deemed necessary for each person.

Programs such as this PACE program are a huge asset to the nation for providing immediate and necessary care to elderly individuals. To qualify for the program, people must be 55 years old or older and they must also qualify for either Medicaid or Medicare insurance or both. If your loved ones qualify for this program, it could make it much easier for them to receive the care they need and deserve. The aim of this program is to keep elderly people from having to go to nursing homes and elder care facilities and allow them to remain in their homes, keeping their independence.
 

Quinn is also considering legislation that would create a new penalty for facilities that are found to have contributed to a resident’s death. This is all done in an attempt to develop safeguards for the elderly to prevent them from becoming victims of elder abuse or neglect.

Instating this type of legislation to hand out larger fines for penalties and limiting admissions to facilities with previous penalties could provide an incentive to facilities to maintain a good record. In addition, residents of these facilities would know that they are receiving the highest level of care possible at the same time. It would also prevent facilities from hiding potential neglect or abuse cases from authorities because they would receive a much larger fine for doing so. This legislation would benefit the elderly to a large extent because it could potentially reduce the number of cases that go unreported by facility owners or managers, in turn reducing the number of residents that suffer from serious injuries as a result of neglect or abuse.

An associate professor at University of Maryland believes that the increase in population in nursing homes of 31-64 year olds is a result of many programs being cut that would help many people needing in-home care.

It is extremely uncommon to hear stories of younger people requiring care from nursing homes. However, according to researchers and analysts, it is becoming much more prevalent. It is unfortunate for many people if they are being forced into nursing homes because the programs that would allow them to have in-home care have been removed from government budget plans. The odds are likely that this increase in the percentage of the population in nursing homes could be prevented or halted entirely if these programs were not cut. According to a graph in this report, there has been a 4.2% increase of people ages 31-64 in the last 10 years in long-term care facilities.
 

There is currently a sign on the facility that an illness was circulating. In a statement by the Cambridge North Health and Rehabilitation Center stated that several of the residents exhibited symptoms that are virus-like. There have been no positive cultures of norovirus at the facility at this time. Cambridge North contacted Oakland County Health Department for guidance and has been following the directions of the Department very closely. The facility also stated that it is taking steps to minimize the exposure to other residents. 

There are many causes of virus’s and they can be spread through a variety of means. The virus could have been spread through any type of food a drink that was served to the residents or some other type of item could have been contaminated.  When you have a loved one in a nursing home, you are putting your trust that your loved one's environment is safe and free from any type of danger that could affect their health or even cause their death.  If the cause of the virus could have been prevented by the nursing home staff, then they should be held accountable for the pain and suffering of your loved one. 

The Minnesota Department of Health cited Bethesda Heritage Center for neglected because most of the center’s staff members were unaware of the dietary restriction for this resident that did not allow her to consume raw vegetables of any kind. The resident was admitted to the center two years prior to the incident for chronic breathing and trouble with anxiety. She was on a restrictive diet which banned her from consuming anything that was not cooked. On May 29^th, the resident began choking while she ate cucumbers in cream. A staff member performed the Heimlich maneuver, which prompted her to cough up a mouthful of food. 

The resident was taken to an emergency room where she died from respiratory failure and choking. The staff at the nursing home have stated that they did not believe they were violating the dietary restrictions since the cucumbers were soft and in cream sauce. The nursing home has since taken measure to re-educate their staff members about the dietary restrictions of all its residents. The nursing home not requires every meal to be double checked against their resident’s dietary requirements. 

Although the nursing home is now taking measures to prevent this accident it still doesn’t change that the family of this resident has to suffer the loss of their loved one from this accident.    Each resident should have been informed about the dietary restrictions to begin so this incident could have prevented. The negligence of the nursing home makes them responsible for the emotional damages and the other costs of this incident. 

The report provides other significant statistics including the percentage of the population aged 65 and older. The Department of Health Services stated they received 20,000 complaints of abuse, roughly 12,000 of which needed to be investigated by the Department.

This is yet another report of a city or state seeing an increase in elder abuse cases despite the government’s attempts at stifling elder abuse. The U.S. government has developed many programs in an attempt to prevent or reduce the number of elder abuse cases in the nation. However, with more and more cases being reported with seemingly no end in sight, it would seem as though the programs being developed are ineffective, at least for now. The statistics of elder abuse in Oregon alone are incredibly high and the numbers are truthfully distressing. There are many ways to determine if a person is suffering from elder abuse. Being aware of the signs of elder abuse, including physical injuries, emotional distress or a drastic difference in the person’s financial standing, it will be possible to prevent or reverse the damage that is done.
 

Joseph Clint Offutt was a resident of the facility from March of 2008 until April of 2008. Offutt was transported to a Kentucky medical facility and subsequently died after suffering from severe dehydration. The family argued that as a result of the facility’s negligence, Offutt suffered bedsores, infections and malnutrition, all of which resulted in his death.

The jury awarded Offutt’s family $40 million in exemplary damages, $1 million for Offutt’s personal pain and suffering as well as $1.75 million for Offutt’s wife’s loss.  While the amount awarded to the family for punitive damages is a topic easily left for debate, the nursing home should still be held to some sort of penalty for their blatant negligence against Offutt and his health. The family should have justice in their favor for the loss that they have suffered. Leaving a resident’s feeding tubes and other necessary equipment unattended long enough for that resident to suffer malnutrition and dehydration is unacceptable.
 

Hardin-Simerly also poured ice down the woman’s back. The report states that Hardin-Simerly did not stop abusing the victim until the victim complained about the treatment she was receiving from Hardin-Simerly.

This is not the first case of an elderly person suffering abuse at the hands of an employee that thinks they are simply joking around. Incidents in California involved three nursing home employees mistreating several elderly residents in an attempt to prank fellow employees at the facility. Elderly residents of nursing homes are abused and blatantly disrespected on an almost constant basis simply because employees seemingly do not comprehend acting responsibly with the residents. The purpose of a nursing home is to allow elderly people unable to care for themselves to obtain the care they require when they can’t get it anywhere else. Nobody should ever be subjected to poor treatment even if, at first, the perpetrator meant no harm to the victim. It is still extremely disrespectful to the victim, and thus should never happen under any circumstances.
 

Fitsos was taken to a hospital where she was treated for several ailments including malnutrition, dehydration, sepsis and a bedsore on her hip. Fitsos’ son filed a wrongful death lawsuit following this incident. Catuna is currently barred from working at any care facility in California.

Although a language barrier is a legitimate reason for someone being unable to provide a certain amount of care to a person, it does not excuse the facility from not providing proper care from another attendant. The situation could have easily been remedied if other attendants had been present to care for Fitsos. Anybody in an elder care facility or under in-home care deserves the best possible care that can be provided. The facility in this incident clearly failed to provide that care. Despite the language barrier, there is no reason why a facility should neglect to care for its residents. Every facility, whether it is a residential care facility or other type of facility, should have safeguards to maintain proper care of its residents including sufficient caregivers. Incidents like this are easily avoidable by maintaining these safeguards.
 

The report provides evidence of one incident that occurred in 2009 when a 92-year-old woman lost roughly $30,000 as a result of financial abuse from a caretaker. The caretaker pled guilty to felony financial abuse when authorities accused her of signing fraudulent checks from the 92-year-old woman’s account and using her credit cards to make purchases. The woman’s family discovered the caretaker had been convicted of drug charges previously, thus undermining the results of the background check that Home Care Assistance in California conducted.

This report demonstrates that even when legislation has been created to protect the elderly, some people can “slip through the cracks” and subsequently become caretakers for unsuspecting elderly people. It is not impossible to protect the elderly from elder abuse and fraud, but in order to do so; background checks and other safeguards need to be mandated to prevent incidents of elder abuse. According to the report, background checks are not currently mandatory nor are they enforced. Therefore, it is easy for a company to simply overlook the necessity for background checks altogether. Anybody can easily become a caregiver regardless of criminal history, and this simply cannot happen if elderly people are to be protected from abuse.

He was also able to manage his finances on his own volition as well. According to the report, Wilson was reported missing on Thursday and police discovered his body in the river late Friday evening. The report states that police are unsure as to how Wilson managed to get to the river since he normally used a cane and had a hard time walking steadily.

It is unclear as to why Wilson was allowed to leave the facility on his own volition. Even if an elderly individual shows no signs of cognitive disabilities and was not specifically committed to the nursing home facility, the fact that he was even a temporary resident in the facility is enough to warrant some sort of monitoring. Every resident, whether they are temporary or not, should constantly be monitored to prevent any sort of dangerous situation. 

This new program for improving background checks will continue through 2012. The background checks will include searches from state and federal criminal records, registries of abuse and neglect cases, and other databases, according to the report. A number of long-term care facilities are to be covered under this new program including nursing homes, home-health agencies, hospice and long-term care hospitals, and intermediate care facilities.

While developing and employing a program for improved background checks is a good idea on paper, it fails to take into account the abuse and neglect cases that go unreported to authorities. Unfortunately, there are thousands of cases of elder abuse and neglect that are not reported for various reasons. As a result, the perpetrators in those cases may not be held responsible, and therefore may not be convicted. If their record shows no prior criminal history, they could easily be given employment in a nursing home or assisted living center, and potentially put your loved ones in danger.
 

In 2006 Chaney decided to pursue nursing home assistant certification after feeling that the care her own father was receiving from the nursing home he resided in was inadequate. She soon received a job at Plainfield Healthcare Center where she said she had experienced racism from a patient that would not allow her to treat her because she was African American even after the patient had fallen and could not get up. The racial issue has become a legal battle over the last four years and has the potential to change how nursing homes across the country administer care. Her attorney has argued that the push to elevate patient rights has led to increasing discrimination. Chaney was later fired for using profanity against a patient, which she firmly denies, and believes that her termination was racially motivated. The attorney for the nursing home has stated that the termination had nothing to do with race and was not wrongful in any aspect. The patient that showed to have a racial bias against Chaney had put “no African American caregiver” was placed on the patients schedule of instructions in order to avoid a hostile work environment. The case will be decided on next spring. 

Discrimination of any kind should never be a part of any work experience. The challenges of working as a caregiver in a nursing home are demanding and stressful enough without adding a tolerance for discrimination into the mix. There is nothing wrong with adjusting to certain preferences for each patient, but when it has the ability to make a caregiver uncomfortable in their work environment it should not be tolerated. If you are a caregiver who was recently terminated because of a possible racial bias or is currently dealing with discrimination at a nursing home, then contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney is your best option for dealing with this situation. 

According to the police report, the two residents involved in the attack both suffer from dementia, a disorder that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. It is still unclear what provoked the attack. The victim of the attack was rushed to a Beverly Hospital with head and facial wounds and serious internal injuries to the liver. The accused resident is being detained at a psychiatric facility in Lynn until August 21^st so they can be monitored and undergo a complete psychiatric evaluation. Police are still investigating the cause of the incident.

Preventing resident-to-resident abuse is a responsibility of the nursing home staff and administration. Nursing homes are supposed to be the safe haven for your loved ones. You never expect that they can get injured or hurt in a place that promises their safety and well-being. In a situation like this one, the residents should have been monitored and the situation should never have reached such a dangerous level. Other factors could have played a part like if the patient was given an inappropriate amount of medication, or was provoked by the staff. If your loved one was injured in a nursing home and you suspect negligence, then contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney is your best option for compensation. 

Around 1pm the man ran outside barefoot trying to catch up to the mail carrier and when he tried to return to his home he fell and tried to crawl back on his hands and knees. Two women found him and carried him onto the grass and then into his home. The man seemed to not realize the severity of his own injuries. With the heat at over a hundred degrees in Phoenix, the pavement can reach up to 140 degrees. The man was later transferred to The Arizona Burn Center at Maricopa Medical Center suffering second degree burns on his feet. 

These situations can occur as a result of careless mistakes. In most they are only accidents that were the result of a rash decision without thinking. Yet there can be many explanations for this type of scenario. A mix up in medication could have left the man feeling disoriented, he may not have been properly monitored by a caretaker, or he could have suffered an improperly diagnosed health affliction. In those cases, there are negligent parties responsible for his burns. If you were involved in an accident that may have been caused by another person’s negligence then contacting an Arizona personal injury attorney is your best option for compensation. 

Beckerman was a bookkeeper at the facility. The report states that Beckerman forged the nursing home administrator’s name on several checks written for cash amounting to more than $14,500. Beckerman would then keep the money herself for personal use. The victims of these crimes were the Medicaid recipients residing at the Perry Oaks Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. This incident had been occurring between September of 2006 and October of 2007. Beckerman faces sentencing on August 13^th.

Financial fraud of any sort is a very serious crime, but when it happens to someone in the care of an elder care facility, the crime seems far more disastrous. Forging checks and essentially stealing Medicaid funds from the nursing home prevents the nursing home from being able to provide the proper care for residents. It is stealing medical monetary resources that should be going to those individuals living in nursing homes and assisted living centers because they are the ones that truly need the financing for their medical care.

The suspicious banking transactions had been occurring for about a year before authorities became aware of any discrepancies. An internal audit was launched and that is when the suspicious transactions were discovered. Shane was allegedly transferring the money directly into his own account from the five customer accounts. It is unknown whether any investigation on the bank itself will be taking place or not.

For many elderly individuals living in a nursing home, it can often be difficult, especially considering the idea that their independence has been hindered or completely taken away due to age. However, some elderly individuals suffer further emotional distress due to financial abuse in a nursing home facility. Financial abuse can occur in various ways. It can leave an elderly person in financial ruin and leave them unable to recover lost financial savings. There are many signs that you can be aware of to detect financial abuse at the nursing home facility where your loved ones might be staying. If you suspect that the facility is mistreating elderly individuals living in the facility, you should report the facility to law enforcement and remove your loved ones from that situation. Your loved ones should never have to be forced to deal with the emotional toll that financial abuse can have on them. There are many ways you can help if you suspect financial abuse. You can contact an Arizona attorney who can assist you in gaining compensation for damages.

It is very important to make sure that you take notice of any missing property or unusual financial transactions in your loved one’s bank accounts. If you notice anything unusual, you should contact a law enforcement agency and notify the authorities at the nursing home facility where your loved ones are staying. A nursing home should be a safe place where an elderly person does not have to worry if they are going to suffer from physical, emotional or financial abuse from the facility’s staff.

The report states that all the patients suffered from dementia and were unable to defend themselves. All six workers were fired from the nursing home and face several charges against them including injury to elder or dependent adult, battery committed while on hospital property and conspiracy among other charges. The report states that bail for all six former nursing home workers has been set at $7,500.

It is one thing to pull a good-natured prank or joke on a friend or co-worker but it is an entirely different thing to physically abuse another individual in the process. The nursing home residents in this incident may not have suffered any physical injuries but this incident could have been much worse. The residents could have been seriously injured, especially when they were covered with a slippery substance, which could have caused the workers to drop them. The fact that all the residents suffered from dementia makes this incident even worse because they were defenseless and could not protect themselves in any way. Nobody should ever be a victim of this sort of abuse, especially when the nursing home workers act completely unprofessionally and use the residents to prank other co-workers.
 

The woman was taken to a medical facility in critical condition suffering a blood infection and severe bedsores. According to the report, one of the sores was deep enough to expose tendons in the woman’s body. Police found the woman passing in and out of consciousness on the recliner where her family had left her. The woman’s daughter, son-in-law and three of her grandchildren were all arrested on charges of elder abuse.

When someone suffers from elder abuse at the hands of a stranger, it is a terrible thing. When that person suffers elder abuse from their own family, it is much worse. People always think that family members are there to protect you and take care of you in your time of need. Nobody ever suspects that a family member will put them in any sort of danger. Nobody should ever be in a situation where their own family knowingly neglects them and leaves them to waste away. An elderly individual should never have to suffer the way this woman did. This case demonstrates that even family members can be extremely cruel and cold-hearted to one another.

The inspections were not taking place as a result of budget limitations and as a way to save money. There have been at least 15 outbreaks of food borne illnesses since 1995. Experts have stated that people who reside in nursing homes are the most susceptible to food borne incidents.  Day care centers were also feeling the result of the budget problems, but the Department of Children and Families have temporarily taken over the task of inspecting the food preparations in day care centers. The decision to end the inspections was a result of a lack of funding from the federal government and their decision to give more inspection authority to the states. Before the cuts, the health department had inspected the nursing homes and hospitals four times a year. The governor’s spokesperson has stated that they are working together with multiple agencies in order to re-examine the cuts they made for next year. 

When you entrust a loved one in a nursing home or hospital your suspect them to uphold a high standard for care. While some nursing homes and hosptials take pride in the cleanliness and the quality of food in the hospital, there are some nursing homes that fall through the cracks and are responsible for the unnecessary suffering of hundreds of patients and residents. If your loved one has fallen victim to food poisoning caused by hospital or nursing home food, then contacting an Arizona personal injury lawyer can help bring these negligent parties to justice. 

In one instance, according to the report, Dr. Marian Orlowski suffered serious injuries including a fractured left hip resulting from a fall. According to the news story, the lawsuit on Orlowski’s behalf charges that the facility was negligent in Orlowski’s care. The lawsuit alleges that facility workers failed to monitor Orlowski and did not provide him with bed rails, which inevitably led to the fall. In the incident that resulted in a patient’s death, a registered nurse faces second-degree murder charges and charges of patient abuse following the morphine-induced death of her patient, Rachel Holliday. Six other patients suffered morphine-related injuries as well.

In the report, the lawyer representing the facility stated that the personnel argued that they were not aware, and should not have been aware of Orlowski’s medical condition. However, it is common knowledge that any facility providing medical care for patients of any age should be well aware, and necessarily so, of their patients pre-existing medical conditions. A lack of knowledge, either knowingly or unknowingly, is simply unprofessional of any medical facility, especially when any pre-existing conditions or diseases can result in serious injuries to the patient.

The autopsy determined that Engstorm died from drowning, yet the manner of death (suicide, accident, or homicide etc.) is unknown. At around 8:40pm the Police were called to Warren Park Nursing Pavillion located on 6700 block of North Damon Avenue. The staff of the nursing home found Engstrom unresponsive in a bathtub with the water still running. She was immediately taken out of the tub where staff attempted to revive her. Unfortunately the attempts were unsuccessful and paramedics were called to the scene. She was later pronounced dead. Belmont area detectives are still investigating the death. 

These types of accidents should never occur at a nursing home. While the cause of this unfortunate accident is unknown, there are many possibilities. Defective products or even an adverse reaction to medication can be responsible for this horrific accident. The staff of the nursing home can also be held accountable for negligence if they were responsible for checking on their residents frequently, or if they were aware of their residents instability. Regardless of the situation, when a family is grieving because of a loss of a family member it can be difficult to know the right course of action to take. Contacting a professional is the best option for your family to receive compensation if another party is at fault for the accident.

Gould had a history of disappearing, having once incident of going missing for ten days then being found in Providence, R.I.   Gould has several medical conditions that require medications.  After checking several previous addresses and family members, police were still not able to locate Gould.   Anyone with information is asked to contact the Norton police at 508-285-3300.

Unfortunately, there are many cases like Thomas Goulds.  Rest homes have the responsibility to take care and monitor their residents, especially when they have a history of wandering.  There are a variety of dangers that can happen.  For instance, your loved one could be injured, robbed or suffer severe emotional distress and disorientation when they wander off.  Without medications, the risk of death can also occur.  When you trust a rest home with the care of your loved ones, you expect them to uphold the best standards possible and to not put your family in a traumatic situation of having your loved ones lost.  During the summer there are many incidents like these in rest homes because families tend to visit less during the summers because of vacations and other priorities.  Regardless, this type of incident should never occur and contacting a professional is your best option for receiving the help your family deserves through this difficult time.

For more information on nursing home abuse, visit Solomon & Relihan's Nursing Home Advocates website. 

According to local TV station WTVD, 42-year-old Michael Brodie is the worker accused of the assault.  Brodie had prior charges on his record and a background check was performed, but his record did not preclude him from working at the nursing home.  For more information, you can see WTVD's report below. 

This story illustrates that, though states require background checks for nursing home employees, this does not always keep all criminals out.  Sexual assault is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable and we must all work to prevent it.  If you have a loved one who is in a nursing home, please pay attention for physical and emotional signs of abuse.  These can include:

Bruising on inner thighs

Sexually transmitted diseases

Difficulty walking or standing

Pain and/or itching in the genital area

Scared or timid behavior

Depressed, withdrawn behavior

Sudden changes in personality

Fear of certain people or of physical characteristics

If you suspect abuse, you should contact an Arizona nursing home abuse attorney immediately.  You should also consult the Arizona Department of Health Services website for more information on quality of nursing home care.

For more information on nursing home sexual abuse, visit the Nursing Home Advocates Sexual Assault information page.