Pennsylvania Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

If you have been on the receiving end of less-than-courteous behavior from someone in the customer service field, you know how frustrating it can be. Now imagine that you are witnessing that same behavior firsthand, only this time the person at the receiving end is your elderly family member who is confined to a nursing home. One thing is certain: we all agree that rudeness from a nursing home staff member is unacceptable…but we may not know how to address it.

This topic is the focus of an advice column piece called “Should I Say Something? Nursing Home Nastiness” published in the Maplewood/Millburn/South Orange, NJ blog of the New York Times.

The writers of the blog advise that the best approach is to bring the incident to the attention of the administrator, the facility social workers, or the facility’s family council. It’s important to speak up. No one deserves to be treated in a discourteous way. And the only way to bring about a solution to the problem is to bring the issue to light.

We found an article on TimesUnion.com that offers tips when visiting a loved one in a nursing home. The New York State Office for the Aging mentions a few things to look for to ensure family members are getting proper care and to make the most of your time together.

Be attentive to the resident’s appearance: In the article, Mark Miller, the state ombudsman, said, “Do they appear clean and properly dressed? Do they appear well-cared for?” According to Miller, the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program usually sees a rise in complaints about facilities after the holidays. He recommends bringing any problems that you notice to the attention of the facility’s administration immediately. “Clearly identify what the problem is, approach the administrator or director of nursing or a social worker in the facility to express the problem, indicate what you think would be an appropriate solution and ask for a time frame in which it will be corrected,” he said.

Call the facility before visiting: Call ahead to confirm the best time to visit and to see if you can join in any activities. It’s best to avoid any time when your family member usually naps.

StarTribune.com of Minneapolis, MN has reported that more than 1,000 Minnesota residents died as a result of falls that happened in nursing home facilities from 2002 to 2008. Although the nursing home industry has tried to remedy the problem, there are no signs that the number these types of deaths are being significantly reduced.

In some cases nursing home staff may not have taken the necessary precautions to keep residents safe from falling; and some families were not made aware of this until after the death of their loved one. According to the article, one family settled a lawsuit with a nursing home after the state cited the facility for failing to prevent a fall that resulted in the death of a resident. Read the full article here.

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The holidays can be a difficult time for people living in nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities. But an article on KenoshaNews.com shows that there are many ways that relatives can lift the spirits of aging loved ones with some simple holiday gifts.

Judy Geiszler, executive director of Kenosha, WI’s Golden Living Center says, “Create books with pictures of them and pictures of family members.” Some facilities have computers that residents can use. Geiszler continued, “If you can’t bring pictures in, send them on CDs. We’ll show them on the computer. Or send them to their personal email accounts, and we’ll help them look at them.” Recent photos can make nursing home residents feel like they are participating in family events, such as birthday parties, graduations, and weddings.

Geiszler suggests aromatheraphy gifts, such as cuddle pillows with soothing scents like eucalyptus or lavender. “These scents help make them feel more relaxed,” said Geizler.

An article published this week on NewsOK.com discusses the problem of pressure ulcers suffered by patients in Oklahoma nursing homes. Although pressure ulcers, more commonly known as bed sores, can be prevented, Oklahoma is among the worst in the country for patients suffering from bed sores. And families are striking back — filing lawsuits against facilities when their family members develop bed sores while in nursing homes. Read the full article here.

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We found an article on the Lansing, MI television station website WLNS.com about an elder death review team that is fighting crimes against the elderly. The focus of the Ingham County team, one of only two in the state, is to bring to light these types of crimes that often go unnoticed and to educate the public about elder abuse. Click on the link below to read the entire article:

http://www.wlns.com/Global/story.asp?S=11643542

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An article on the AltoonaMirror.com reported that Grane Healthcare of Pittsburgh is aiming to close the sale of Laurel Crest Rehabilitation & Special Care Center in Ebensburg by Dec. 31.

Grane, which currently owns 11 nursing homes in central and western Pennsylvania, is purchasing the home from Cambria County for $14.2 million. Several years of continued losses, staff layoffs, and other cost cuts forced the county to sell Laurel Crest late this spring.

In recent years, state inspections revealed dozens of deficiencies at Laurel Crest that resulted in serious fines and penalties. Grane, whose nursing homes have faired well in recent Department of Health inspections, plans to look closely at Laurel Crest to see what improvements can be made to the facility. In the article, Grane company spokesman Mark Fox said, “Laurel Crest itself is in good condition overall but we’re looking at the facility carefully.”

Finding a good nursing home for a loved one can be a difficult and emotional process. There are many factors to consider, including cost, activities offered to residents, staff-to-patient ratios, quality of care, and many others.

A recent statistical analysis was done by Scripps Howard on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare system, which includes about 15,700 nursing facilities. The Compare list, which uses a one to five star rating scale, is meant to be used as a starting point for families researching nursing homes. However, the Scripps Howard analysis highlights the difficulties in finding a good nursing home due to differences in levels of nursing home quality across the country.

To read the full analysis, visit the ScrippsNews.com website.

A Texas woman was sentenced to 20 months in jail after she was caught on videotape abusing a paralyzed nursing home resident.

The nursing home resident had told her husband earlier this year that she was being abused. But because the woman suffers from dementia, she could not properly identify her abuser to the nursing home administration. The woman’s husband placed a camera in her room and caught the nursing home aide forcing the woman out of her wheelchair, striking the woman numerous times on the arm, as well as slinging the woman into bed so forcefully that she hit her head on the headboard.

Stories of this type of abuse do not happen in every nursing home. But when neglect does take place, it is inexcusable. There are some signs you can look for if you suspect a loved one in a nursing home is being abused. Those signs include:

• Bed sores
• Dehydration and malnutrition
• Severe injuries
• Broken bones

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