February 11, 2010

Illinois Nursing Home has Funds Cut Off After Incidents of Nursing Home Abuse

Illinois and federal authorities have stopped funding to the Fox River Pavilion nursing home in Aurora Illinois. This occurred after a series of violent incidents that included the wrongful death of one resident in a fight. State investigators believe that a lack of staffing contributed to the resident-on-resident attacks at the 98-resident nursing home in Aurora. They found that the staff failed to properly monitor and treat aggressive mentally ill felons housed there. The problem of inadequate staffing has become widespread in Illinois. Illinois has the highest ratio of mentally ill patients housed with the elderly. Many of these psychiatric patients have felony records.

A Chicago Tribune investigation has revealed that the nursing homes with the most felons also have the fewest nursing home staff employees. Fox River Pavilion housed 26 felons and had a ratio of nursing home staff to patients “well below average” than desired. During the wrongful death residents said that no staff were present to control the incident. This termination marks the second time in one month that Medicare and Medicaid Services has cut off funding of an Illinois nursing home. The state has also moved to decertify the Somerset Place nursing home in Chicago.

The Chicago injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti believe that nursing home staffing levels are one of the most important issues that plague modern day facilities. In order to combat nursing home negligence there needs to be a number of well-trained staff members that are employed 24-hours a day. If you believe that a loved one has been injured in a nursing home due to insufficient staffing numbers, please consult an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer. To read more about this Illinois nursing home, losing funding, follow the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Fox River Pavilion, Incidents, Nursing Home Staff News

| Share
December 15, 2009

Illinois Weighing Tougher Sanctions for Nursing Home Administrators

State authorities stated that they are reviewing laws and policies to strengthen the disciplinary sanctions taken against nursing home administrators in cases of wrongdoing and patient harm. Although there are serious allegations of violence against nursing home residents, administrators are rarely punished by the Department of Financial & Professional Regulation, which licenses the administrators and other professional staff. The Chicago Tribune examination of government records show that department officials have been discussing possible reforms with the new Illinois Nursing Home Safety Task Force. Discussions have centered on ways the state Health Department can streamline the reporting of misconduct and safety breaches to their agency, which could strengthen the disciplining of facility administrators. Not one Illinois nursing home administrator has had his or her license revoked since January 2005. Additionally, out of the thousands of cases of nursing home abuse only 20 administrators have been disciplined for nursing home negligence. One nursing home administrator was found to have multiple health violations and was linked to the deaths of two residents for negligent care. Her license was only suspended for one year. Illinois nursing home administrators should be disciplined for gross negligent care. To read more about the new task force, check out the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Compromised Care: Tribune Investigation, Incidents

| Share
December 9, 2009

Temp Firms have become a Magnet for Unfit Nurses

Firms that supply temporary nurses to the nation’s hospitals are taking perilous shortcuts in their screening and supervision, which is putting seriously ill patients in the hands of incompetent caregivers. There is a chronic nursing shortage which makes nursing homes look towards temp agencies for help. However, these agencies have become havens for nurses who hopscotch from place to place to avoid the consequences of their misconduct. The agencies have skimped on background checks or ignored warnings from hospitals about sub-par nurses on their payrolls. Fill-in nurses have histories of falling asleep on the job, failed to perform critical texts and stolen drugs from the nursing home. Sometimes the nurses lie on their application. Studies have found that nursing homes with high staff turnover are more likely to have nursing home negligence. To read more about the temp nursing agencies, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff

| Share
November 17, 2009

Is Nursing Home Staff Retention and Resident Longevity Related?

One nursing home has five residents over the age of 100 who have all lived in the same nursing home for several years. What do they have in common? All of the residents were assisted by employees that worked at the nursing home for 20 years. Turnover and the impact on residents in nursing homes have been greatly researched. One study found that when there is a loss of administrator there are increasing pressure ulcers, resident catheters and the use of psychoactive drugs. There are also more deficiencies and citations. This could occur because when the administrator leaves the normal turnover of staff doubles. The turnover for administrators in assisted living facilities ranges from 43%-70% annually. This results in increasing workloads for the remaining staff. It is evident that turnover weakens nursing homes and affects residents. In order to keep staff longevity staff must value their relationships. This will obviously help decrease nursing home negligence. To see the full results of the study, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, Useful publications

| Share
September 20, 2009

Director of Group Home Arrested

Investigators are looking into charges of elderly abuse at a collection of group homes. They have arrested the director of one of the homes after discovering he was on probation for elder abuse and had been ordered to stay away from such facilities. He was convicted last year of causing great bodily harm to an elderly or dependent person and served three months in jail. He is also the target of a nursing home negligence lawsuit filed by the family of a man who drowned in a pool while living in one of his group homes. The man was taken into custody for violating conditions of his probation after initially refusing entry to investigators checking on conditions of the house. The man is also the son of another director who was arrested on 16 charges of elder abuse after police raided the unlicensed board and care facility. This case highlights the importance of doing a thorough examination before placing a loved one in a nursing home. Some nursing homes are ill equipped to deal with the pressures of a nursing home which often times leads to nursing home abuse and negligence. To read more about the nursing home director, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Abuse, Nursing Home Staff News

| Share
September 17, 2009

Nursing Home Fined for having an Unauthorized Worker

Two nursing homes were hit with big fines for having an unauthorized employee. Federal prosecutors say that the nursing home both hired a nurse who had been previously banned from working in facilities that receive federal health care funds, like Medicare. Such bans often result from fraud convictions, although specific details could not be given. The two homes paid $215,000 in fines after the nursing home negligence. Nursing homes must have stringent hiring processes in order to avoid nursing home abuse at the hands of an unqualified employee. If you believe that your nursing home has hired unauthorized workers, please contact the Illinois Department of Health and consult an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the nursing home negligence, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff News

| Share
September 4, 2009

Nursing Home Workers should be required to get Flu Shots

While state’s Health Department’s are requiring that health care workers be vaccinated for the flu, they are not requiring the same regulation for employees of nursing homes. One particular state’s law requires that nursing home employees get flu shots but allows workers to refuse the vaccine after being informed of the heath risks. The refusal loophole will put thousands of frail, elderly residents at risk every year. They are more likely to die or be hospitalized from seasonal flu than most other groups. With swine flu sweeping the nation, elderly residents are more likely to contract the flu. While it is more serious in younger people and pregnant women, the elderly are still at risk. All states, including Illinois, should require that nursing home employees receive the swine flu vaccine to avoid nursing home negligence. Also, all visitors should require hand sanitizer before entering an Illinois nursing home. To read more about mandatory swine flu testing, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, Nursing Home Staff News

| Share
September 3, 2009

Study shows that Direct Care Workers are Essential to Quality Nursing Home and Home Health Care

The Direct Care Workers (DCWs) are integral to addressing the many elderly family members that live in both nursing homes and need personal care takers. The DCW is also a liaison to the nursing home staff, reporting the care-receiver’s medical and emotional status. The DCW is responsible for the actions of many of the elderly residents. They affect: when and whether the resident gets out of bed; how long the resident has to lie in wet pants; whether the resident’s teeth are brushed; if the nurse is notified of bed sores; whether the resident is malnourished and whether the resident has taken to any morning activities. These are vital activities to both a resident’s day and their stay at a nursing facility. Therefore the DCW is responsible for ensuring that nursing home abuse and negligence does not occur. One way to ensure this is through individualized care plans. Also supervisor training and dementia training can decrease elderly abuse. To read more about the DCW importance, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, Nursing Home Staff News, Useful publications

| Share
July 10, 2009

Results of First Nursing Assistant Survey Published

A 2004-2005 National Nursing Assistant Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was recently published. The first-ever survey was designed to provide information needed to recruit, retain and expand the direct care workface. Some of the characteristics the survey examined include demographics, career decisions, work experience and training, pay and benefits, work environment, home environment, injuries and vaccinations. Almost half of all CNAs are members of a minority group with their median hourly wage was $10.04. 16 percent had no health insurance and more than half were injured on the job at least once during the previous year. The Gerontologist hopes that the survey “represents a major advance in the data available about CNAs in nursing homes and provides a rich resource for evidence- based policy, practice, and applied research initiatives recruitment and retention efforts.” Hopefully, this report will help Illinois nursing homes decrease elderly abuse and neglect. To read the nursing home study, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, Nursing Home Staff News, Useful publications

| Share
June 25, 2009

Tips to Protect Loved Ones from Nursing Home Abuse

Elder abuse has become an all too real reality in nursing homes across the country. However, there are some very practical things you can do to make sure your family is safe while in a nursing home. The best way to combat nursing home abuse is to visit often. It is a fact that clients who have regular visitation from family and friends are less likely to be abused. Also it is important to be vigilant and learn to recognize symptoms of elder abuse. Establishing relationships with staff will help lessen the possibility of elder abuse. All of these ways will help your loved one stay safe in their nursing home. To read more about the elder abuse, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, How to choose a home

| Share
April 28, 2009

Nursing Home Investigated after Cell Phone Misuse

A state’s department of health is investigating a nursing home after a complaint was made about an incident stemming from employee misuse of cell phone in patient areas. Two employees have been dismissed because of the incident. Under the nursing home’s policy an employee is not allowed to have a personal cell phone in a resident area. The nursing home currently has a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services rating of two stars, out of five. Surveys in 2008 found violations in reporting changes in residents’ physical or mental health to family members and doctors; helping residents with eating, drinking, grooming and hygiene when necessary; staffing’ and making sure that nursing home area is free of potential accident-causing dangers. Cell phones should not be allowed in patient areas because they lead to nursing home neglect. This can happen everywhere, including here in Chicago, Illinois. To read more about the nursing home employee incident, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff

| Share
March 23, 2009

Mentally Ill Threaten Elderly in Nursing Homes

Over the past several years, nursing homes have seen an increase in young and middle-age people with mental illness. This increase in mentally ill patients has also increased the amount of elderly violence in nursing homes. One such incident at All Faith Pavilion in Chicago's South Side involved Ivory Jackson, a 77-year-old man with Alzheimer’s who was smashed in the face with a clock radio as he lay in his bed. The man who killed Mr. Jackson was a mentally ill man thirty years his younger.

What has occurred is that younger, stronger residents with schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder are now living beside frail elderly residents and they have been taking their rage out on them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services show that nearly 125,000 young and middle-aged adults are living with serious mental illnesses in U.S. nursing homes, which is a 41 percent increase from 2002. There are several forces behind the trend including the closing of state mental institutions and a shortage of hospital psychiatric beds. Due to these great increases in numbers, numerous incidents have occurred. Gaps in the employee staff training leave the nursing homes inept at handling the delusions and aggression of the mentally ill, which makes it difficult on the elderly residents.

The attorneys at Levin & Perconti have worked on a number of cases involving sexual or physical abuse of nursing home residents. W are currently involved in a similar case against East Peoria Gardens in East Peoria, IL. Our attorneys represent the family of a woman who fell at the home as a result of improper supervision and died a week later from her injuries. The case alleges that as a result of the owners’ decision to mix an elderly population with younger mentally ill resident, a situation was created where the elderly residents and the staff were in fear for their own safety. To read more about this nursing home lawsuit, follow the link.

To read more about the increase in elderly physical abuse, please click here.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Staffing Issues

| Share
February 23, 2009

3 Employees Arrested in Nursing Home Deaths

Some investigators are describing a recent elder abuse case as the most outrageous that has even been seen. According to authorities three top managers at a nursing home have been arrested in the deaths of three residents who allegedly were given needless doses of psychotropic medications. The attorney general’s office contended in a criminal complaint that more than 20 residents at the nursing center were drugged for “staff convenience.” Many of them experienced side effects that included dramatic weight loss, slurred speech, tremors, loss of cognition and even psychosis. All three employees have been charged with elder abuse. Two employees that administered shots by force and without consent have also been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The complaint states that the nursing director failed to examine patients and were either willfully or naively ignorant of his proper role. To read more about the nursing home restraint, click here.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Abuse, Wrongful Death

| Share
February 19, 2009

Charges Expected in Nursing Home Resident’s Death

Criminal charges are expected in the case of a nursing home resident who was found frozen to death outside. Authorities now believe that that woman may have been the victim of elderly neglect and a cover-up. The three daughters of the woman have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Illinois nursing home. Authorities believe that four women who work at the facility made the woman appear as though she had died in her sleep. The medical examiner’s report revealed that hypothermia was part of the reason for her death. It appears that the woman did signal an alarm, but a nursing home employee negligently ignored it because she was watching television. This nursing home negligence case is outrageous, and the DuPage state’s attorney’s office must investigate. To read more about the elderly negligence cover-up, click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Incidents, Nursing Home Abuse

| Share
February 18, 2009

Nursing Home Covers-up Neglect

An employee at an Illinois nursing home was too absorbed by an episode of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” to respond to a security door alarm sound. The alarm was most likely triggered by the electronic bracelet worn by an 89-year-old resident who wandered outside the nursing home. The woman wrongfully died of exposure to the cold. Law enforcement believes that after the employees found the elderly woman in the subfreezing cold, they allegedly tried to cover up the tragedy by returning the deceased woman to her bed. The former Chicago woman, who suffered from dementia and other health problems, was a resident at the nursing home for nearly three years. At the moment, the nursing home is facing both criminal and civil charges after they originally told officers that the elderly woman died while asleep in her bed. Authorities became suspicious because the woman was dressed in a hospital gown and covered in blankets and lying on a gurney while hooked up to an oxygen machine. To read more about the wrongful nursing home death, please click the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Illinois Nursing Homes, Nursing Home Staff, Incidents, Nursing Home Abuse

| Share
February 17, 2009

Nursing Home Aide Charged with Patient Assault

A former worker at a nursing home has been charged with sexually molesting a patient while another patient slept in that same room. Prosecutors said that the 46-year-old worker sexually assaulted the 62-year-old woman who had recently suffered a stroke at the nursing home. The man had worked there since August, but has subsequently been fired. The elderly assault was discovered when another aide noticed the victim acting strange towards the victim. The man is currently out of custody on bond. Elderly sexual assault has become an all too common phenomenon and occurs here in Chicago, Illinois. To read more about the elderly abuse, please click on the link.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Abuse

| Share
February 3, 2009

Nursing Home Directors See Pay Raise

Directors of nursing homes saw a slight pay increase in the last year. The national average salary rose about 400 dollars from $60,000 in 2008 from $59,627 in 2007. Residential nurses and certified nursing assistants in nursing homes fared even better and received a 3.34% and 3.17% pay raise, respectively. There was also a smaller turnover rate among residential nursing homes. The turnover fell to 35.5% this year when it was at 42.33$ last year. Additionally the turnover rate for certified nursing assistants held stead at 42%. Hopefully legislation requiring background checks on nursing home employees will help keep competent nursing home staff. This will in turn ensure that elderly neglect and nursing home abuse cases diminish in Chicago, Illinois. This report was published by the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service. To read more about the nursing home salary and benefits report, click here.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, Useful publications

| Share
January 25, 2009

Nursing home aide to serve 30 days in jail

A nursing home employee who was charged with elder abuse pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and will serve 30 days in jail. She was charged with elder abuse after she was accused of hitting the 74 year-old woman with a clipboard and an incontinence pad, as well as pulling her hair and slapping her. Elder abuse by nursing home employees whom the family have trusted to provide care is always devastating.

For the full article.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Abuse

| Share
January 22, 2009

Jury Awards $1.25 Million in Nursing Home Negligence Suit

A jury has determined that a nursing home patient’s death was caused by elderly negligence on the part of his caretakers. The court awarded the man’s daughter $1.25 million, ending a four-year elderly abuse lawsuit. The man was admitted to the nursing home at the age of 67 and had to go to the hospital a mere nine months later. In the hospital he was treated for a bedsore that infected his left buttock to the bone. In the trial nursing home assistants testified that there weren’t enough staffers to provide adequate care. The man should have been turned over every two hours to ensure bedsores do not form, yet the nursing home only turned him over every four hours. This lack of attention caused the elderly man to develop horrible bedsores. The man then suffered from malnutrition as a result of the original infection, which sent his body into a death spiral leading to more bedsores and infections. The last few months of the man’s life were unbearable. To read the full story, click here.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Staffing Issues, Verdicts and Settlements

| Share
January 10, 2009

Family of woman found dead at nursing home want answers

The daughters of an elderly woman found dead outside of a nursing home are demanding answers from the nursing home staff. The daughters said that the elderly woman suffered from Alzheimer’s and had wandered out of the facility only two days before. The family wonders whether the nursing home staff was negligent in not preventing the elderly woman from leaving the facility again.

For the full article.

Posted by Levin & Perconti | | Email This Post

Posted In: Nursing Home Staff, National Nursing Homes, Abuse

| Share

Contact Us

Disclaimer

The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

Subscribe

Add to your Google Home Page or Google Reader Add to your My Yahoo!
Add to your My MSN Add to your My AOL

Categories

Levin & Perconti Blogs

Subscribe

Subscribe to the blogs's ATOM feed Subscribe to the RDF (RSS 1.0) feed
Add to your My Feedster Add to your NewsGator
Add to your Bloglines Add to your News Burst
Add to your Rojo Add to your Pluck

98000reasons.jpg

Legal Blogs