Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog

During a recent deposition investigating negligent care at ManorCare Oak Lawn East, in Illinois, a nurse testified as to the negligent nursing care patients were receiving. The case concerned pressure ulcers and the nurse testified that the dressings on these ulcers were consistently not changed.

In one example, this particular nurse did her own "in house" test where she changed a bandage on an ulcer. She then placed a $5 bill over the bandage and another layer of dressing. When she arrived the next day, after the bandage had allegedly been changed; the $5 bill was still there. This confirmed to the nurse that the bandage had been left unchanged overnight, violating the care orders for the patient.

A Smart Money article, prompted by an extreme nursing home care story of negligence and deception compiled a list of have common problems in the multibillion-dollar assisted-living industry. “Lack of adequate care, broken marketing promises and a dearth of federal regulation are just a few.”

10 Things Your Assisted-Living Facility Won't Tell You

1. We promise more than we can deliver

2. We can raise our prices at any time

3. Our staff has very little training

4. Medication errors are common and our pharmacy charges too much

5. We face scant regulation

6. You're practically on your own at night

7. You may have to hire a private-duty nurse, too

8. We stop spending once our beds are full

9. Practically anyone can hang an assisted-living shingle

10. Check your dignity at the door

For the full article:
http://www.smartmoney.com/consumer/index.cfm?story=200104192

In response to states drafting false claims acts that are not at least as strong as the federal False Claims Act, the government is providing an incentive for states to strengthen and pass these laws.

As part of the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), the government will provide a 10 percent increase in the state's share of Medicaid fraud recoveries if their laws are at least as strong as the federal False Claims Act.

For more information:
http://www.taf.org/cashbackstatefca.htm