California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

This is an amazing story. A nursing home video camera catches a nursing caregiver deliberately dump an 85-year-old resident out of her wheelchair and onto the floor, and then simply walk away. In the horrific video, Nurse Jesse Joiner walks over the wheelchair, and abruptly jerks it to the left, causing the frail woman to fall hard on the floor. Incredibly, Joiner simply walks away as the woman is writhing on the floor. As if that weren't stunning enough, minutes later another caregiver notices the woman on the floor, and does nothing for more than a minute. According to the new story, the victim fractured her hip in the fall. Her current condition is unknown.

As a firm that has handled numerous fall-fracture cases in the nursing home, including several that were supposedly "accidental falls" from a wheelchair, it is stunning to see this. You can bet that the nursing notes say that the resident fell on her own, and that she had some propensity to try to get out of her wheelchair. What's also interesting is that the nursing home looks like a pretty nice place in the video, and according to the story has a clean record with state authorities.

As we always say, any unexpected injury, illness, or death should be examined. Also, you can never the judge the quality of a home by how it looks on the outside or inside. How many times have other residents at this home been injured or killed by incidents that were noted to be simple accidents.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

Source: WBCBSTV.com

The San Diego-based nursing home elder abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and dependent adults throughout Southern California who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free and confidential consultation.

The signs and symptoms of a brain injury are not always as clear as you might think. Most patients who suffer a traumatic brain injury can walk, talk, and give the appearance of a normally functioning person. There are, however, symptoms that point to brain trauma.

The month of March is set aside to increase the awareness of traumatic brain injuries, which can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls - particularly in people over age 75 - are the leading cause of brain injuries in the United States.

Those who care for the elderly should be aware of the symptoms of a brain injury. In a mild injury, a person might have a persistent headache, confused, or have blurred vision. Another symptoms is a lost of smell or taste. A more severe injury may cause vomiting, slurred speech or weakness in arms or legs.

In the elderly, the best way to prevent injury is to prevent falls. One way to prevent falls is to remove items in the home that can be a trip hazard such as small rugs or electric cords. Another way is to be aware of any medications that might increase dizziness or weakness, and to make sure that any vision problems are addressed.

For more information about preventing falls visit the CDC website.

A severe hip fracture suffered by a resident of an assisted living facility went undiagnosed by facility staff for two weeks. The resident, who was ambulatory before the hip fracture, died approximately three weeks after being hospitalized for her injury. Mr. Walton filed a lawsuit against the residential care facility for failure to recognize the fracture.