One witness in the case recalled visiting her father, who had Alzheimer's disease, and frequently finding him lying in urine-soaked sheets. She said it would routinely take up to 20 minutes for someone to respond to a call light.

"The major problem for most nursing homes in California and in the nation is staffing," Pat McGinnis, executive director and founder of the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, told the AP.

The article notes that Wall Street investment firms bought several nursing home chains in the early 2000's, and, critics charge, went on to drastically reduce staffing levels. (For example) Skilled Healthcare, a public company, saw its stock value plunge as a result of the verdict, and now others wonder if their next. Many of the country's 16,000 nursing homes are owned by publicly traded companies.

To read the entire AP article click here.

The nursing home neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Cases are accepted in all Southern California counties. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

Because of this CANHR has launched a campaign to help end the drugging of California nursing home residents. CANHR states its goal this way:

The goal of the campaign is to stop nursing homes and doctors from misusing dangerous antipsychotic drugs and other types of psychoactive drugs to chemically restrain residents and to replace drugging with individualized care. Through education, advocacy and political action, we seek to bring Californians together to end this harmful practice.

The website is a great resource for families and professionals, and invites people to get involved in the campaign.

VISIT THE WEBSITE HERE

Also on the new website you'll have access to CANHR’s guide, Toxic Medicine: What You Should Know to Fight the Misuse of Psychoactive Drugs in Nursing Homes. This comprehensive booklet addresses all of the uses of psychoactive drugs in skilled nursing facilities, and provides guidance for residents and their families to avoid becoming a victim of these drugs.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD TOXIC MEDICINE: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW TO FIGHT THE MISUSE OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS IN NURSING FACILITIES [.pdf]

The elder abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Cases are accepted in all Southern California counties. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

St. Edna's was among the many California nursing homes who received $880 million in Medi-Cal compensation from the state in a program that began in 2004, and was designed to promote care and avoid staffing deficiencies. Many homes that received the additional money still reduced staffing, despite profiting from the additional funds. Apparently St. Ednas was one of those homes.

In this case, Barbara Lefforge was admitted to St. Edna on Sept. 17, 2007, to rehabilitate from tendon repair surgery. Her surgeon mistakenly recommended 50 mg of morphine for pain instead of 50 mg of Demerol. That is a huge dose of morphine, which Lefforge's attorney argued should have been promptly caught by the nursing home staff. According to reports, a nurse at the facility could not get the full does, so took 30 mg from an office emergency kit and gave it to Lefforge, who suffered an overdose, which itself went unnoticed by the staff. She suffered a major brain injury.

“I feel this is a just result and fair based upon the conduct that St. Edna’s staff engaged in,” attorney Ted Wacker told the Orange County Register.

After deliberating for two days, the jury found St. Edna 90 percent at fault for the damages, and the surgeon who wrote the wrong prescription only 10 percent at fault. Jurors awarded $2 million for pain and suffering and $1.1 million in medical costs.

Source: Orange County Register

The Southern California nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

"As part of a cruel and shocking prank, these caregivers abused defenseless elders," AG Jerry Brown said. "This is despicable behavior by people placed in a position of trust."

After an investigation by the California Bureau of Elder Abuse, the district attorney's office has filed a misdemeanor criminal charge against each employee for injury to elder or dependent adult; battery committed on elder or a dependent adult; conspiracy; and battery committed while on hospital property.

Attorney General Brown's Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse was created to protect elderly patients from physical and financial abuse and neglect in long-term care facilities, as well as home health care. In 2009, the bureau obtained convictions in 49 criminal cases of elder abuse.

Source: Imperial Valley News

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and disabled and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

The investigation profiles the family of Dr. Keith Blair, a retired dentist, who died at age 86 after a stay at Arbor Hills Nursing Center in La Mesa. The family contends Dr. Blair's death was expedited by the use of the anti-psychotic drugs Risperdal and Haldol that were given without consent. Both drugs contain warnings that state the drugs are "associated with an increased risk of mortality in elderly patients."

Upon one visit to the nursing home to see her father, Marian Hollingsworth told the I-Team that her father was "completely out of it. I shook him on the bed, I hollered his name. I asked the nurse what was going on. I couldn't wake him up. She said, 'Oh, he was sleepy last night.'"

After her father' died, a review of his medical records showed that staff at both the hospitals and the nursing home gave him Risperdal and Haldol without consent. The family has filed a complaint with the California Department of Public Health.

The use of anti-psychotic drugs in the elderly for behavior control is a growing concern among advocates for the elderly. The California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform will be launching a website on this topic alone, and Dr. David Graham, a Food and Drug Administration expert, recently told Congress that the practice of drugging the elderly to control them results in at least 15,000 deaths annually.

A video of the I-Team story can be found by CLICKING HERE

Source: 10News.com

The San Diego nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The verdict may not be all that it's cracked up to be. According to news accounts, the nursing home quit defending itself in the lawsuit several weeks ago after many years of litigation, and the family was able to get a default judgment. The judge then asked the jury to determine the proper amount of damages. After some deliberation, the jury awarded $14 million in compensatory damages, and $100 million in punitive damages. The nursing home, of course, was not there to defend itself.

The family intends to do everything it can to collect on the judgment, and told the TheLedger.com that it was proud of itself for standing up for their mother.

Source: TheLedger.com

The Riverside County nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and disabled and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

According to family, Castillo suffered from advanced cancer, dementia, and diabetes, and had a trachea tube in his throat when he was released from Pacific Hospital in Long Beach at 2:00 a.m. on the 4th of July. He had been taken there when he collapsed at home the day before. After spending several hours in the hospital, he was released from the hospital, where it appears he just walked away.

When Castillo didn't return home, the hospital called the police to report him missing. Castillo's daughter said her family was unaware that her father was going to be released from the hospital, and expected that she, or someone else from her family, would have received a call to take the dementia suffering Castillo home. She believes her father was released prematurely because he was a Medi-Cal patient, and that he would be alive today had the family been contacted.

Source: KTLA.com

The San Diego accident and injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm represent individuals who have been injured in all types of incidents, including auto accidents, worksite injuries, nursing home neglect, food poisoning, pedestrian injuries, construction accidents, property injuries, and malpractice matters. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free and confidential consultation.

After only two weeks in the nursing home, Johnnie's health had deteriorated to the point that she needed an emergency transport to the hospital, where she died a short time later. Her family was stunned, and now believes that the nursing home's failure to provide adequate care caused Johnnie's death.

"If she had received proper care, she would still be alive today," Johnnie's husband Don told KCRA news.

Don hired elder abuse attorney Leslie Clement, who filed a lawsuit against the nursing facility, alleging elder neglect and wrongful death, contending that the nursing home simply warehoused Johnnie. A major theme of the lawsuit is the nursing home's failure to provide basic custodial care because of a lack of staffing. In depositions, caregivers essentially testified that the facility was understaffed, by stating that they asked for help (more staff), or that they were required to care for a very large amount of patients (Watch the VIDEO HERE to see their compelling testimony).

Source: KCRA.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.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE.

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and disabled and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

“The numbers show that (the law) did not do what it was supposed to do: increase the quality of care for residents in nursing homes,” Sylvia Taylor Stein, executive director of the Long Term Care Services of Ventura County ombudsman program, told the Ventura County Star. “They were given a checkbook with no oversight.”

By way of example, Oxnard's Shoreline Care Center received $877,356.00 in additional Medi-Cal funding from 2004 to 2008, but records show that the facility actually provided less nursing hours per patient per day than it did prior to the funding increase. It's not surprising that the nursing home took in $4.1 million in profits after the law was passed.

This news alarms, but does not surprise nursing home advocates. Mike Connors of the CANHR says it basically proves what he has known all along, that many nursing homes put profits ahead of people, “Staffing levels, using money for profits instead of care are all indicators of facilities that are putting money before care for residents,” Connors said.

Staffing is the single largest expense of any nursing home, and inadequate staffing is the source of may allegations of nursing home neglect. For example, Shoreline is being sued right now by experienced nursing home attorney Greg Johnson in a case where two CNAs attempted to move a paralyzed woman from her shower chair to her bed, opting to forego the use of a mechanical that was ordered by a physician. During the transfer, the resident's shoulder snapped with a loud crack, causing very serious medical problems.

“We’re talking about the difference between a 20-second transfer versus a five-minute transfer, and that adds up,” Johnson said, laying blame at the feet of the institution for failing to fund additional staffing when it's warranted. “I do not believe that these people who work in these facilities and work their butts off are uncaring because if they were, they wouldn’t work there. I’ve had CNAs cry when I say ‘How do you feel when you go home at the end of your shift?’”

Source: Ventura County Star

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting. Cases are accepted in all Southern California counties, including San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura County. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

The article states that California officials won't disclose the names of nurses who were discovered to have disciplinary records until charges are filed, but will be filing emergency petitions with the board for nurses who are viewed as a threat to public safety.

Weber and Ornstein easily uncovered cases involving current California nurses. Here's a sampling:

• Marci Nablo surrendered her Florida nursing license in 2007 after she admitted stealing painkillers from patient pain pumps.

• Karen Vivian had her Nebraska license suspended in 2008 after she made nine medication errors, including, unbelievably, putting ear drops into a patient's eye.

• Gregory Ashmore had is Tennessee nursing license revoked in 2002 when he engaged in sexual intercourse with a patient at a mental health facility.

All of these nurses currently maintain clean licenses in California. What's most startling is that California did not require nursing applicants to state whether they have disciplined in another state until 2008 (probably after ProPublica started its investigation). And as you would expect, ProPublica turned up several instances of nurses who were disciplined in other states, who later were accused of misconduct in California.

Click here to read the entire ProPublica article.

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

Disability Rights California, a non-profit that advocates for the rights of the disabled, recently released a report finding that the physical abuse of disabled adults in nursing homes are frequently not treated as crimes. The study analyzed 12 cases, including the following

• For months, a middle aged nursing home resident suffering from cerebral palsy with cognitive impairment was paraded naked and soaking wet in front of others after being forced by staff to take cold showers. Despite many witnesses, nothing was done.

• A disabled resident in his 40s was punched in the mouth by a staff member and then slapped, drawing blood. When he complained, it took days for the facility to report it to authorities. No charges were brought.

• An activity assistant in a nursing facility pushed two elderly residents in wheelchairs down the hall, causing them to slam into each other. When they stopped, they were left stranded.

• While assisting a disabled female resident with a bath, a male caregiver fondled her breasts. Despite complaining to the nursing home administrator, the facility assigned the aide to the same resident. The aid criticized the resident for telling on him.

Overall, Disability Rights California investigated the stories of nine men and seven women, age 41 to 97 years old, with physical, mental and cognitive disabilities, that were physically or sexually abused by nursing home staff. The physical abuse ranged from assault and battery, to sexual assaults, including allegations of rape.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg of hundreds of confirmed cases of nursing home resident abuse we see every year from Department of Public Health citation reports,” stated Leslie Morrison, one of the authors of the report. Experts estimate that for every case of abuse that is reported, as many five go unreported.

Incredibly, state and law enforcement investigators concluded that the reported incidents (half were never even reported) were not criminal, and were handled as employee concerns. In most of the cases, the only punishment was deficiencies or a small citation from the California Department of Public Health.

To read the entire report, entitled “Victimized Twice: Abuse of Nursing Home Residents, No Criminal Accountability for Perpetrators," click here. [.pdf]

Source: DisabilityRightsCA.org

The nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and disabled and dependent adults who have been abused or neglected in the skilled nursing facility, residential care facility for the elderly, and assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.

”In my opinion, they (staff members) are set up to fail before they even start,” Thamer told the court.

Under California law, nursing must provide at least 3.2 hours of nursing care per resident, per day. These hourly requirements apply to direct patient care, and must be performed by registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certified nursing assistants. According to the plaintiff, Skilled Healthcare totally failed in this regard, and regularly understaffed its facilities for financial gain.

”We are trying to send this corporation a message,” said Michael Crowley, Thamer's co-counsel. “They need to care more about their patients and less about their bottom profit line.”

More than 32,000 people are represented in the class action, and, depending how the court decides to calculate the statutory penalties, Skilled Healthcare could be liable for up to 1.4 million violations to the tune of $2,500 each.

Source: Times Standard

The Southern California nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abused or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential case evaluation.

The arrest and indictment of Almore stems from an investigation by Medicaid Investigations, who launched an investigation after nine of 25 patients in the nursing home's Alzheimer’s wing at the nursing home tested positive for opiates. Sadly the use of opiates and other psychotropic drugs to control patient behavior is an ongoing problem at nursing homes across the country. Here at Walton Law Firm we have had several cases involving the improper use of medications, which exposes nursing home residents to untold number of dangers, including overdose, falls, or simply a loss of dignity.

Almore's next court date is set for July 13.

Source: CBSnews.com and charlotte.news14.com (with video)

The elder abuse and neglect lawyers at the Walton Law Firm represent seniors and dependent adults 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.

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.