The mother of a blind, mentally-challenged 60 year old man came into our office to talk about a bedsore her son received in a nursing home. In the initial consultation, it was determined this gentleman was in a nursing home because he had slipped in his bathroom at the home he shared with his mother…
Case Overview: At Eric J. Hertz, P.C., we specialize in nursing-home neglect cases as a substantial part of our practice. Sometimes, however, we discover additional causes of action against other parties that our client had not yet considered. For instance, one family approached us to determine whether they had a cause of action against a…
Case Overview: Plaintiff boarded a MARTA bus while under the influence of alcohol. After the bus crashed into a tree, Plaintiff was taken to the hospital for diagnostic testing and treatment of injuries that did not require surgery, and he sought no further treatment from medical providers following his release from the hospital. A Fulton…
In the last article of this ongoing series, we discussed the nature of pressure ulcers, commonly known as bedsores, and the signs and symptoms of a Stage I and Stage II injury. As the pressure or friction is sustained or increased in frequency, the pressure ulcer can increase in severity to a Stage III or…
A nursing-home operator in Maryland and other defendants recently agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle claims that they improperly discharged residents who were nearing the end of their eligibility for Medicare—with the goal of maximizing revenue rather than doing what was best for the health of their residents. As explained by Skilled Nursing News,…
What is a Pressure Ulcer? Called decubitus ulcers, pressure injuries, or more commonly, bedsores, pressure ulcers are localized areas of damage to the skin as a result of pressure or friction. Because pressure ulcers are largely considered avoidable injuries by utilizing simple preventative measures, their presence is often looked at as patent evidence of neglect…
A recent study in the International Journal of Experimental, Clinical, Behavioural and Technological Gerontology concluded that residents of for-profit skilled-nursing facilities are “diagnosed with substantially more clinical signs of neglect than patients residing in not-for-profit facilities and low-functioning, community-dwelling patients.” Methodology The study, led by Lee Friedman, an associate professor in the University…
Reducing Costs to Make a Profit Nursing homes and skilled-nursing facilities are required by law to hire sufficient staff to meet the needs of their residents. However, the cost of employing qualified staff is among the most expensive line items in a nursing home’s budget. Thus, to cut costs and maximize profits, these corporate-owned…
What is a Pressure Ulcer? One of most common and identifiable signs of neglect in a nursing home is a resident suffering from pressure ulcers. Also called decubitus ulcers, pressure injuries, or more commonly, bedsores, pressure ulcers are localized areas of damage to the skin as a result of pressure or friction. As the pressure…
The Five Star Quality Rating System Skilled Nursing Facilities and other long-term care establishments are required to meet certain levels of staffing by the Federal government to help ensure a resident’s highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. However, this does not mean that a nursing home cannot staff beyond these requirements—indeed if the needs…