The suit alleges that over the four years Ms. Dean was in the facility, she was abused and neglected to the extent that she rotted to death. Employees of the facility hid her condition from relatives and visitors by wrapping her in blankets during their visits. In truth, Ms. Dean was malnourished, covered in pressure sores and forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Testimony by one of the nurses indicates that at one point, Ms. Dean weighed only forty-five pounds and had a stage three pressure sore on her tailbone.

Further testimony of former Country Crossing employees indicates that some employees hired by the facility were given no training and had no prior experience or education in care giving. In some cases, including that of Ms. Dean, caregivers did not even keep records of treatment given to patients.

Nursing care patients and their families are entitled to the utmost of care and treatment when they entrust their care to a facility. Patients should not be subject to abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is not always as readily evident as criminal assault or harassment. More often, abuse is seen in the form of neglect or substandard care. Sadly, elderly patients often have difficulty reporting such abuse to their loved ones. This makes it vitally important to stay alert for warning signs of neglect or abuse. Such signs include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean or inappropriate clothing, hazardous conditions, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice

Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

They pulled him from nursing facility nine months later after becoming alarmed at the poor quality of care he had been receiving there. By that time, he had lost nearly 100 pounds and was suffering from twenty serious bed sores. Mr. Danzy was then placed into a different nursing home, but the damage had been done. He died six months later from an infection that resulted from the bed sores he suffered at the first facility.

The $19 million which the jury awarded to the family in the suit they brought against the nursing home included $3.75 million for Mr. Danzy’s pain and suffering and $15 million in punitive damages. According to Fox News, it was the first time a jury has awarded punitive damages in a case against a nursing home New York State.

According to lawyer Dennis Kelly, the punitive damages were awarded because evidence indicated that the nursing home tried to cover-up its neglect of Mr. Danzy. Nursing staff are responsible for checking patients for sores and other skin conditions, and making note of any conditions that require medical attention. But the records for Mr. Danzy clearly showed about one hundred “Gs”—denoting good skin condition—which were subsequently written over with the letter “B”, meaning areas of broken skin. It was this falsification of records which merited the punitive damages.

The suit also alleged that Mr. Danzy, who was bedridden, was only moved by the nursing staff just once, at most, every four hours. Medical standards require bedridden patients to be moved at least once every two hours. At the time Mr. Danzy’s family placed him in the Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home it was the only nearby facility which had an available bed.

Nursing home abuse is not always as evident as criminal assault or harassment. More often, abuse is seen in the form of neglect or substandard care. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean or inappropriate clothing, hazardous conditions, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice. Since nursing home patients cannot often communicate abuse to their loved ones or authorities, it is extremely important to pay close attention for these warning signs.

Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

According to the complaint, nursing staff noticed a breakdown of the skin in Bradley’s genital region while administering care. The attending nurses reported their finding to a care manager, but the manager allegedly went on vacation before notifying Bradley’s physician then forgot to report the injury once he was back at work. Over the course of the next four months, Bradley’s skin broke and developed into an open wound. The deterioration essentially broke down Bradley’s genitals over that time. Although Bradley experienced a steady loss of weight over that time—a strong indication of an underlying illness—no staff action was taken even after a second report to management of Bradley’s injury.

Finally, just two weeks prior to his death, Bradley’s health had deteriorated to the point that facility staff rushed him to a local emergency room. It was then that hospital doctors discovered his injury, which was later diagnosed as progressive penile cancer. By that time, his wound had become infected, a complication that led to his death two weeks later. The family’s lawsuit alleges that basic care on the part of nursing facility staff would have uncovered the severity of his condition so that treatment could have been initiated. Although an in-house investigation determined no improprieties in the facility’s level of care, the center was cited for failing to meet quality of care requirements set by federal law.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Nursing home patients often have difficulty communicating abuse and neglect to their loved ones or to authorities, so it is extremely important to pay close attention for warning signs. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean clothing, inappropriate dress for conditions, conditions hazardous for the elderly, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice.

Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

But unfortunately, that can be a concern. In a recent case involving a nursing home in Jacksonville, Florida, a male nurse’s assistant at a local nursing home was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery. The victim, an elderly woman, is both mentally impaired and physically helpless. A second nurse, who overheard noises coming from the room, entered to find the man engaged in sexual activity with the resident. The nurse tried to use her cell phone to call for help, but met resistance from the man who attempted to stop her. The nurse was eventually able to contact the local police, who subsequently arrested the man.

Although the man had no prior criminal record, records indicate eight allegations of abuse over the past year at the nursing home. Four of the incidents led to findings of inadequate supervision of the patients who were victims of the abuses. In the wake of this incident, the Department of Children and Families along with the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Department have begun a more thorough investigation. “Obviously there are a number of vulnerable adults there… I’m sure there are a lot of families feeling a lot of concern right now,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families.

Criminal abuse of nursing care patients occurs all-too often, but the neglect of patients is a much more common form of abuse. Facilities can search the criminal records of potential and current employees, but it is far more difficult to determine the quality of care those employees will provide. And tragically, many victims of elder abuse or neglect are disabled and cannot communicate incidents of neglect or even outright abuse to loved ones or authorities. That makes it all the more important, when visiting loved ones in nursing homes, to pay close attention for signs of neglect or abuse.

Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean clothing, inappropriate dress for conditions, conditions that could be hazardous to the elderly, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder-care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder-care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

A lawsuit filed by Bradley’s family alleges that untreated wound—which resulted from  undiagnosed penile cancer—contributed to his death. “They trusted that the nursing home would provide the care they said they would provide… we’re not talking about extraordinary care. We’re talking about basic daily needs,” said the family’s attorney on their behalf.

According to the complaint, nursing staff noticed a breakdown of the skin in Bradley’s genital region while administering care. The attending nurses reported their finding to a care manager, but the manager allegedly went on vacation before notifying Bradley’s physician then forgot to report the injury once he was back at work. Over the course of the next four months, Bradley’s skin broke and developed into an open wound. The deterioration essentially broke down Bradley’s genitals over that time. Although Bradley experienced a steady loss of weight over that time—a strong indication of an underlying illness—no staff action was taken even after a second report to management of Bradley’s injury.

Finally, just two weeks prior to his death, Bradley’s health had deteriorated to the point that facility staff rushed him to a local emergency room. It was then that hospital doctors discovered his injury, which was later diagnosed as progressive penile cancer. By that time, his wound had become infected, a complication that led to his death two weeks later. The family’s lawsuit alleges that basic care on the part of nursing facility staff would have uncovered the severity of his condition so that treatment could have been initiated. Although an in-house investigation determined no improprieties in the facility’s level of care, the center was cited for failing to meet quality of care requirements set by federal law.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Nursing home patients often have difficulty communicating abuse and neglect to their loved ones or to authorities, so it is extremely important to pay close attention for warning signs. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean clothing, inappropriate dress for conditions, conditions hazardous for the elderly, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice.

Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

But unfortunately, that can be a concern. In a recent case involving a nursing home in Jacksonville, Florida, a male nurse’s assistant at a local nursing home was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery. The victim, an elderly woman, is both mentally impaired and physically helpless. A second nurse, who overheard noises coming from the room, entered to find the man engaged in sexual activity with the resident. The nurse tried to use her cell phone to call for help, but met resistance from the man who attempted to stop her. The nurse was eventually able to contact the local police, who subsequently arrested the man.

Although the man had no prior criminal record, records indicate eight allegations of abuse over the past year at the nursing home. Four of the incidents led to findings of inadequate supervision of the patients who were victims of the abuses. In the wake of this incident, the Department of Children and Families along with the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Department have begun a more thorough investigation. “Obviously there are a number of vulnerable adults there… I’m sure there are a lot of families feeling a lot of concern right now,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families.

Criminal abuse of nursing care patients occurs all-too often, but the neglect of patients is a much more common form of abuse. Facilities can search the criminal records of potential and current employees, but it is far more difficult to determine the quality of care those employees will provide. And tragically, many victims of elder abuse or neglect are disabled and cannot communicate incidents of neglect or even outright abuse to loved ones or authorities. That makes it all the more important, when visiting loved ones in nursing homes, to pay close attention for signs of neglect or abuse.

Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean clothing, inappropriate dress for conditions, conditions that could be hazardous to the elderly, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder-care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder-care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

Virginia Thurston was raped and assaulted by an eighty-three year old resident who wedged her door closed with his wheelchair to prevent rescue. Shockingly, the man who raped Virginia Thurston had been arrested on fifty-nine prior occasions for crimes which included sexual assault. He was placed into the nursing home by the State of Florida, who declared him a “vulnerable adult” after he was found on the streets.

Even more shocking is the fact that this is not an isolated incident, but something that happens all-too-often at nursing home around the U.S. Many public nursing homes house not only the elderly, but also criminals who are unfit for prison. Many of these criminals are sexual offenders—some registered and some unregistered due to their old age, which exempts them from registration. CBS News conducted an investigation of nursing homes in thirty-seven states and found 380 sexual offenders who were being housed in nursing homes. We can only guess at the situation in the remaining thirteen states.

How can this be allowed? It turns out that it’s all about money. Nursing homes receive federal money through Medicare or Medicaid for each occupied bed.  So when they have vacancies, many public nursing facilities offer beds to convicted criminals who have been sentenced to facility stay. In doing so, they place some of the most vulnerable members of society—elderly people who are ill and weak—side-by-side with mentally unstable criminals. As nursing home Watchdog Wes Bledsoe stated, “It’s a mix for disaster.”

Virginia Thurston recently passed away and her estate is handling the lawsuit associated with her sexual assault. Virginia’s daughter says she is determined to protect others and will not stop until there is a change.

Nursing home abuse is not always as evident as criminal assault and harassment. More often, abuse is seen in the form of neglect or substandard care. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean clothing, inappropriate dress for conditions, hazards not made safe for the elderly, bed sores, wounds, and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice. Nursing home patients cannot often communicate abuse to their loved ones or authorities, so it is extremely important to pay close attention for warning signs.

The decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

Over the course of forty-nine days in the home, Alice lost the ability to walk and lost over twenty pounds. She also developed pneumonia, anemia, limb contraction and a skin ulcer which was rotting to the bone. Additionally, the nursing staff failed to maintain her blood sugar levels, despite her diabetes.

During one, Ms. Train’s daughter found her mother in a wheel chair soaked with urine. She also discovered that her mother had not been bathed for an entire week. The following week, the daughter returned and discovered the rotting ulcer while changing her mother’s diaper. After discovering the neglect, the daughter moved her mother to a new facility. But tragically, the damage had been done, and Ms. Train died soon after.

Ms. Train’s daughter quickly filed the suit, which alleges that her mother’s death was due to the horrendous care she received in the nursing facility. The complaint seeks $36,000 in medical expenses, $500,000 for wrongful death, $750,000 for pain and suffering, and $7.5 million in punitive damages. For the family, the suit isn’t about the money as much as it is about helping to make sure other families don’t have to go through this experience.

As this case shows, the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect often can’t or don’t communicate instances of abuse to loved ones or authorities. Nursing home abuse is not always as evident as criminal assault or harassment. More often, abuse is seen in the form of neglect or substandard care. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean or inappropriate clothing, hazardous conditions, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice. It is extremely important for family and friends to pay close attention for these warning signs.

Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

Nursing facilities keep an inventory of psychiatric drugs for patients suffering from schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. These drugs should only be prescribed and administered under a physician’s supervision. But all too often, they are given unnecessarily and incorrectly to control uncooperative patients.

The report, published in the Chicago Tribune, states that one patient was administered a psychiatric drug partly because she refused to wear a bra. Other cases involved an elderly man who was “easily annoyed,” an elderly blind woman who would yell loudly, a woman with congestive heart failure who was “nasty” and a woman who repeatedly asked to go to the bathroom. The article also cites a case where a man coherently refused—against staff wishes—to be medicated with psychotropic drugs for sixteen days. On the seventeenth day, a nurse administered the medication without the man’s knowledge or consent.

The administration of psychotropic drugs to patients who have not been prescribed those drugs can lead to grave consequences. On admission to an Illinois nursing facility, a seventy-four year old man was held down and injected with an antipsychotic drug.  Hours after the injection, the man collapsed and suffered a fatal head injury. Other consequences associated with psychotropic drugs are tremors, lethargy, a sharp increase in the risk of falls and death. Many patients on psychotropic medication become distant and, in some cases, almost catatonic. According to the investigation, rather than taking the time to try and calm patients, nursing staff choose to administer antipsychotic medications. Doctors will often approve the administration over the phone, without ever seeing the patient.

Unwarranted medication is just one form of elder abuse commonly seen in nursing homes. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean or inappropriate clothing, hazardous conditions, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice. Since nursing home patients cannot often communicate abuse to their loved ones or authorities, it is extremely important to pay close attention for these warning signs.

Nursing care patients and their families are entitled to respect and proper care. They should not be subject to abuse, neglect or mistreatment. Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder-care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder-care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.

An investigation showed more than 90 of the 1,300 employees at the county-run facility had previous criminal records, including convictions for theft, assault and narcotics trafficking. Many had also been convicted or charged of driving under the influence. Shockingly, one nurse faced previous charges for harassment and assault of another nursing home resident. That nurse was originally a suspect in this case but charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.

Ongoing investigations of the home also uncovered the effects budget cuts were having on the care offered to the facility’s residents. These cutbacks have affected not only the quality of employees hired by the facility, but also the quality of food offered to its residents. The home’s CEO has vowed to begin periodically updating background checks of current employees even though these are not required by Pennsylvania state law. He also stated that the families of residents have remained supportive despite the charges, and he promised to continue to do a “good job.”

Nursing home abuse is not always as evident as criminal assault or harassment. More often, abuse is seen in the form of neglect or substandard care. Signs of nursing home neglect or abuse include poor hygiene of residents, residents wearing unclean or inappropriate clothing, hazardous conditions, bed sores, wounds and sudden weight loss or dehydration. The appearance of depression and complaints of being restrained for extended periods of time also may indicate nursing home malpractice. Since nursing home patients cannot often communicate abuse to their loved ones or authorities, it is extremely important to pay close attention for these warning signs.

Nursing care patients and their families are entitled to respect and proper care. They should not be subject to abuse, neglect or mistreatment. Placing a loved one in a nursing facility is difficult enough without having to worry about the quality of care received. Our attorneys have successfully defended the rights of thousands of elder-care abuse victims and their families. If you, or someone you know, have been a victim of elder-care abuse, please contact us at ElderCareNeglect.com for a free consultation. Our attorneys are available to assist in all aspects of your litigation.