Question by caregiver: Should I sue this nursing home for my mom death?
I need some good advice from any lawyer or family caregiver out there who have experience in elderly care in nursing home. My mother passed away in her wheelchair. The nurse called me the night she passed away that she was not responding in her wheelchair in her room so they sent her to the ER. I got a call from ER while driving to see her and ER nurse told me that my mom did not make it.

My mother was in this nursing home for about 10 months and ever since she moved in there, I have to fight for her right every day. I found unexplained bruises on her body and nobody can tell me how she got it. She was confined in wheelchair by the lap tray or lap buddy. She was very depressed and because she was in wheelchair for so many hours, her legs got weaker. I had to walk her every time I visited her. I tried to go there every other day to make sure she received the care she needs. I found out one day that my mom got very depressed that they gave her Xanax without letting me know about it. I was so mad and told them to stop and to inform me of any medication changes.

That never happened. I have to ask them for the list of medications every month. The nursing staff did not seem to have compassionate toward their patients. One of the weekend nurse came in the room and gave my mom pills and just walked away without acknowledge her questions. My mom shower room was so dirty that when I turn on the water, I can see the rust, brown water coming out. I had enough with their inhumane so I called the state to report the abuse and negligent. The state investigator came and interviewed a bunch of people that I never seen in my life like the administrator, the nursing director, the clinical specialist… They all seemed to stick together. I told them that nobody called me about my concerns when I’ve been told that someone will call me back.

They still couldn’t explain the bruises on my mom’s body. I did take some pictures of the bruises. After the state interviewed, there’s nothing much that they can do because I did not have a prove that they abused and neglect. However the weekend nurse’s attitude was changed dramatically after the state investigator talked to her about incident I reported. However, the problem still continued when they did not answer the call light in time. It is not acceptable to take 15 or 20 minutes for someone to help my mom to the toilet. She had so many incidents of UTI that she never had when she’s at home. My major complaint about this nursing home is that they lacking of quality care, the people they hired did not give a damn about their jobs.

My mom told me that some morning they just yank you out of bed and I think that when she started to get all kind of bruises. I spoke to admin, nursing director there and I heard the rumor from my mom that they did fire some people because of that but again, if they hired the right people at the first place, none of these would ever happen. They only gave a shower for my mom twice a week! I cannot imagine myself taking shower only 2 times a week! I asked unit manager about giving her more shower like 3-4 times but unit manager told me NO and did not seem to be helpful with my concern about shower. My mom needs shower everyday because of her health condition. She had home health care came in her home to give her shower 5 times a week.

As far as I know, my mom paid $ 7000/month to stay there and this is the kind of care she received!! horrible. There were few good people that really care about her. The pastoral people, the clinical specialist, her first shift CNA. I really upset about the medications that she has taken but no one from her nurse station bother to call me and inform me about it. I think her death is related to medications overloaded and being neglected by some lazy nursing assistant. My mom passed away about 3 months now and NO ONE from her nurse station calling me to tell me that they are sorry for my loss!

The only person that called me is the people from pastoral care. Is this normal? I found out a month after my mom passed away that the administrator quit his job. He always took care of my concerns. I don’t know if his resigned has anything to do with my mom death. There are a lot of things that being done wrong at this nursing home and the problem did not get resolved permanently. The quality of care was very inconsistent and my mom was in a roller coaster ride until the new nursing director took the job and things seemed to get better but then something happened the night that my mom passed away and only god will know.
First, I would like to thanks everyone for any good and bad advices. I am sorry that I did not explain clearly but some of you who did not know me cannot even judge me on how to care for my mother.
There is no execuses for letting her stay there for that long but there is no execuses for no fighting back and stand up for our rights. My mother suffered from Parkinson disease for 10 years. I always be there for her since my dad passed away. Her condition got worse in the point where she needs 24 hours care and the fact that I cannot quit my job because I still have bills to pay and paying for things that my mother needed. I placed my mother in this nursing home because she was there 3 years earlier for rehab and the care was much better than now plus she is closer to my home.

I went there almost everyday to give her a shower on the day that she did not have one. I took her for a walk, took her to dentist and when she died, my heart is broken in pieces, you have no idea.
You have no idea how I feel or cannot even understand it if you never loss someone you loved so much. It is easy to say that why I don’t move her out of there or why I don’t take her home and have someone care for her at home.

If you are in my position you will understand that I have to pay for mortgage, bills, and things that my mother needed like walker, dentures, medical expenses that did not cover by insurance. I took care my mother the best I could. I even hired someone to stay with her from time to time at the nursing home to watch her when I’m not there. I also changed her diaper so please understand that my relationship with my mother is more than the words can say. I tried to stand up not for my mother’s rights in the nursing home but for other residents which some of them did not even have family to look after. I also want to clarify that I did not see any more bruises on her after I reported that to state which was about 2-3 months after she there.

And as it seemed that what we fighting for starting to pay off especially when they hired the new nursing director, the person did the job right the first time and allowed my mother to have shower at least 3 times a week but again I gave her a shower on the day that she did not have one. I talked to my husband’s grandmother who is in the nursing home further away and she said the same thing that they are all the same in the way that they don’t have enough nursing assistant to care for a certain number of residents.

They have 1 CNA to take care of 9 residents and this is one of the issue that I brought up to the family meeting and to nursing director. Again, the response from them was that it is the ratio that using by all the nursing home today. This is one of the nursing home that received the golden seal award years ago and supposed to be the best one in town. If you put your child into the best school and someone there abuse him/her, would you move your child out of school? or
or would you report it to the police or someone who will investigate on that incident and to make sure that the other children will be safe from abuse? Some of you who did not understand and questioning why I left my mother there. I did not leave her there, I was there with her and gave her the care the daughter can possibly give. My mom knew that I love her very much and I wish that I could be there with her when she died… thanks again for your understanding..

Best answer:

Answer by J. Jinx
My grandmother was in a nursing home before we brought her home on hospice for her last 3 months. You are aware that there was nothing keeping her there legally? Why would you sit back and allow them to abuse her for 10 months and still keep her there? Not to be mean but maybe you are the one who needs to be investigated for neglect.

Caring for an elderly person at home is not easy but there are people willing to help and give you a break from time to time. You just have to go out and do your homework to find them.

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A fall in a nursing home is not a standard slip and fall case and shouldn’t be treated as such. Chicago nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer Barry Doyle explains the 5 areas that can lead to a nursing home fall.

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Question by Geronimo5: Looking for opinions on a situation concerning joint ownership of a family home.?
Our parents owned a small three bedroom home in Connecticut.
My Mom died twelve years ago, and ownership went to my father.
He is currently living in a foreign country, in a nursing home, and a lawyer from that country has power of attorney for him, granted by myself and my brother and sister. We are all around fifty years old. I am married, and own a house with my husband and seven year old daughter. My brother is married (no kids), and rents a townhouse.
My sister, however, still lives in the family house where I also lived until I got married eight years ago. My sister maintains and has upgraded the house over the years. Landscaping, vinyl siding etc. She is not married.
We are sending papers for the lawyer to sign over this house to us three adult children. My father has always agreed to this.
Do you think it is right for my brother and I to ask our sister to buy out our 2/3 of the house, considering she will be living in it probably forever? She makes good money.
Of course we will compensate her for the improvements she paid for. We are not trying to be greedy. She has been living there mortgage free for more than ten years.

Best answer:

Answer by …..
Your sister will be living forever? How did she manage that?

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by id-iom

Nursing homes are meant to be a safe place for the elderly where help is provided to those who cannot attend to their own daily needs. However, some of the best intentions go awry due to human greed. Lately, it has been reported that there is a rise in the number of abuse claims in many nursing homes within New York.

Today, some senior citizens have become victims of abuse, incompetence, and neglect. In some cases, records of the nursing homes have been doctored in order to hide abuse which elderly people in their have had to endure. The main reason for this increase in New York nursing home abuse is due to the faculties which are set up to concentrate more on profits than on the care of senior citizens. The aged is no longer respected as money has gained more importance in some New York nursing homes.

Some Instances of New York Nursing Home Abuse
A typical example of nursing home abuse is cases where the elderly patient suffers from bed sores. When neglected and treatment is not given for an issue such as this, they can become so infected that they reach the resident’s bones which are severely painful for someone of any age. These sores are painful and rather difficult to treat and cure, and arise mainly because of insufficient staff which therefore leads to inadequate cleaning and attention in elderly people.

In some more severe cases, some elderly residents’ have also become victims of rape, physical abuse and other violence in their nursing home. This is because they are left within the care of young and aggressive people who are mentally retarded or emotionally disturbed, and in some shocking cases, may also end up being killed by these people.
What is most shocking and disturbing about these cases, is that usually nothing about this abuse is reported to the authorities, and consequently, those responsible for this heinous work do not get punished.

Insufficient Staff for Monetary Reasons
According to some reports, some nursing homes don’t feed many of their elderly patients, which can then lead to many suffering from malnutrition and death in some cases. As some nursing homes cut down on staff to increase their profits, the existing staff does not have sufficient time to ensure all their residents get fed.

Some of these nursing homes are so profit-orientated that at times, there isn’t even sufficient staff to carry out the necessary functions for their resident. Many hire poorly trained staff because they quote cheaper pay than experienced staff, and as a result they hire poor trained staff, incapable of taking care of the elders. There are also cases where patients are left alone for days in their beds without food, and sometimes even lying in their own waste.

Medicated to Keep Quiet
Some nursing homes provide their residents with minimal access to professional medical care; and with minimal physicians and nurses on duty at these nursing homes, residents are sometimes medicated-not with the intention of treating them properly, but just to keep them quiet.

With so much going on behind the doors of some New York nursing homes, the families of these elderly people have had to turn to civil litigation for justice. It is only if a worker or an institution is charged for their wrongdoings that it’s possible for you to get justice for any form of New York nursing home abuse your loved one may be going through. Contact a specialized New York nursing home abuse attorney for further discussions and see if they can aid you in getting justice for these terrible crimes.

Question by edgeofdarkness: how can l report resident abuse in a nursing home?
I am a cna(certified nursing assistant)
l know a lot of nursing homes deal with neglect and l want to report a nursing home. I have gone to my don the adon and administrator but nothing gets done. I have days off and when l come back to work. People have sores and bruises. They are falsifying documents to make it read different than what actually happened. When l report it to them (chain of command) .Nothing is done . l have been told by my don. “l don’t want to hear it”. “you are starting to p*** me off” and have been told to lie to the government during a state survey. lf anyone one has any advice of who to contact in the state of michigan please let me know. Until l have a legal ground to stand on l am not going to say much in fear of losing my job. and letting them win, and nothing ever being done. So on behalf of the residents in the place l work please help us find a voice.

Best answer:

Answer by Teeby
Call the police since what’s going on is neglect/abuse of a vulnerable adult.

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60 Minutes Reading Nursing Homes E-Book Makes Critical Difference for Elderly

WOOD RIVER, IL, (PRWEB) June 20, 2006

In 2004, there were over a quarter million complaints filed against nursing homes, says the Department of Health and Human Services. And over 75 percent of those complaints involved residents’ rights, resident care, or quality of life. “Today, Americans are living longer, and sadly, nursing home neglect and abuse is on the rise,” said attorney Brad Lakin, author of the free e-book, “How to Select a Nursing Home for a Loved One” (http://www.nursinghomechoice.com). “It’s unfortunate, but children considering nursing home care for their elderly parents worry about what will happen once they leave their parents in a nursing home.”

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of Americans aged 65 years and older who reside in nursing homes jumped by a half million between 1974 and 1999 (the last year for which figures are available). Nevertheless, Lakin points out, family members are often overwhelmed by the process of choosing a nursing home. “If you don’t know what questions to ask or what to look for, it’s impossible to make an informed choice about what is already a difficult decision,” he said.

Lakin’s track record as an elder rights advocate along with a personal tragedy involving nursing home neglect inspired him to write “How to Select a Nursing Home for a Loved One,” and to offer it as a free download on NursingHomeChoice.com. “I wanted to provide consumers with a comprehensive guide to nursing home care,” he said. “Because they don’t have a voice for themselves, it’s important that families of the elderly are well-informed advocates who can speak on their behalf.”

“How to Select a Nursing Home for a Loved One” includes detailed information about locating and evaluating nursing homes; reviewing state surveys and complaint investigations to check a nursing home’s track record; and the warning signs of abuse and neglect. In addition, the e-book provides a myriad of checklists and resources, including a Nursing Home Checklist that serves as a guide when considering a specific nursing home; the Nursing Home Resident’s “Bill of Rights”; and hyperlinks to inspection information, and local and state sources of information.

“Spending 60 minutes reading ‘How to Select a Nursing Home for a Loved One’ can prevent a personal tragedy,” said Lakin, whose firm has litigated numerous cases of elder abuse and neglect. “Despite the revenues generated by the nursing home industry, many nursing homes are understaffed or hire unqualified staff.” Lakin strongly feels that states often leave the policing of nursing homes to attorneys. “Most states have adopted nursing home care statutes, but regulations are only as good as the level of enforcement,” he said. “Unfortunately, monitoring is underfunded in virtually every state, leaving litigation as the only alternative to hold nursing homes accountable for their actions.”

Lakin concludes, “If there’s one thing I want ‘How to Select a Nursing Home for a Love One’ to do, it’s to help families choose quality nursing care facilities, which will lessen personal tragedies.”

# # #

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SINGAPORE: The Nightingale Nursing Home along Braddell Road has been suspended with effect from April 12, from admitting new patients, after some of its staff members were found to have mistreated a resident there. The incident came to light after Channel NewsAsia alerted the Ministry of Health to a video, taken by a hidden camera on a patient’s bedside. The video showed an elderly woman patient sitting next to a bed without any clothes, while the ceiling fans in the room were on. After a while, two staff members were shown lifting the patient and throwing her onto a bed.

In one footage, a staff member was shown slapping the patient after she moaned in pain. The old lady has been a resident of the home for the past four years. The nursing home said it has disciplined the staff involved, and placed additional measures such as getting senior staff to visit the wards and checking the conduct of its staff. The measures also include holding regular meetings with patients and their family members.

In its reply to Channel NewsAsia, the Ministry of Health said: “There were significant lapses in the care standards provided to the patient in question. “This should not have happened. There should have been tighter supervision of staff rendering care to vulnerable patients. Patients’ dignity and respect must be upheld at all times”. A family member of the patient said: “Of course we are unhappy with the incident. “We sent her there for the nurses to take care of her; we’re …
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Rostrevor staff stage sit-in over pay issues
TWO OF the workers who blew the whistle on the alleged abuse of elderly residents at a south Dublin nursing home were fired by the home last week.
Read more on The Irish Times

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by Center for American Progress

If you are interested in obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida, you are in the right place. It is also important to know that you can have substantial assets and still legally qualify for Medicaid. The cost of nursing home care has grown considerably in most of the USA. Florida is no exception. Roughly, the average cost of nursing home care in Florida is at least 00 for a month.

The Need to Hire an Attorney

If you don’t have any resources to pay for nursing home care then you need to make application to the state for Medicaid coverage. You will need to understand the eligibility criteria and submit a correct application. If you are good in decoding the official jargon, you may proceed further and submit the application by yourself. If you don’t have many assets, you may have no problem being approved. If you do have assets above the level allowed those assets could be legally restructured so you would qualify. The chances are you will not be in a situation to do all this by yourself. Probably your best bet is to consult a knowledgeable Elder Law attorney in Florida who does this type of Medicaid planning work routinely. A good attorney could help you legally obtain Medicaid support even if you have substantial assets.

I suggest you go to my website to read more free articles on how to qualify for Medicaid and get the free download of two book chapters. You will be better informed if you do. There is a strong likelihood of obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida (even with substantial assets), an attorney who knows the Medicaid planning process could make it happen for you.

An Overview Of Medicaid

Medicaid is a healthcare support system, which is jointly funded by both the federal and the state government. Different states have different names for the program. For example, in Florida, and many other states, it is known simply as Medicaid, while in California it is called Medi-Cal.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria vary from state to state. The criteria for obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida focuses on three aspects: health, income, and assets of the applicant (and any spouse). It is much too complex to go into great detail in this article, but you will find some idea of what the state will look at, so keep reading.

Health

The health of the applicant is assessed by The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA). Their report determines whether a person will obtain Medicaid or not. If the person is quite ill – like not being able to do even the routine physical activities – he or she may become eligible easily at least from a medical perspective. In addition, the applicant must be undergoing care in one of the approved nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Income

The DCF income criteria for obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida are clear. The monthly income of the applicant – including the pension, social security, and other benefits from the state – must be less than 22 per month in 2009. The income of the spouse is not generally considered in the calculation. However, if the spouse has been receiving Medicaid or has applied for Medicaid, the income of the spouse should naturally be less than 22 per month in 2009. If your monthly income is over this amount, there are legal strategies to bring it down below this amount. This is where a Medicaid planning attorney can be extremely valuable to you.

Assets

The assets of the Medicaid applicant need to be worth less than 00 and the asset of the spouse need to be worth less than 9,560. There are a number of other clauses in the asset criteria for getting DCF to approve Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida. Here again there are legal strategies that a Florida attorney who understands Medicaid planning would know, which can bring your assets below the level required. So don’t think you have too many assets, until you have talked with me or another Florida attorney who is knowledgeable in Medicaid planning.

Find More Medicaid Articles

Question by Polo Girl: How do you apply for get medicaid for pregnant women in California?
I heard that there was a medicaid or medi-cal for pregnant women, how do you apply for medi-cal or medicaid for pregnant women in California? The more info the better, step by step would be great!

Best answer:

Answer by Sofia due July 7th!!!
You have to look in the phone book under your local health and human services agency. Call and ask for the phone number for Medi-cal. Call them and explain your situation and ask for an appointment to see a case manager so you can apply in person and see what you need to bring with you. Depending on how busy they are, they might just tell you to show up, wait forever, and fill out an application there. Appointments are sometimes hard to come by due to the fact so many people need help now adays. In California, when your pregnant, your case will be considered an emergency so they might just approve you on the spot if you meet their income limits. Good luck and Congratulations on your baby!!!

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One of the primary reasons for a shortage of RNs is that people are living longer, and this is due to advances in technology and medicine. Find out how high stress and poor work environments have contributed to a nursing shortage with help from a licensed RN in this free video on nursing jobs and health care. Expert: Kayti Brosnan Bio: Kayti Brosnan has been a licensed RN in the state of Texas since 2003. Filmmaker: Todd Green

Joblessness up in May, despite openings
The largest industry in Southwest Ohio has jobs open to fill, but can’t fill enough nursing, doctor and medical technician positions to keep unemployment rates at bay.Unemployment in Butler County increased the first time this year in May to 8.7 percent, or an estimated 16,400 people, compared to 8.5 percent in April, according to the jobs report released Tuesday by Ohio Job and Family Services.
Read more on The Western Star

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Question by Jenna: nursing jobs?
I think i want to be a nurse when im older.
I want to work with young children and work in a hospital.
My neighbor does it. She loves the job. It has some name.
She works with kids from the age of birth to 10 years. I asked her but forgot the name. Does anyone k ow it

Best answer:

Answer by Rick B
pediatric nurse?

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How To Get Your RN Nursing Degree Faster and With Less Hassle ~ by Joy Porter ~ Registered Nurses are at an all-time high demand. The United States currently employs more than 2.5 million RN’s, but the demand is spiraling ever higher. Consider the rapidly expanding health care industry coupled with an aging nursing force nearing retirement, and you see we have a dire situation underway.

Nursing schools simply can’t keep up with demand. Right now, if you want to become a nurse, you usually have to wait on a long waiting list just to start your first classes at a traditional school. The school will ignore any classes you took more than a few years ago, require you to take Algebra and Chemistry, and make you write long research papers just to prove you are qualified to take their classes. Many students find they need to spend years just completing prerequisite courses.

All that adds up to an insurmountable series of hurdles for most would-be RN’s. Most people simply don’t have the time to wait months and years to get into nursing school. They also don’t have the money to forgo working a job while they take classes that drag on year after year. Fortunately, there is a much easier way to get your fully accredited and professionally recognized RN degree. Online nursing programs are designed for adults who want to become an RN in the fastest and least expensive way possible. You don’t have to attend a traditional classroom with online programs. That means huge savings for …

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Free case evaluation for your personal injury, hospital negligence, nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse case. Serving all of central Pennsylvania from our office in Altoona, PA. Attorney Doug Stoehr has been helping the injured people of Blair, Cambria, Bedford, Huntingdon, Clearfield, Indiana, Centre and surrounding counties recover money for their injuries.
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See rndegrees.net for more advice on finding online nursing degree programs.
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Community College Week Ranks Keiser University 2nd Nationwide in the Production of Associate Degrees Health …
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Keiser University has been identified as the 2nd largest producer of two-year degrees for health professionals (up from 3rd last year) in the nation, and 3rd for registered nursing degrees (up from 10th last year). The regionally-accredited, not-for-profit university was also ranked highly in several other degree producing categories by …
Read more on redOrbit

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Question by Evy: Nursing Degrees?
I am starting my second year in community college, and I want to transfer to a 4-yr university, and i am sure I want to go into nursing. But i don’t know the levels of nursing. Like is registered nurse the highest level? Or does it go higher? Can anyone please tell me the levels in nursing degrees?

Best answer:

Answer by Lolly
You can get an associate’s degree, which you would get at a community college. And you can take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse.
You can get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, from a four year college, and then take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse.

If you get your bachelor’s degree, then you can go on and get your master’s degree if you want.

You can become a Nurse Practitioner.

And you can get a PhD in Nursing as well.

What do you think? Answer below!

Learn what the proper steps are when nursing home abuse is suspected.
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