Santa Clarita Personal Injury Lawyer - Nursing Home & Elder Abuse

Elder Abuse on the Rise in Oklahoma

Susy Owen — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:01:25 GMT

According to Oklahoma’s Adult Protective Services, the abuse of elderly people in Oklahoma is on the rise. In fact, abuse has risen by a steady 3 % per year.

A spokesperson for Oklahoma’s Adult Protective Services, Paul Needham, said that many of the elderly that are abused are abused by their own relatives. There is the case of the grandchildren who moved in with their grandmother and then proceeded to open a meth lab, says nursing home advocate, Renee Johnson. In yet another case, an elderly man’s grandchildren moved into his home in order to get his monthly Social Security check signed over to them.

Who are these elderly people to turn to. No doubt, they often feel isolated and helpless. If you suspect an elder abuse situation, please call the authorities and give the elderly the help that they are so often unable to help themselves.

Additional Information Pertaining to Elder Abuse

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect & Little known facts

Susy Owen — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:40:46 GMT

Would it surprise you to know that nursing home abuse and neglect is more prevalent in facilities that are owned by private investment firms. With many of our elderly in need of nursing homes in terms of business there is big money to be made. And that fact has not gone unnoticed by investment firms.

However, business are looking at their bottom line and are often employ aggressive cost cutting measures to increase their profits. This can have a terrible affect on the elderly residents. One way big companies use to cut cost is to reduce staff, which in turn can lead to neglect.

As the New York Times reported, facilities that are owned by private investment firms score worse than the national rates in 12 of 14 indicators. Further, residents of such homes suffer from more depression, less mobility and less ability to dress and bath. Even more disturbing, was the report by both federal and state regulators which states in part that citations for quality-of-care deficiencies i.e., rotten food and bed restraints over long periods of time rose in every facility taken over by private investment groups. To add insult to injury, private investment groups often have a very complex structure in place making lawsuits difficult. If you have a loved one in such a facility, place very close attention to what is taking place.

For more information pertaining to nursing home abuse and neglect.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Nursing Home Sexual Abuse

Susy Owen — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 16:43:22 GMT

In a Utah case Jacob Bolith was booked on sexual abuse charges. He was accused of sexually assaulting an 85-year-old woman at a Salt Lake nursing home. The police say more and more people are now coming forward with similar charges.

"Detective Jared Wihongi says, "Some of the calls have involved people with elderly parents that for some reason or another didn't take seriously the complaints the parent may have had because of the mental status of the individual." The accused, Jacob Bolith, has just lost his license. However, it has been reported that the loss of his license was unrelated to his arrest on current charges. "Police say investigating the case is a challenge because some of the victims have altered mental status, and others may now have died."

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Preventing Nursing Home Abuse

Susy Owen — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:26:54 GMT

It is sad to say that nursing home abuse and neglect is an even bigger problem that many may realize. The truth is, by both witness accounts and survey results it seems that the problem is underreported. When you take into consideration the rise in our elderly population and the fact that more and more elderly will seek nursing home care in the coming years, staff shortage is sure to add to the problem.

According to National Academy of Sciences Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect, many different conditions contribute to abuse must be considered such as: Stressful working conditions - particularly staff shortages; staff burnout; and inadequate staff training. A combination of strategies is suggested by the National Center on Elder Abuse in terms of prevention. Suggestions can be found by going to the link.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Nursing Home Neglect Results in Death

Susy Owen — Sun, 13 May 2007 18:13:43 GMT

It is a frightening thought that one day you may end up in a nursing home with care takers that do any but tend to your needs. I am not suggesting that there are not some excellent nursing homes out there. In fact there are many, but then there are the others. The kind that you hope you don't find yourself or a loved one in some day - such was the case in a Pierce County nursing home. It is currently under fire after a patient died of an overdose of morphine.

Nursing home neglect is the claim being made by the decedent's family. Florence Pierpoint made it to seventy-nine-years-of-age, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Not surprisingly, her daughter, Linda Fox, is now suing the nursing home for neglect and abuse. "They were euthanizing my mother," Fox said. "If that was truly their intent to put a quiet end to her suffering, wouldn't they bother to tell the family?"

It is true that the doctor had prescribed morphine for Florence. However, it was only to be used if she was in pain and asked for it. However, according to attorney Ron Meyers "not one record indicated she was in pain. In fact there are notations in the record that indicate that she was experiencing acute morphine toxicity and overdose and they continued to give her morphine."

Although criminal charges have not been pressed, her daughter is moving forward with a civil claim.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Susy Owen

Police Probe Fatal Accident at Nursing Home

Christina Cole — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:28:59 GMT

Police are currently investigating the death of a 72-year-old Alzheimer's patient who was fatally assaulted last week by another nursing home patient.

George Everhart died several minutes after a 73-year-old man had punched him during an altercation. The Sacramento Police had not learned about Everhart's death until three days after. State officials are now looking into the reason for the delay.

The autopsy will take another month. Then, the police will forward their investigation over to the Sacramento district attorney's office, said Terrell Marshall. State laws require either a law enforcement agency or ombudsman's office to be contacted immediately following a suspected case of elderly abuse at a care center. Administrator, Michael Degner, said he was "unaware of why it was not done" in this case.

The name of Everhart's attacker has not been released, as he has not been charged with a crime. Investigators say they believe he does not know what he did to Everhart.
In recent years, there have been reports of inadequate care and inaccurate or outdated medical records at Norwood Pines. State health inspectors found 27 health deficiencies at the facility during their most recent visit - more than any other nursing home in Sacramento County, according to federal data.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole