Abels & Annes, P.C. Personal Injury Blog

In Utica, New York, the Department of Health is reportedly investigating nursing home abuse at the St. Joseph Nursing Home, according to UticaOD.com. The investigation is allegedly based on a recording of an employee repeatedly swearing at a patient, however the State has not confirmed that is the basis of the investigation. A former employee of the facility claims to have made the recording at the end of March. It involves a resident with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The employee believes that her actions led to her being fired 2 weeks later. However, the nursing home denies that that is the reason for the employee being let go and that the facility itself notified the State after they became aware of the recording. The employee also claims that a noise on the tap is another employee striking the resident on the hand. The nursing home scored low on a recent State evaluation. They were in the bottom twenty percent in the State of New York in 7 out of 19 categories, and they were fined $12,000. Click here to read more.

In Chicago, Illinois an 84 year old nursing home resident died Monday night after falling from a nursing home window, according to the Southtown Star. The deadly accident happened at Alden Wentworth Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, located at 201 W. 69th Street on the South Side. The resident, Benny Saxon, fell from a 4th floor window around 6:30 p.m. He reportedly suffered from dementia and was recently having problems. The nursing home resident was taken to St. Bernard Hospital and pronounced dead less than an hour later. Wentworth detectives from the Chicago Police Department are investigating the death. At some point, it is a good bet that a Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer is going to take a look at the case. The question is going to be how a patient with dementia and other problems had access to an open fourth floor window, and further if there was negligence on the part of the nursing home facility for not protecting the resident from the danger. Click here to read the entire story.

A nursing home in Lexington, Kentucky has been cited by state officials for allegedly using cell phones to take inappropriate pictures and recordings of residents without their knowledge. Staff would then attach music with sexual lyrics to the cell photos and circulate them to other people. The nursing home was issued a Type A citation by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Type A is the most serious citation a nursing home can receive in Kentucky. The photos themselves were reportedly not sexually abusive in nature. Several employees at the nursing home have been fired because of the incident. Click here to read the full story.

In Chicago, Illinois a south suburban nursing home has been sued in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division, for nursing home neglect, according to CBS News. A nursing home resident with dementia was allegedly found lying on train tracks and suffering from exposure after walking away from a field trip to an area high school in December of 2007. The lawsuit alleges the resident was left with visible injuries and was out in the cold for eight hours. The lawsuit alleges that the Orland Park nursing home did not properly watch her on the trip, failed to assess the risk of her wandering away, failed to have adequate staff present on the field trip, and did not react adequately once they discovered she was missing. The suit seeks damages in excess of $50,000. Click here to read the entire story.

A lawsuit has been filed in Parkersburg, West Virginia alleging that inadequate care at a nursing home resulted in the death of one of it’s residents, according to the West Virginia Record. The suit was filed by a Wood County woman on behalf of the estate of her mother. On April 15, 2009 the suit was filed in Wood Circuit Court against Ohio Valley Nursing Home, Inc. The lawsuit alleges the deceased resident sustained injuries from substandard care, neglect and abuse at the nursing home, including infections, weight loss and pain. The complaint also alleges delays by the nursing home staff in reporting infections to physicians, resulting in delays in medical treatment. The delays allegedly caused or contributed to the resident’s death. The plaintiff is looking to recover medical expenses, funeral costs, and for the mental pain and suffering of losing her loved one. She is also looking to recover court costs and attorneys fees. The nursing home’s administrator has been named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit. If you believe a loved one in your family has been the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse in the Chicago area, contact an Illinois Nursing Home Lawyer at Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

In the Chicago area south suburb of Burnham, Illinois, it is being reported by the Chicago Sun-Times that a nursing home resident who died almost two weeks ago was murdered. The victim who resided at a nursing facility at 14500 S. Manistee Avenue past away from multiple injuries sustained in an attack. He later died on April 1, 2009 at South Shore Hospital. Local authorities have ruled the death a homicide. Illinois State Police are now involved in the investigation. The death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy was performed by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The victim also suffered from hypertension and diabetes. It has not been reported yet how the attack took place. However, the fact that the attack took place at all is a strong evidence of nursing home neglect and/or abuse. It is very likely that the family of the victim will soon retain a Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer to review the case.

A woman from Danville, Illinois is in police custody for alleged nursing home abuse, according to WCIA-3 News. She allegedly punched an elderly Alzheimer’s patient in the face two times at a Champaign County, Illinois nursing home. The defendant is an aide at the nursing home and works in an Alzheimer’s unit. The nursing home worker is facing criminal charges and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined up to $25,000. The Champaign County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation. The nursing home’s administrator would not comment on the story, but stated the home was investigating what exactly happened. The East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging is also going to conduct an investigation into the matter. The severity of the patient’s injuries have not been reported. If you believe a loved one in your family is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in the Chicago area, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

A Fresno, CA nursing home has been fined eighty thousand dollars for the death of a patient around four months ago, according to the LA Times. The deceased, a 54 year old schizophrenic patient choked on his food. The hospital allegedly knew that the man had trouble swallowing, and his food was always supposed to be served chopped or sliced. On the date in question, the nursing home served him meatballs that had not been cut up and he choked to death. The death took place at the Raintree Convalescent Hospital. The nurse and the cook both admitted they should have chopped up the food, and that they simply forgot to do it that day. They were both fired by the home after the accident. After being served the meal, the victim reportedly came out of his room unable to speak, and the nurse attempted the Heimlich maneuver. Paramedics were able to suction the meatball out, however he was pronounced dead a short time later at an area hospital. An investigation by the California Department of Public Health found that the home knew of the patient’s problem. State authorities then fined the nursing home $80,000. The nursing home has been given a one star rating out of a possible five on the new federal rating system run by Medicare and Medicaid services. If you think your loved one has been abused or neglected in an Illinois nursing home, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

A Norman, Oklahoma nursing home had its certification terminated, which consequently forced it to shut down, according to NewsOK. This happened when it lost Medicare and Medicaid funding due to its failure to meet minimal state health regulations. On November 7, 2008, state health inspectors released a report citing Whispering Pines Nursing Center for failing to investigate resident allegations of abuse, and also endangering residents by failing to provide sexual protection to a sexually active HIV positive resident. Of the nursing home’s 128 residents, not all were able to find permanent replacement homes, but all were relocated to temporary homes until a permanent nursing home is found. Twenty-five of the residents were not placed in permanent homes yet because of mental health concerns. The licensed operator of Whispering Pines lost medicare and medicaid funding to another nursing home in the past few months. In that case more than 30 residents of the Northwest Nursing Center in Oklahoma City were transferred to other homes, however Northwest is still open for business. If you believe that a member of your family has been abused or neglected, call Abels & Annes to consult with a Chicago nursing home lawyer now at (312) 924-7575.

In Guthrie Center, Iowa, a nursing home has been fined $7,000 by an administrative judge, according to DesMoinesRegister.com. The fine was reportedly due to ignoring complaints by elderly residents regarding sexual abuse. Employees of the New Home Care Center informed managers and supervisors of the complaints, and said reports were allegedly not investigated. There were 8 reported acts of sex abuse, all involving different elderly persons. In one very alarming report, the abusing employee had blocked the door with a chair, and another employee forced their way into the room and viewed a mentally disabled resident partially undressed and bleeding from her vaginal area. The nursing home employee has not yet been criminally charged. In 2006, state inspectors cited the nursing home for their failure to investigate this case, and Medicare and Medicaid Services later fined the home $7,000. The home had the hustpa to appeal the fine. A judge recently upheld the penalty. In 2008, the nursing facility was fined again for insufficient supervision of residents. New Homestead Care Center is a nonprofit corporation run by a volunteer board of directors. The alleged conduct of the nursing home in this case is reckless. The fact that the facility’s own employees were reporting the sexual abuse allegations, and the supervisors and managers ignored the issue, is offensive. It is a good guess that the residents of this home will retain a nursing home abuse lawyer. In addition to a claim for abuse, the attorney will also likely explore punitive damages against the home for its willful and wanton conduct of ignoring the reports. If your loved one has been abused and/or neglected in a Chicago area nursing home, or any nursing facility in the State of Illinois, call Abels & Annes for a free consultation.