Law Firm Resources & News

Most people assume that having bed rails on a nursing home or hospital bed is a good thing. The assumption is that bed rails will prevent the patient from falling out of bed and suffering serious injury. This assumption is wrong – sometimes dead wrong! Bed rails can increase danger in two ways. First, the…

The title of today’s article is not boastful – it is accurate and truthful! The National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR) is the best, most effective advocacy group for nursing home residents in America. NCCNHR was formed because of public concern about substandard care in nursing homes and is the outgrowth of work…

Methadone (also known as Dolophine) has long been prescribed by doctors for patients with intractable and chronic pain. These patients often suffer from traumatic injuries and back pain which proves unresponsive to other pain medications. Now, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to doctors and patients about the life-threatening dangers presented…

Nine employees of the Hollis Park nursing home were arrested after hidden cameras uncovered patient neglect. New York Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer, says one camera inside a resident’s room in the Queens, NY nursing home revealed weeks of neglect. See the developing story here. The use of video cameras in nursing homes is a hot…

You know the old saying – “the wheel that squeaks the loudest, gets the oil?” Well – in our health care system – the wheel that squeaks the loudest – helps everyone. Read this article in the Washington Post today: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400985.html So many times people will call our office and say they don’t believe in…

We are happy to report the successful resolution of two very important cases against a Roanoke assisted living facility. From January to March of 2005, five female residents of a Roanoke, Virginia assisted living facility became ill with Group A Strep (GAS). GAS is a bacterial infection which can cause necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known…

Maybe you missed it but NBC’s Today Show is running a four day story on plastic or reconstructive surgery beginning today, November 27. Download and watch the video here. The story follows a recent article in Medscape Today which reported that in 2005, there were 10.2 million cosmetic procedures performed in the United States, an…

Well – I heard an interesting story today. A nursing home refusing to take a patient back into their care (re-admission) unless the family signed an arbitration agreement. Do you know what an arbitration agreement is? It is a binding contract wherein one party agrees to waive their right to a trial in state or…

Illinois State police are investigating the Woodstock Residence, a nursing home located in northern Illinois, and its employees. According to published reports citing unnamed sources, the inquiry focuses on allegations that a former employee at the 115-bed nursing and rehabilitation center in Woodstock gave several residents fatal doses of morphine. Unidentified sources told The (Crystal…

The average cost for nursing home care in the U.S. increased significantly in 2006, according to the results of a study by New York Life Insurance Co.’s long-term care division. Costs for both private and semiprivate care were 6 percent higher than in 2005. The average cost of a private room with a single occupant…

Teleradiology is the practice by hospitals of hiring off-site doctors to view and interpret radiologic studies. It is done via the Internet and cyberspace. Nighthawk Radiology Services is a prime example of this type of service. Teleradiology’s popularity began in the 1990’s in response to a shortage of radiologists and an increasing demand for radiological…

Residents of nursing home suffer decubitus ulcers, malnutrition, dehydration, and broken bones from falls. What happens when they are transferred to the local hospital for medical care? Well, 85% of the time the doctors and nurses at the receiving hospital not provided with necessary and important information about the patient according to a recent study.…