Law Firm Resources & News

Retirement Planning and Continuing Care Communities: Myth v. Reality 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Retirement Planning and Continuing Care Communities: Myth v. Reality

Our local business magazine just ran a thorough and thoughtful article on retirement planning. It shows pictures of youthful seniors doing water aerobics, swinging on a lake-side hammock and more. The article highlights idyllic retirement where assets cover comfortable living and seniors have choices.  Yes, some people (those blessed with good health and good jobs…

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Watch out for medical mistakes while in the hospital 150 150 Dan Frith

Watch out for medical mistakes while in the hospital

I didn’t write the title to today’s post but I certainly agree with it.  The title to today’s post comes from The People’s Pharmacy and was written by Joe and Teresa Graedon.  The article was re-published by my local paper, The Roanoke Times, and presents some pretty sobering statistics:   1.  Medical error is the…

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Politicians and Litigators: More similar than you may think 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Politicians and Litigators: More similar than you may think

This morning I listened to a fascinating podcast about types of politicians: Those who are substance over form, or Those who are form over substance. Yes, while I realize it is always dangerous to categorize, and even more so to claim there are only two types of any kind of person, it isn’t hard to…

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Why hurt and pain are not enough under the law 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Why hurt and pain are not enough under the law

My precious little girl will often cry when she is sad, or she feels challenged, or her feelings are hurt, etc.  As a parent, I try my best to recognize the pain. To hear it, name it, and give her freedom from it by recognizing it as being real. But often, I recognize that what…

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Why nursing home policies and procedures are so important 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Why nursing home policies and procedures are so important

Have you every heard the phrase – honesty is the best policy? It is an ironic truism. True, because honesty is always preferable to the opposite, dishonesty, and yet ironic because why do we as humans need a policy (a written rule) encouraging honesty? Shouldn’t honesty be innate? Shouldn’t we know to tell the truth, without…

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Surgical complications – not always a result of human error 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Surgical complications – not always a result of human error

No such thing as a simple surgery.  Seriously. And no surgery is totally without risk.  We have had patients die during hip repairs, and suffer life changing injury after routine colonoscopies and or gallbladder surgeries. We have seen patients die during child delivery, cancer surgeries, and other ‘routine procedures.’ Sometimes, the health care providers do…

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Use of Haldol for dementia / Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Use of Haldol for dementia / Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes

So the FDA says the following about using Haldol for a dementia / Alzheimer’s patient in a nursing home. Read it carefully, the language is not soft but very clear:  WARNING Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis: Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death.…

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introductions: I’m Lauren Ellerman 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

introductions: I’m Lauren Ellerman

My name is Lauren Ellerman  I am a lawyer in Roanoke Virginia. Learn more about me here.   

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Who is to blame for any tragedy? 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Who is to blame for any tragedy?

I rarely claim Florida as home – but this week, I wear my Sunshine State flag with pride. My family is there. My brother and sister in law, often visit dine and enjoy what Orlando, Tampa and Miami nightlife have to offer.  My high-school friends are there – and many, I am confident, have been…

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Hair Club for Men – in the news again! 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Hair Club for Men – in the news again!

If you were an adolescent in the 1990s, there is no doubt you remember some of the classic Hair Club for Men commercials where men would smile while woman rubbed their hands across thick luscious clumps of natural looking hair on a man standing nearby. I recall friends reenacting the adds in middle school and…

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Thinking of calling a lawyer with your potential medical malpractice claim – how should you prepare? 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Thinking of calling a lawyer with your potential medical malpractice claim – how should you prepare?

I ask Google at least 3 or 4 questions a day. I ask for advice on pronunciation, recipes, geography and more. Last week my husband asked Google whether the new Jungle Book movie was appropriate for a 4 year old (the answer, in case you are wondering, is no. it is not.) It therefore occurs…

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Can a patient’s family call 911 in a nursing home? 150 150 Lauren Ellerman

Can a patient’s family call 911 in a nursing home?

We get questions like the following, all the time: “I am worried about my loved one in the nursing home. I asked the nurse to call the rescue squad and she said she couldn’t – waiting for a doctor’s order. What can I do?” or “I told the nurse I was so worried about my Mom…

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