News & Resources

7 Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse in Colorado

According to a study reported by the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), as many as one in 10 seniors will experience some form of neglect or abuse during his or lifetime. Sadly, many of these cases of neglect and abuse occur in nursing homes, where the very people we trust to provide compassionate care to our loved ones are the ones who cause them harm. Review these warning signs of negligent or abusive treatment and seek help as soon as possible.

When Informed Consent is Not Truly Informed

When a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, he or she may need the kind of comprehensive care only a nursing home or skilled nursing facility can provide.  Unfortunately, such patients are the most vulnerable residents of nursing homes when it comes to being over-medicated and/or medicated with inappropriate drugs.  In fact, as your Denver nursing home lawyer explains below, patients with dementia risk drug abuse in these institutions.

Malnutrition and Dehydration in Nursing Home Patients: The Silent Epidemic

Between 1999--2002, 14,000 nursing home residents died as a result of dehydration and malnutrition.  A study completed in 2000 found that as many as 85 percent of nursing home residents nationwide were malnourished.  While there are varying explanations for these awful statistics, there is only one conclusion:  dehydration and malnutrition are widespread forms of nursing home abuse.

How to avoid abuse and/or criminal activity by in-home nursing aides

Home health care is the fastest growing sector in the health care industry; this particular area of health care is expected to grow 66 percent over the next ten years. Currently, close to seven million patients participate in home health care services every year.

Nursing home abuse series: When is it time for your loved one to stop living alone?

Losing our independence is one of our biggest fears in life. Watching someone we love lose theirs is one of the saddest parts of life. But, it is a part of life. Although the age at which elders need help, and the amount of help they need varies, at some point aging makes everyone a bit less self-sufficient. The challenge for many friends and family members is determining when their loved one can no longer live alone safely, and what kind of care they need. Your Denver nursing home attorney offers some advice below on identifying the time to act to protect your loved one.

 

Abuse and neglect of nursing home residents by workers is disturbingly common: why?

In April of this year, seventeen workers at a nursing home in New York were indicted on charges of felony neglect. The 300-bed health care facility opened in December 2011, and through February 2014-- a little over two years--it had received 119 complaints and incident reports. 

Does privacy law hinder protection from and investigation of nursing home abuse?

Unfortunately, in the course of protecting rights, other protections may suffer. Your Denver nursing home attorney discusses two examples where privacy protection can interfere with protection from abuse.

Nursing Home Negligence

A previous blog discussed the all too common and tragic problem of nursing home abuse and neglect.  In this blog, your Denver Personal Injury Attorney will explore what constitutes nursing home negligence, and what to do about it.

Elderly Abuse at Home

  Elder abuse is typically associated with care in nursing homes and other residential settings.  However, the elderly are often abused and neglected outside of institutions; in fact, most incidents of elder abuse take place at home.  The great majority of older people live on their own, with spouses, children, siblings or other relatives.  Whether caregivers are family members or paid aides, unfortunately elder abuse is shockingly common in our society.

Hepatitus C outbreak at nursing home

On Wednesday, April 2, 2014, two out of forty-four victims of a Hepatitus C outbreak in a nursing home in Minot, North Dakota, filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking unspecified monetary damages and class action status.  The nursing home, Manorcare, is the site of the second largest outbreak of Hepatitus C in United States history; according to the  Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak represents one quarter of all Hepatitus C cases reported nationally since 2008.