Monday, December 7, 2009
UAB Medical School Adds Elder Care to Curriculum
Medical care for the elderly - also called geriatric medicine - presents unique challenges and requires specialized training. Major life transitions, such as relocation to an assisted living facility or long-term nursing home, for example, can be stressful on older adults. UAB medical students will now learn how best to handle the various health issues that the elderly face, which will allow for improved medical care for our nation's older population.
If you believe your loved one has received inadequate care at a nursing facility, contact the Birmingham nursing home attorneys at The Walker Law Firm to discuss your case. We provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Call 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation with a Birmingham nursing home lawyer regarding your case.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
FL Nursing Home Takes Stroke Victim to Homeless Shelter
If someone you love has been neglected, mistreated, or abused by a nursing care facility, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free initial consultation. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys can help you seek justice for your loved one's physical pain and emotional trauma. We provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Our Birmingham nursing home attorneys won't charge a fee unless you receive monetary compensation in your case.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Alabama Nursing Home Makes U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll
The U.S. News & World Report updated its "America's Best Nursing Homes" list in October, including 34 nursing homes across the nation that received "honor roll" status. Only one Alabama facility made the list. Of the 15,000 nursing care facilities ranked by the magazine, the Orchard Health Care Center in Hayneville was the only Alabama nursing home that received a five-star rating. The rating is based on three areas of evaluation: health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality measures of individual care.
On average, 3.2 million people will require nursing care assistance each year. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes provide the same five-star care as the 34 facilities that made the "honor roll." When employees or administrators at a nursing care facility engage in abuse and neglect of elderly patients, they should be held accountable for their actions. An experienced Birmingham nursing home lawyer can help victims of abuse and neglect seek compensation for their injuries.
If your loved one was injured in a nursing home in Alabama, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding your case. Our nursing home injury attorneys provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Let our Birmingham nursing home injury lawyers put our expertise and resources to work for you.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Alabama Nursing Homes Honored for Innovative Approaches to Elder Care
According to the ANHA's web site, the eight selected nursing care facilities presented the following presentations on innovative care techniques:
“Validation If You Please" - Cherokee County Nursing Home - Centre: Home-like stations with different sets of activities in the Alzheimer’s unit provide residents with familiar work settings and can serve as behavioral intervention tools.
“Runaway Gang” - Southland Nursing Home - Marion: Social driven residents are given a breath of fresh air by participating in events outside of the nursing home which gives them a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
“July 4th Celebration” - Crossville Health & Rehabilitation - Crossville: Annual July 4th celebration has quickly become one of the largest events in the surrounding area and promotes a positive image of the nursing home to the community.
“Once We Get Them...We Keep Them” - Piedmont Health Care Center - Piedmont: Dramatically reduced nursing staff turnover by implementing a number of changes including having nursing staff assigned to specific residents.
“Word Bowl” - Crowne Health Care of Montgomery - Montgomery: Encourages exercising the mind by having teams of therapy and activities residents spell smaller words from one large word.
“I’ve Been Everywhere” - TLC Nursing Center - Oneonta: “Vacations” where residents experience a famous destination without leaving the facility has increased participation in activity programs.
“Hand in Hand - UTI Prevention” - Hanceville Nursing & Rehab - Hanceville: Seeks to improve a resident’s quality of life by reducing the number of urinary tract infections and training staff on how to prevent infections.
“Montessori Dementia Management" - Civic Center Health & Rehabilitation - Birmingham: Creates and presents activities and interventions based upon the teaching methods of Maria Montessori to assist dementia patients in becoming as independent as possible.
While I applaud these care facilities for striving to improve their residents' quality of life, I know that nursing home abuse and neglect has reached almost epidemic proportions in the nation's long-term care facilities. Nursing home abuse must not go unreported. If you have any reason to suspect that your loved one suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing care facility, contact an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer to stop the abuse and protect your loved one's rights.The Birmingham nursing home attorneys at The Walker Law Firm can help you get justice for the mistreatment of your loved one. We provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Call 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation with a Birmingham nursing home lawyer regarding your case.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Illinois Nursing Home Facing Fines for Resident-on-Resident Abuse
Unfortunately, resident-on-resident abuse in nursing homes happens more often than you might think. Physical and sexual abuse committed by other residents often goes unreported. However, nursing homes and their staff are responsible for ensuring that residents are safe. If you believe your family member may have been a victim of abuse - whether by other residents or by nursing home employees - contact an experienced Birmingham nursing home lawyer immediately to stop the abuse and protect your loved one's legal rights.
If someone you love has been injured in a nursing care facility, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free initial consultation. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys can help you seek justice for your loved one's physical pain and emotional trauma. We provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Our Birmingham nursing home attorneys won't charge a fee unless you receive monetary compensation in your case.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Legal Rights of Alabama Nursing Home Residents
Under the Older American's Act, nursing home residents have the right to a dignified existence, including the right to self-determination, the right to communicate with family members and other individuals outside the care facility, and the right to have access to the medical services of their choosing. This is a federal law that applies to all nursing home residents in the state of Alabama.
Sadly, the rights of many vulnerable adults are routinely violated by staff and administrators at nursing care facilities. Residents are sometimes treated like prisoners, denied access to their friends, loved ones, and doctors outside the nursing home. When this happens, nursing home residents often do not tell anyone about the abuse or neglect out of fear of retaliation by nursing home staff. The Birmingham nursing home attorneys at The Walker Law Firm can help protect victims against retaliation when they reveal that they have been abused or neglected by employees at a nursing care facility.
If you believe your loved one's rights may have been violated by an Alabama nursing home's staff or administrators, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding your case. Our nursing home injury attorneys provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Let our Birmingham nursing home injury lawyers put our expertise and resources to work for you.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
NY Nursing Home Worker Charged with Abuse
A nursing home employee was arrested this week for allegedly abusing a resident at the Adirondack Medical Center's Mercy Nursing Home in Tupper Lake, N.Y. According to news reports, the 88-year-old patient sustained visible bruising to her face and suffered a broken collar bone as a result of the incident. The employee, 42-year-old John Ette, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a vulnerable adult and is being held on $1,000 bond. The nursing care facility has terminated his employment.
While this nursing facility has a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding abuse, many instances of abuse often go unnoticed or unreported. In the absence of noticeable bruising or other visible injury, many vulnerable adults refrain from reporting abuse out of fear of retaliation by nursing home staff. If you have any reason to suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing care facility, it is of the utmost importance that you contact a Birmingham nursing home lawyer immediately. An experienced attorney can help you keep your loved one safe and bring the wrongdoers to justice.
If you believe your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing care facility, call an experienced Birmingham nursing home injury attorney to discuss your case. The personal injury attorneys at The Walker Law Firm can help you get justice for the mistreatment of your loved one. We provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Call 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding your case.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Medical Experts Warn Against Use of Common Pain Killers by Older Adults
According to experts, nearly 85% of nursing home residents experience moderate to chronic pain every day. If your loved one is a nursing home resident, you should investigate how the facility manages residents' pain. If your loved one currently uses NSAIDs on a regular basis, you should consult a doctor about receiving alternative pain medication that is less harmful to elderly patients. If you or a loved one has suffered any type of injury in a nursing care facility, you should consult an experienced Birmingham nursing home attorney immediately to discuss your legal options.
If someone you love has been injured in a nursing care facility, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free initial consultation. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys can help you get justice for the mistreatment of your loved one. We provide thorough representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. You don't pay a fee unless you receive monetary compensation for your injuries.
Monday, April 13, 2009
NY Nursing Home Aide Steals Resident's Diamond
This is a classic example of financial exploitation. Nursing home residents' rights include the right to remain free from financial exploitation by care facilities and their staff. Caregivers can financially exploit elders by unlawfully taking, misusing, or concealing the money, property, or other assets of their patients. Patients who suffer from dementia are especially vulnerable to financial exploitation.
If you or a loved one has been financially exploited in a Birmingham nursing home, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding your case. Our nursing home injury attorneys provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Let our Birmingham nursing home injury lawyers put our expertise and resources to work for you.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tips for Choosing a Nursing Home for Your Loved One
The American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) offers 10 helpful tips for choosing the right nursing home for your loved one:
- Appeal the Hospital Discharge: Most nursing-home admissions follow a hospital stay, where you may get as little as 24 hours' notice to find a long-term care facility. If the patient is on Medicare, tell hospital administrators you want to appeal the discharge. This will automatically give you two extra days to check out the nursing homes in your area.
- Get a List of Nursing Homes. Begin your search for a nursing home with the Eldercare Locator (800-677-1116). This agency will put you in touch with your local Area Agency on Aging, which will give you a list of nursing homes in your area.
- Start Close to Home. Once you have a list of facilities, start with the ones nearest your home.
- Pop in Unannounced. If your first visit is during regular business hours, don't make an appointment—you'll get a better idea of how the facility is run. Just walk in and ask for the administrator, who should be on site. If not, ask for the next person in charge to show you around. Be sure to ask about the ratio of caregivers to residents or seek a copy of the staffing schedule.
- Inspect the Restrooms. Any restroom in the public areas will do. Sure, evaluate the overall cleanliness—but what you really want to check out is the hot water, the lack of which is a common complaint in a lot of nursing homes, especially larger ones.
- Look for Residents—in the Right Places. If you see them in activity areas, dining rooms, and outdoor areas, that's good. If you see them being changed, dressed, or toileted, it means the facility doesn't value their patients' privacy—or dignity.
- Stay for Meal Time. Ask to see the kitchen where the residents' meals are prepared. A good nursing home will have no problem with this request.
- Ask for Inspection Reports. All long-term care facilities must provide their most recent state inspection survey (Form 2567). The report lists the most recent violations found by state inspectors.
- Join the Residents. All nursing homes are supposed to support both family and resident councils. There should be a schedule of these meetings posted. Ask to sit in on one and you'll get a sense of what's going on within the facility. Ask questions. You'll get frank answers.
- Visit Often. The most important thing you can do is to visit often, to make sure the patient's care plan is being followed, and to consistently monitor his or her care.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Music Therapy at Birmingham Nursing Home
I applaud the Fair Haven Retirement Center for holding this workshop as a means of improving the quality of life of its elderly residents. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When employees or administrators at a nursing care facility engage in abuse and neglect of elderly patients, they should be held accountable for their actions. An experienced Birmingham nursing home lawyer can help victims of abuse and neglect seek compensation for their injuries. At The Walker Law Firm, we can help protect the victim against retaliation by nursing home staff for revealing the abuse.
If your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing care facility, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free consultation regarding your case. Our nursing home injury attorneys provide aggressive representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. Let our Birmingham nursing home injury lawyers put our expertise and resources to work for you.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Nursing Home Resident, 98, Victim of Identity Theft
The Birmingham personal injury lawyers at The Walker Law Firm strongly believe that abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults is an outrage. Nursing home residents in both short- and long-term facilities are entitled to certain rights according to state and federal law, not the least of which are the right to privacy, the right to be treated with dignity, and the right to have access to their personal possessions. When these rights are violated, victims should seek the advice of an experienced nursing home lawyer immediately.
If someone you love has been abused or neglected in a nursing care facility, call the Birmingham nursing home lawyers at 1-877-925-5373 for a free initial consultation. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys can help you get justice for the mistreatment of your loved one. We provide thorough representation to abuse and neglect victims in Bessemer, Birmingham, Fairfield, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Tarrant, Trussville, and Vestavia Hills. You don't pay a fee unless you receive monetary compensation for your injuries.