The NursingHome411.Org website is a useful resource for anyone looking for a nursing home or interested in current issues in nursing home care. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss how to utilize the nursing home 411 website to find or evaluate a nursing home with guest Richard Mollot, Executive Director of The Long Term Care Community Coalition.
Sexual abuse is non-consensual sexual contact by one person upon another. Sexual abuse is a form of elder abuse that frequently goes underreported, under-investigated, and unnoticed. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the signs of sexual abuse and how to uncover when it may be occurring to a loved one.
Minimum Data Sets are taken whenever a resident is admitted or discharged from a nursing home. They are important records that follow a resident to indicate their needs. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss nursing home minimum data sets and their role in nursing home care with guest Margo Craig, a legal nurse consultant with Sentry Medical Legal Services.
Slings and lifts in nursing homes are used to move residents when necessary, however they can fail causing injury and even death. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss how slings and lifts are used in nursing homes and their failure rates with guest Teresa Boynton, a clinical consultant at Hill-Rom.
Arbitration is the preferred dispute resolution method of nursing homes across the country. Arbitration is an alternative to the 7th Amendment right to a civil trial by jury and is almost always binding without the possibility of appeal. In In today’s episode, live, from the Consumer Voice conference, Will Smith talks about why arbitration is bad for the average nursing home resident and good for the average nursing home owner.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (“Consumer Voice”) is the nation’s leading advocacy group representing consumers in issues related to nursing homes, helping to ensure that residents are empowered to advocate for themselves. From October 22nd through October 24th, Consumer Voice held its annual conference in Alexandria, Virginia. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss their attendance at the conference what was learned.
Not all nursing home staff are the same, they have specialized roles when caring for your loved one. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the different kinds of staff that work in nursing homes and their roles.
Filing suit against a nursing home in Georgia courts can be a complex and time-consuming process. From start to finish, a lawsuit may take years to get to verdict. In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the manner in which a case may be settled prior to verdict or even filing suit.
What does it mean to “file suit” against a nursing home? Where does it occur and when? In today’s episode, attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss initiating an average nursing home lawsuit and what families of injured residents may expect.
Death certificates are a significant factor in wrongful death cases of nursing home residents, and can provide important information. It is not always considered that they can be corrected or amended under specific circumstances. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss death certificates and their administration with guest Tommy Davis, Coroner for Newton County Georgia.
Catheter-associated UTIs are a preventable health problem that is common in nursing home residents. Recent innovations designed to prevent Catheter-associated UTIs or CAUTIs are recently recommended. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the hazard of Catheter-associated UTIs in nursing home residents and methods of prevention with guest Dr. Jennifer Meddings, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Health System.
Autopsies are mandated by the state of Georgia when someone dies in state custody or under unusual circumstances. A state autopsy can also be requested under certain conditions. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss state autopsies in Georgia and related legal procedures with guest Gene Proctor, Coroner of Floyd County Georgia.
Sepsis is a life threatening medical condition that can lead to septic shock and death. It can occur in nursing homes as a complication of bedsores and catheterization, and must be avoided. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss sepsis in nursing homes and how it can be treated and prevented with guest Dr. Imrana Malik, Global Sepsis Alliance Advance Coordinator.
Care and policy involving older people is an active area of regulation and legislation with many policy advocates. One way of influencing policy is through regulation-related litigation. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss litigation advocacy and current regulations affecting older people with guest Iris Gonzalez, Senior Attorney for AARP Foundation.
Autopsies can be performed by private companies when a cause of death is ambiguous or unknown and needs to be known by family members of the deceased. This is often important for legal cases and closure regarding a loved one’s death. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss private autopsies and when they are performed with guest Dr. Virginia Richards of Greenwich Forensic MD.
Setting out to find a nursing home is a big decision with a lot of factors. Cost and quality of care are paramount and finding the right nursing home for your loved one requires a lot of research. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss how to research and find a nursing home with guest Jeff Bird, President of Parkview Aging Services.
Wandering and elopement are difficult problems that older people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease face. Caretakers are needed who understand the life threatening nature of these diseases and how to keep those they care for safe. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss wandering and elopement prevention with guest Gene Saunders, CEO of Project Lifesaver International.
Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution method that is often mandated by contracts signed to get into a nursing home or obligated by a judge in a nursing home lawsuit. It is an alternative to litigation, so mediation is a strategic decision. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss mediation and when it occurs, covering logistics, timeline, and the results of a successful mediation.
The Georgia Long Term Care Ombudsman’s office oversees operations of long term care facilities for Georgia nursing home residents and others needing long term care. This office is a vital resource for having quality-of-care concerns addressed by residents and families. In today's episode, nursing home abuse attorney Rob Schenk discusses how nursing home concerns can be brought to the attention of the Ombudsman’s office with guest Melanie McNeil, State Long Term Care Ombudsman.
An estimated 50 million people worldwide live with dementia. This number will almost double every 20 years, reaching 75 million in 2030 and 131.5 million in 2050. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the definition of dementia, the symptoms, and techniques for caring for loved ones with dementia, with guest Kate Swaffer, the Co-Founder and CEO of Dementia Alliance International.
Kate has been the recipient of many awards for her work in dementia and disability rights, including being named the 2017 South Australia Australian of the Year. Kate is the only Australian to be a full member of the World Dementia Council, a board member of Alzheimer’s Disease International, and she is the Chair, CEO, and co-founder of Dementia Alliance International, a global advocacy group for people living with dementia.
There are 2.5 million hospital and nursing home beds in use in the United States. In the 15 year period between 1985 and 2010, there were 803 incidents of patients or residents becoming caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in beds with rails. Of these reports, 480 people died, 138 had a nonfatal injury, and 185 were not injured because staff intervened. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the dangers of bedrails with Robyn Grant, the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
In her capacity as Director of Consumer Voice, she is responsible for the leading development and implementation of the Consumer Voice’s public policy agenda and growing support for the grassroots network of advocacy for nursing home residents. She has a Master’s in social work with a specialization in aging, and was an Indiana State Long-Term Care Ombudsman for eight years and president of the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs for two years.
Bedsores are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue. While they tend to be common in nursing homes, they are almost always 100% preventable. In fact, if your loved one has developed a bedsore, there is a good chance that it arose out of neglect. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss bedsore treatment and prevention with Clay Smith, a registered nurse.
Clay Smith has over ten years of experience in the healthcare industry. He has worked as a combat medic in the United States Army National Guard, as a nurse in nursing homes across Georgia, as an EMT, and currently provides nursing care in a progressive care unit of a Georgia hospital.
Recently, a former resident of northwest Fresno, California nursing home alleged in a civil lawsuit that he had to have his right eye removed after staff at the nursing home allowed him to be attacked twice by his roommate. This is just one example of the hundreds of instances in which resident on resident violence has occurred nursing facilities across the country. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the case, including the topics of constructive knowledge and what steps nursing homes should take to reduce injury
Three staff members at a Georgia senior-care facility were indicted on charges that their actions not only caused the death of a resident in their care, but that they also tried to cover up his death. Video surveillance captured three facility staff members laughing as the resident passed away. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss the case, including the topics of video surveillance, following physician’s orders, and criminal liability in nursing home abuse cases
Upon admission and at regular intervals after that, nursing home residents must be assessed for various medical needs. One of those assessments evaluates the amount of help that the resident needs for daily living, such as getting out of bed, showering or eating. In today’s episode, nursing home abuse attorneys Rob Schenk and Will Smith discuss when and how a nursing home resident gets assistance from nursing home staff.