At Walton Law Firm, we have handled numerous cases involving decubitus ulcers or bed sores, many of them resulting in the death of the patient. But the cases we handle are civil cases; a prosecution of the nursing home or other caregiver to seek money damages. We have never seen…
In the 10 years since I took my first case against a nursing home for elder abuse, I have seen a growing number of homes going without liability insurance. While the uninsured problem used to be confined to the small mom-and-pop assisted living facilities with 6 to 12 beds, now…
When Georgia Fitsos was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in 2006, her family came to the sad realization that Georgia could no longer live alone. Too healthy for skilled nursing care, the family chose to place their mother in Broadstone Residential Facility after reading a fancy brochure that promised…
The New York Times has a story today about the dramatic increase in hospital patients with bedsores over the last 14 years. A report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality finds that over 500,000 patients admitted to U.S. hospitals in 2006 suffered from a bedsore that was developed…
A Laguna Hills nursing home faces its second lawsuit for elder abuse in three years for the neglect of one of its residents. In both cases the resident died. Theresa Sperry died in July 2007 after a short stay a Villa Valencia in Orange County skilled nursing facility. The lawsuit…
A jury in Santa Ana awarded the family of Mary Adams $2 million after the 104-year-old was neglected in a Laguna Hills nursing home. The jury awarded $1 million for the Villa Valencia Health Care’s negligence, and another $1 million in punitive damages. Juror Rory Paster, a 41-year-old engineering analyst…
Studies show that almost 50% of California nursing homes do not meet federal standards in preventing pressure ulcers. The problems are so widespread that the treatment of these ulcers – also called bed sores – will no longer be covered by Medicare if the sore was acquired after admission into…
When there is sustained pressure in an area of skin that cuts off circulation to that area, the skin will start to breakdown creating what is common called a bedsore or pressure ulcer. If you’ve never seen one, consider yourself lucky. Not properly cared for, these sores and develop into…
The National Pressure Advisory Panel updated its definition of the four “stages” used to diagnose pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers (often referred to as bed sores). It also added two new stages on deep-tissue injury and ulcers that cannot be staged. The updated stages of pressure ulcers were released at…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced last month that, it will no longer reimburse hospitals for treating eight “reasonably preventable” conditions as of October 2008 the Wall Street Journal reports. Pressure ulcers are among the most prevalent, costly and dangerous on the list. In addition to interfering with…