Nursing Home Abuse Leads to Fines and Penalties
Nursing home abuse and negligence are serious problems not only in Washington State, but all over the nation. According to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2002, nursing home abuse has resulted in serious injuries and deaths at several facilities across the nation. The report also revealed that facilities were late in reporting abuse incidents 50 percent of the time.
A nursing home was recently filed $6,500 over accusations that some of its elderly and sick residents were mistreated. The nursing home fired one of its certified nursing aides earlier this year after claims that several residents were mistreated. Six residents were reportedly mentally, verbally and physically abused, and the nursing home did nothing to prevent such abuse. One person was also threatened with having their throat cut, another was denied food, and yet another resident was taunted by one employee while the actions were videotaped. The nursing home also had incidents that involved serious negligence. A 74-year-old resident died in October after choking on food after employees failed to supervise him.
In my opinion, a $6,500 fine is nothing when you think about the lives lost and the serious abuse these nursing home residents had to suffer at the hands of staff members. We have observed that in some cases, nursing home staff turn to negligence and abuse because they are over-worked and underpaid. Large for-profit homes deliberately understaff their facilities to keep their profits high and expenses under control. If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home negligence or abuse, please contact an experienced Seattle personal injury lawyer at The Bernard Law Firm to find out more about your legal rights and options.
Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure which has educational information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/nursing-24915-home-public.html
