Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Seventeen employees of the Highpointe nursing facility have been accused of patient abuse and will be facing charges filed by the State’s Attorney General. According to a report by BuffaloNews.com, the employees are all facing felony charges for alleged abuse committed against patients. Highpointe is owned and operated by a larger corporation, Kalieda Health, which owns several nursing home facilities.
Highpointe is a 300-bed facility that cost $64 million to build back in 2011, when it first opened. In the most recent report, the nursing home was operating at 97% occupancy (April).
Over the past few years, Highpointe has had a higher-than-average complaint ratio, averaging 44.8 per 100 residents. The average is closer to 34 per 100 residents. The nursing home also had more citations issued after inspection than comparable nursing homes. For instance, in 2014, the citation ration was 6.6 per 100 occupied beds, which was almost three times the rate for other nursing homes in the area.
Nursing Home Woes
Nursing homes do not enjoy a reputation for being safe, loving environments, and for good reason. Reports like the one discussed above are released on a frequent basis, citing any range of unacceptable conduct, from abuse to neglect to financial crimes.
In part, this is due to nursing homes’ elderly and vulnerable population. They are a population who are cut off from the outside world in many ways and have little contact with those outside the nursing home walls. In addition, when residents to speak with family members outside the nursing home, they are rarely given the credibility that they deserve. Indeed, sometimes, the family members have no other choice but to keep their loved one in a nursing home.
No One Needs to Accept Inadequate Care
Regardless of what nursing home a person selects, that home has a duty to all of its patients to provide adequate care and to create a healthy, abuse-free environment. When nursing homes don’t live up to this obligation, injury or death is more likely to occur. When it does, the victims of nursing home neglect or abuse are permitted to recover from the nursing home for their loss or injuries. To find out more about the Maryland laws that allow nursing home residents to recover, consult with an experienced nursing home attorney today.
Are You in Need of an Attorney?
If you or a loved one has recently suffered nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect that resulted in serious injury, you should speak with an experienced Maryland nursing home attorney as soon as possible. Depending on what exactly occurred, you or your loved one may be entitled to a significant monetary award based on the nursing home’s negligent, reckless, or intentional conduct. The law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has a dedicated team of attorneys waiting to speak with you about your case. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 to schedule your free case evaluation today.
See More Blog Posts:
New Legislation in Florida Changes the Landscape of Nursing Home Injury Cases, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published May 6, 2014.
Sexual Assault in Pennsylvania Nursing Home Sends Authorities on a Search, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published April 23, 2014.