In a recent nursing home investigation that our Washington D.C. nursing home abuse attorneys discussed in a blog, Attorney General of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, and his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) have engaged in a state-wide investigation into nursing home abuse and neglect, using hidden cameras in New York nursing homes, to ensure that residents are receiving quality nursing home care, that is free from negligence and abuse.
Earlier this year fourteen healthcare workers at Northwoods Rehabilitation and Extended Care Facility were arrested for nursing home abuse and neglect, and last week, nine of the licensed nurses and aides were charged in a 175-count indictment, alleging that the nurses neglected to provide proper care and treatment for a patient who was incapacitated.
The nurses have been reportedly charged with endangering the welfare of a person who is physically disabled or incompetent, and willful violation of health laws—both of which are misdemeanors. They have also been charged with a felony for falsifying business records to cover up their nursing home negligence. The nurses all pleaded not guilty. The five other defendants with similar charges have already settled their nursing home negligence cases with guilty pleas.
The Attorney General Cuomo’s office reported that along with falsifying records to hide negligence, the nurses and aides neglected to administer the incapacitated patient’s medications and also neglected to treat the patient’s pressure sores. They also reportedly neglected to check the patient for incontinence, and failed to change the patient’s undergarments for long time periods. As our Washington D.C. nursing home injury attorneys have reported in a previous blog, when residents have limited movement or are immobile, resting in the same position for long periods puts them at high risk for developing bedsores.
The investigation of Northwoods reportedly began after a certified nurse’s aide at the same Troy facility was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a 78-year-old nursing home resident who was physically helpless. The MCRU began an investigation which also led to the arrests of the fourteen staff members, after the cameras recorded their alleged nursing home abuse and negligence.
Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers represent victims of nursing home abuse and negligence in Washington D.C. Contact our attorneys today at 1-800-654-1949 for a free consultation.
14 Nurses, Aides Charged In Nursing Home Abuse, North County Gazette, September 23, 2010
22 Arrested Health Care Workers in NYS, WIVB.com, March 31, 2010
Eight Charged in Case of Nursing Home Neglect, The Buffalo News.com, March 31, 2010
NYS AG Investigation Leads to 22 Arrests for Patient Neglect at WNY & Troy Nursing Homes, WKBW, March 31, 2010
Related Web Resources:
The National Center on Elder Abuse, (NCEA)
Are Washington DC Nursing Homes Doing Enough to Prevent Patient Abuse and Neglect?: One in Five US Nursing Homes Receive Low Star Ratings for Quality, Washington D.C. Injury Lawyer Blog, February 4, 2010