In recent news that Maryland Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys have been following, Attorney General for the State of New York Andrew Cuomo announced this week that twenty-two health care employees, both former and current, have been arrested after hidden camera footage in two separate nursing homes revealed alleged abuse and neglect as well as other behavior that harmed the health and safety of residents.
Cuomo claimed that his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) is using hidden surveillance cameras in nursing homes all over the state of New York, with the consent of family members, to make sure that residents are receiving the nursing home care that they lawfully deserve. Cuomo and his team are reportedly setting a precedent in this country, for using surveillance cameras to investigate the possible nursing home abuse and neglect of patients in nursing homes. The MFCU has, to date, convicted 30 nursing home workers based on the results of the hidden cameras.
The first case announced this week involved the arrest of 14 health care workers at Northwoods Rehabilitation and Extended Care Facility, after six weeks of footage revealed that the workers failed to consistently turn residents who were immobile, neglected to check or care for bedsores, routinely failed to give patients necessary medications, or check residents for incontinence and change residents’ undergarments in a timely manner. The medical records were also allegedly falsified to reflect a level of care that was not being administered.
The second case involving incidents at Williamsville Suburban Nursing Home, lead to the arrest of 8 workers. The investigation took place over a seven-week period of time, and revealed that staff failed to use a mechanical lift assisted by two other caregivers to properly transfer residents to and from the bed—causing a great potential for nursing home falls and injury. The footage also showed that patients weren’t given insulin, weren’t treated for wounds on the skin, and weren’t checked for vital signs, or given range of motion exercises. The resident’s medical records were also falsified to conceal neglect.
Maryland and Washington D.C. nursing home residents have the right to live in an environment filled with quality care that is free from neglect and abuse that can lead to injury or wrongful death. If you suspect that a loved or resident of a nursing facility is being neglected or abused, it is likely that other residents are being treated in a similar negligent or abusive manner. This can be a difficult and emotional experience, and you should speak with a qualified and knowledgeable nursing home abuse and negligence attorney to advise you on what actions to take. Contact our attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today, for a free consultation.
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