Nursing Home Abuse

Spotting Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Before It Is Too Late

April 20, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past several decades, there has been a societal shift in the United States toward a household in which both parents work out of the home. Indeed, as of 2016, roughly two-thirds of all families were composed of two income earners. Most often, this means both parents are away from the home during the day.

Unlike in years past, today’s working families do not have the ability to care for their aging loved ones. This has correspondingly led to an increase in the number of elderly people being admitted to nursing homes. Currently, it is estimated that there are over 3.5 million nursing home residents. And while Maryland nursing homes present a good solution in theory, in reality, nursing homes are rarely “as advertised.”

Too often, nursing homes are understaffed with underqualified employees. This creates a situation in which abuse and neglect are rampant. Indeed, it is estimated that over 40% of nursing home residents will experience some form of abuse during their stay, and nearly 90% of nursing home residents report being neglected. Given the limited interaction between a nursing home resident and the outside world, it is believed that these figures may be an underestimation.

Video Evidence Is Catching More Abusive Caretakers in the Act

March 23, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland nursing homes have never enjoyed a sterling reputation for the care they provide to residents. While there are many quality facilities staffed with caring individuals, unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority. More often than not, nursing homes are operated with their for-profit motive placed above all else. This means staffing homes with as few employees as possible, among other things.

When nursing home management tries to cut corners by reducing the number of nurses, the chance increases that those nurses who are on duty will be overworked. And while there is never an excuse for abusing a patient, research has shown that overworked nursing home employees are more likely to commit abuse or neglect than those who feel their workload is manageable.

For years, Maryland nursing home abuse went largely unnoticed. Certainly it was occurring behind closed doors, but since residents rarely have contact with the outside world, reports were rarely made. And when reports were made, they were too often brushed aside by family members. However, with the increased availability of video cameras, more families are able to place hidden cameras in their loved ones’ rooms. In many cases, the footage from these cameras is admissible in a lawsuit against a nursing home or employee.

Civil Lawsuits Versus Criminal Prosecutions in Nursing Home Abuse Cases

March 7, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When a nursing home employee engages in abuse of a patient, two different types of lawsuits can follow. First, the local state government can opt to criminally prosecute the individual nursing home employee. If the employee is found guilty, they may face fines, probation, or even incarceration.

The other type of Maryland nursing home lawsuit is a civil case for damages. A civil lawsuit, also known as a personal injury lawsuit, is brought by the victim of the abuse or their family member, rather than by the local prosecuting authority. In addition, the focus of the case is not so much on the employee’s violation of the law, but instead on whether the employee violated a duty of care he owed to the nursing home resident. Importantly, even if a criminal lawsuit is not pursued, a nursing home resident or their family member may pursue a civil nursing home abuse lawsuit on their own.

If successful, a nursing home resident or their family may recover compensation for the injuries sustained by the abused resident. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the abuse, compensation may include amounts for past and future medical expenses, loss of enjoyment, decrease in quality of life, and any pain and suffering caused by the abuse. In some cases, punitive damages may also be appropriate.

Maryland Nursing Homes Can Be Held Liable for Employees’ Negligent and Abusive Acts

February 28, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, or vicarious liability, an employer is generally responsible for the acts of its employees if they are acting in the scope of their employment. Therefore, if a Maryland nursing home staff member abuses a nursing home resident, the nursing home may be responsible for the employee’s actions as long as the staff member was acting within the scope of their employment.

“Nanny Cam” Leads to Arrests of Two Nursing Home Staff

A hidden camera recently led to the arrest of two Georgia women on elder abuse charges, according to one news source. An 89-year-old resident was living at a nursing home in Georgia when his family installed a “nanny cam” in his room to monitor his well-being because they were concerned about him. According to the news report, the video showed staff physically and mentally abusing the resident.

The resident was recovering from pneumonia and needed extra help with feeding and personal hygiene. According to police, two staff members in the room were frustrated with him and “were treating him pretty roughly.” The sheriff said that at one point, the resident was having a hard time keeping his dentures in while he was eating, and one of the staff members hit him to get the dentures back in. The staff also hit him in the face after he spit some food out of his mouth, cussed at him, and threatened to hit him. One of the staff members, who was 37 years old, was arrested on four counts of elder abuse, and the other staff member, who was 45 years old, was charged with one count of elder abuse.

The Distinction Between a Criminal Prosecution of a Nursing Home Employee and a Civil Personal Injury Lawsuit

January 26, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When a loved one is placed in a Maryland nursing home, it is assumed that their basic physical and medical needs will be monitored and that they will be treated with dignity and respect. However, history has shown that nursing home employees, for whatever reason, too often engage in abusive or neglectful behavior. When authorities discover that nursing home abuse or neglect has occurred, those responsible can be held accountable for their actions in several ways.

Criminal Nursing Home Prosecutions

After allegations of abuse have been substantiated, criminal charges may be filed against a nursing home employee or administrator. Such cases are brought by the local prosecuting authority on behalf of the state and are designed to punish the wrongdoer for their actions. If they are found guilty of a criminal offense, the defendant can face fines, probation, and potentially incarceration.

While a criminal court may order some restitution to be paid to the victim, restitution amounts are normally limited in that they include only the amount of actual financial loss incurred by the victim. A criminal court will not award damages based on the victim’s pain and suffering.

The Standard of Care in Nursing Home Cases in Maryland

January 12, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Nursing homes are required to provide residents with a safe environment, free from abuse and neglect. However, whether a nursing facility violated the “standard of care” is often disputed in Maryland nursing home negligence cases.

Determining the standard of care is important in a nursing home case, particularly in cases alleging that a nursing home was negligent in caring for a resident. To show that a nursing facility was negligent, a plaintiff has to demonstrate that the defendant had a duty to protect the plaintiff, the defendant breached its duty, the plaintiff suffered an injury or loss, and the injury or loss was caused by the defendant’s breach. In order to demonstrate that a nursing home breached its duty, the plaintiff has to show that the home’s conduct failed to meet the applicable standard of care under the circumstances.

The standard of care may be set forth in a statute or regulation, which can serve as the standard by which the court can measure the nursing home’s conduct. For example, a nursing home’s violation of a law or regulation may allow a court to presume a nursing home was negligent. Some courts have also found that the federal Nursing Home Reform Law provides the standard of care for nursing homes. In many cases, an expert is required to explain how the facility’s conduct failed to meet the standard of care.

Elder Abuse in Maryland Nursing Homes

December 21, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland nursing homes have long been viewed with a skeptical eye when it comes to the level of care they provide to residents. For one, nursing home residents are in essence isolated from their loved ones, except for very specific times during a visit from family members. Additionally, family members can never really know what is happening to their loved one when they leave, especially if their loved one suffers from serious physical or mental health issues preventing them from effectively communicating with family members about their care.

That being said, nursing homes have a duty to provide all residents with a certain level of care that comports with the standards imposed by society in general. While the specifics of the duty owed to residents can vary, it always includes maintaining a safe environment that is free of abuse and neglect.

When a nursing home resident suffers from abuse or neglect, family members may be able to pursue a Maryland nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit to obtain compensation for their loved one’s suffering. These lawsuits rely on general principles of negligence for the most part, but some nursing home cases do involve issues of medical malpractice, especially when the defendant is a licensed or certified nurse. In such cases, additional requirements may be placed upon a plaintiff filing a lawsuit against the nursing home. Anyone considering filing a Maryland nursing home abuse or neglect lawsuit should consult with a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney prior to doing so.

Court Upholds Jury’s Decision to Award Punitive Damages in Nursing Home Case

October 13, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In most cases alleging Maryland nursing home abuse or neglect, if successful, the plaintiff will receive compensation for the injuries sustained by their loved one. This normally includes the costs of medical expenses, and it may also include an amount for the emotional pain and suffering their loved one endured as a result of the abuse or neglect. In some rare cases, punitive damages may also be appropriate.

Most of the various types of damages available to a plaintiff in a Maryland personal injury case are focused on the plaintiff. However, the focus of punitive damages is on the especially egregious behavior of the defendant. Indeed, the purpose of punitive damages is to deter the very kind of behavior the defendant exhibited that led to the case being filed.

Punitive damages in Maryland are rare and require a showing of actual malice. This means that a plaintiff must show that the defendant possessed some kind of ill-will or spite. Thus, punitive damages are usually only appropriate when the defendant is found to have engaged in intentional wrongdoing, rather than merely negligent conduct. A recent case is an example of a situation in which punitive damages were found to be appropriate by a court.

Nursing Home Abuse Frequently Goes Unreported, According to Recent Government Report

September 21, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The residents of Maryland nursing homes are a vulnerable population. While most nursing home residents have family somewhere in the state, the reality is that family cannot always be present to witness how staff is treating their loved one. On top of that, many residents suffer from some kind of mental illness or incapacitation that can affect their ability to accurately and credibly relay information about the way they are being treated. Given this landscape, it does not require much of an imagination to see why nursing home abuse is underreported.

Under the law, any instances of abuse or neglect of a Medicare beneficiary must be reported to the authorities. However, according to a recent report, a newly released government study issued by the Department of Health and Human Services found approximately 130 instances of unreported abuse of Medicare beneficiaries, dating back to 2015.

The abuse discussed in the report is extremely serious, including rape, seduction, sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, maltreatment, and sadism. The article details the abuse sustained by an elderly woman that was documented not in nursing home records but in the woman’s medical records after she was admitted into the emergency room. Evidently, a nursing aide entered the woman’s room to find a male nurse on top of the elderly woman, grabbing her breasts and ejaculating on her.

Nursing Home Residents’ Right to Be Free from All Forms of Abuse

September 14, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland nursing home residents have the right to live in a safe environment, free from mistreatment. Abuse against residents can take many forms, including physical abuse, financial exploitation, sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological abuse. A nursing home is responsible for keeping its residents safe and free from abuse. Under federal regulations, a nursing home is required to have policies and procedures in place to prohibit abuse, neglect, and exploitation, to investigate and report all allegations of abuse, and to protect residents from mistreatment.

Different types of claims can be filed against nursing homes that fail to keep residents safe or when employees are responsible for abuse. For example, a nursing home may be liable in negligence and medical malpractice claims, as well as claims involving intentional abuse. In addition to being responsible for its staff members’ actions, a nursing home may also be responsible for failing to have adequate policies in place to prevent abuse and to report allegations of abuse.

Social Media Abuse Becoming More Common in Nursing Homes

According to one news source, a new form of abuse is become increasingly common across nursing homes. What is being called “social media abuse” involves staff members taking inappropriate videos or photos of patients in their care and posting them on social media. One news outlet that has been tracking incidents of social media abuse in recent years has documented 65 cases, but it believes this is only a small portion of these posts. Resident advocates generally believe nursing home abuse and neglect is underreported because many residents cannot report abuse due to their age or developmental impairments.