See also:
Geriatrics Associations Geriatrics Clinical Resources NewCarol J. Rhodes RN, LNC, Medical-Legal Remedies Inc (MLR):"Medical-Legal Remedies Inc (MLR) provides medical-legal Litigation Support Services for Legal Professionals that include Legal Nurse Consulting, Paralegal Litigation Support, a Medical Information Service called Virtual Legal Nurse and Medical Expert Referral Service for Attorneys, Insurance Companies, Hospital Risk Managers, Government, and Claims Management. MLR MLR's Paralegal Staff and Legal Nurse work together as a team to assist our legal clients with comprehensive medical-legal litigation issues and are committed to serve clients by offering our extensive experience and expertise to provide specialized high quality medical-legal litigation support services. By utilizing Medical-Legal Remedies Inc Paralegal/Legal Nurse Team allows the litigator to control costs and increase revenues while securing the competitive advantage with superior work products. So whether your firm or company needs a Paralegal, a Legal Nurse, or both - MLR will assist your firm or company with any medical-legal litigation case project."
Carol J. Rhodes RN, LNC
14286-19 Beach Blvd. #248
Jacksonville, FL 32250
(904) 223-3969
Carol@JaxLegalNurse.com or Carol@VirtualLegalNurse.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/carol-j-rhodes/30/81b/685
http://www.jaxparalegal.com/******************************************************
National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA):"We are the first and only nursing specialty organization dedicated to helping you realize your full potential as a gerontological nurse. We are a growing, dynamic and dedicated group of professionals who share ideas and information that improve the quality of nursing care for our elderly.
National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA)
7794 Grow Drive
Pensacola, FL 32514
Tel:(850) 473-1174 or (800) 723-0560
Fax:(850) 484-8762
email: ngna@puetzamc.com
http://www.ngna.org/******************************************************
******************************************************
Mark Ballinger RN BSN Partners In Care, Nebraska, Temporary Staffing, Medical-Surgical & Geriatrics
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/ballinger/******************************************************
Dominique Ann Bernard, RN, BSN, Virginia Nurse Entrepreneurs:"My goal is to work from home. Currently I am employed in a psychiatric facility and I work part time in a geriatric setting. My interests are varied."
http://www.4nursing.com/bernard******************************************************
Tina Berkofsky, RN, CLNC, Florida Legal Nurse Consultants, Nursing Entrepreneurs
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/berkofsky/******************************************************
******************************************************
Folts, Mark, MSN, CNS, MichiganTracy McClelland, RN, MSN, Ycarte Health Career Center, Georgia Nursing Entrepreneurs:"Opening doors to the Nursing Profession is our primary concern. We are a nursing tutorial facility designed to assist our community by training healthcare professions with the most updated nursing information and training equipment. We focus on assisting individuals who want to advance in the healthcare profession, or begin with an entry level into healthcare. Our goal is to bring education to you in a comfortable non-threatening environment that allows for learning. Whether you are new to healthcare or desire to advance in this profession, we can provide you with the training you need."
Tracy McClelland, RN, MSN, Ycarte Health Career Center
North Pointe Plaza
1214 North Peterson Ave. Suite P
Douglas, GA 31533
Phone: (912) 384-8680
Fax: (912) 384-4390
info@ycartehealth.org
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/mcclellandCategories: ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
Adult Critical Care Nursing
BLS (Basic Life Support)
Career Alternatives For Nurses
Certification for Nurse Aid Students
Certification Program for Nurses
Continuing Education Provider
Critical Care Nurses
EKG Technician (New Class)
ER
Georgia Nurse Entrepreneurs, Nurse Owned Businesses
Geriatrics Nurses
Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Masters Prepared Nurses
Medical/Surgical Nursing
Motivational speaker
Motivational Workshops
NCLEX-Reviews for RN's & LPNs
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurses
Nurse Aid Training Provider
Nursing Education
Nursing Entrepreneur
Nursing Educators
Nursing Educators
Nursing Workshops for CE hours
Operating Room (OR)
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Nursing
Pediatrics Nurses
Professional Nurse
Public Speaker
Remediation NCLEX Review (One- on- One)****************************************************
Mary Rosabell Higgins, BSN, Registered Nurse, M. R. Higgins & Associates Legal Nurse Consultants:"M. R. Higgins & Associates-Legal Nurse Consultants, a professional service company specializing in litigation review. Established in 1997, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Services include: comprehensive medical research; investigation of medical records to determine accuracy and or tampering; translation of medical terminology and deposition reports; and, interpretation of health science literature and documents. Consultation also comprises developing chronological summary reports from medical records.
Specialty Areas:
Gerontology Legal Nurse Consultant Medical Malpractice, Negligence Pediatric Personal Injury Psychiatric/Mental health Workers compensation http://www.nursingexperts.com/higgins/******************************************************
Ronald Parlee, LVN, California:
Specialty Area: Geriatrics
http://www.nursefriendly.com/parlee******************************************************
Lynne Ploetz, R.N., C., B.S.N., CCM, Minnesota Nursing Entrepreneurs, Care Management, Nurse Consultants, Consulting, Patient Advocacy
Adult Critical Care, Community Health, Geriatricshttp://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/ploetz
******************************************************
Angela M Rowe, RN, LNC, GCM, Senior Care Solutions, Alabama Nursing Entrepreneurs:"Senior Care Solutions provides Geriatric Care Management Services to aging adults and their families in Central Alabama. Our goal is to help seniors and disabled individuals to obtain the assistance they need to maintain safety, dignity, and quality of life. Senior Care Solutions provides advocacy, evaluation, education, and support services to seniors in Alabama."
3049 Lansdowne Drive
Montgomery Alabama 36111
Phone number: 334-834-9483
Fax number: 214-279-6602
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com/rowe******************************************************
Liz Sake, BSN, RN: Liz Sake & Associates: As Legal Nurse Consultants, we determine the merits of a medical malpractice case, review and translate medical records, chronicalize events, determine; damages/injuries, future health needs, causation and standards of care. An information discovery program through research of medical literature and the latest on-line information. We prepare written summaries and reports of medical records, research findings, and expert witness information. We identify and obtain expert witnesses as needed. Basically, we are here to make the med/mal attorney's life easier by synthesizing, sorting, and condensing medical information to be used as exhibits and for MD expert review.
Categories: Blood BankingCase Management, Critical Care, Expert Witness Home Health, Legal Nurse Consultant, Managed Care, Oregon Legal Nurse Consultants, Rehabilitation http://www.nursingexperts.com/sake/
******************************************************
Stephanie Salings, RN,CRNAC, LNC
Kentucky Nurses, Legal Nurse Consultant, Nurse Entrepreneur, Nursing ExpertSpecialty Areas: Geriatrics, Home Health
http://www.nursingexperts.com/salings/******************************************************
******************************************************
******************************************************
Wells, Carla,RN BScN MN ET, Newfoundland, Canada:Melissa Wogoman, RN: Ohio, Ambulatory, Hemodialysis, ICU, Legal Nurse Consultant, Nursing Home
http://www.nursefriendly.com/wogoman/******************************************************
******************************************************
See also:
AgingInfoUSA:"Sue Salach-Cutler has worked in the geriatric healthcare field for close to 20 years and is the Author of "Along Comes Grandpa", a caregiving resource guide, and the novel "If I Walked in Her Shoes" (http://www.AlongComesGrandpa.com). As a National Speaker, Sue utilizes her personal and professional experiences to educate and empower professionals on the work/life affects of caregiving. ;As CEO of AgingInfoUSA she partners with companies to evaluate the cost of employee caregiving on their bottom line and implement cost effective solutions. Sue was the 2010 recipient of the YWCA Marguerite Henry Leadership Award for Communications/Technology and the Influential Women in Business Award from the Business Ledger and NAWBO. AgingInfoUSA received the 2010 Excellence in Business Award from the Business Ledger and was nominated for the Chicago Innovation Award."
651 S. Sutton Road - Suite 204
Streamwood, IL 60107
call: 847-630-0381
fax: 630-889-9886
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AgingInfoUSA
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/suesalach
Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanavello
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/aginginfousa
http://www.aginginfousa.com/Categories: Care Givers, Facebook/, Geriatric Resources, Geriatric Nurses, LinkedIn, Long Term Care (LTC), Twitter, Youtube
******************************************************
Articles:
Nursing Shortage Serious For Seniors:"There is a threat to the health of every older adult in the United States and Canada looming on the horizon. It is not a virus or new type of bacteria that is causing this threat. The threat to health is a result of the increasing shortage of nurses in both countries."
http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/prevention/a/nurse_shortage.htm******************************************************
Senior-Fitness.com:"Senior Fitness provides wellness and fitness information for seniors and those who will be senior citizens. The Stretching In Bed guide helps promote mobility, feeling better, looking better, and lets people feel less stiff, more flexible, more independent, and less fatigued. The How To Prevent Falls book is the only book that has the very successful Balance System® to prevent falls, reduce injuries, and strengthen legs. It uses 35 fun, effective, easy exercises and is a valuable program support for senior citizen centers, nursing homes, elder day care, and your family and mine.
http://www.senior-fitness.com/******************************************************
******************************************************
Geriatric Associations American Geriatrics Society:"The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is the premier professional organization of health care providers dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all older adults. With an active membership of over 6,000 health care professionals, the AGS has a long history of effecting change in the provision of health care for older adults. In the last decade, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies and practices regarding health care for older people."
American Geriatrics Society
The Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 801 New York, NY 10118
Phone - 212/308-1414 Fax - 212/832-8646
Email - info@americangeriatrics.org
http://www.americangeriatrics.org******************************************************
Alzheimer's Association
http://www.alz.org/******************************************************
California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform:"Since 1983, California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform has been fighting for the rights of long-term care residents in California.CANHR has directed its resources toward the following long term care issues."
******************************************************
CANHR
1610 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Consumer Information Hotline: (800) 474-1116 (consumers only please)
Other Inquiries: (415) 474-5171 Fax: (415) 474-2904, info@canhr.org http://www.canhr.org/Coalition of Women in Long Term Care (COWL):"Long term healthcare (LTC) is, in many respects, a women's issue. Women comprise 75% of the nursing home resident population, 97% of professional long term caregivers and the vast majority of family members caring for relatives at home. This demographic reality gives rise to a lot of issues, from healthcare delivery to pay equity and fringe benefits. Ironically, but not surprisingly, the majority of leadership and policy-making positions, both in long term care and in government, are occupied by men. The question becomes: How can we bring women's unique perspectives and situations, as they pertain to long term care, to the full attention of the board rooms, the legislatures, and the executive agencies of the government?"
P.O. Box 2789
Lebanon, TN 37088-2789
Phone: 615-444-1836 Fax: 615-444-0366
Webmaster: WebMaster@COWL.Org
http://www.cowl.org/******************************************************
Council of Gerontological Nursing, North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA):"The Council of Gerontological Nursing is an organizational unit within the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA). The Council provides an opportunity for nurses to share expertise and discuss relevant concerns and issues critical to promoting quality care for older persons. A unique appreciation of the process of aging as a "work in progress" characterizes the philosophy of many gerontological nurses. For aphorisms about the aging process, click here (see page entitled Aphorisms about Aging)."
Gail Pruitt, RN, NCNA representative/liaison
103 Enterprise Road, Box 12225 Raleigh, NC 27605-2025
919-821-4250, 800-626-2153 fax 919-829-5807******************************************************
National Hospice Organization:"The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones. Considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care at the end of life, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach of expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's wishes. Emotional and spiritual support also is extended to the family and loved ones. Generally, this care is provided in the patient's home or in a home-like setting operated by a hospice program. Medicare, private health insurance, and Medicaid in most states cover hospice care for patients who meet certain criteria."
******************************************************
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 625 Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703/837-1500 (phone) 703/837-1233 (fax)
NHPCO Helpline: 800/658-8898
info@nhpco.org
http://www.nhpco.org/Administration on Aging - Information on Older Persons and Services for the Elderly:
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/******************************************************
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research: "The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) was established in December 1989 under Public Law 101-239 (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989). AHCPR, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead agency charged with supporting research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to essential services."
Office of Health Care Information: Christine G. Williams (301) 594-1360 Executive Office Center, Suite 501 2101 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852
http://www.ahcpr.gov/******************************************************
Aging Network Resource Page:
Aging Network Resource Page******************************************************
American Geriatrics Society:"The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is the premier professional organization of health care providers dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all older adults."
770 Lexington Ave Suite 300 New York, NY 10021 212-308-1414 Fax: 212-832-8646, info.amger@americangeriatrics.org
http://www.americangeriatrics.org/******************************************************
National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants:"The National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants was formally established in 1995 by former certified nursing assistants Lori Porter and Lisa Cantrell. Initially working as CNAs, both moved up the nursing home management ladder, Lori eventually becoming a licensed nursing home administrator and Lisa a director of nursing. Throughout their careers, they remained focused on their years as CNAs, realizing that nursing assistants are both the backbone and the heart and soul of the nursing home profession."
National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants
2709 West 13th Street Joplin, Missouri 64801
Phone: 417-623-6049 • 800-784-6049 Fax: 417-623-2230
Email: info@nagna.org
http://www.nagna.org/Categories: Alzheimers Disease, Dementia & Senility, http://www.4nursing.com/alzheimers/
Associations, Organizations, Patient Education, Healthcare, Medical, http://www.4nursing.com/healthcare
Care Givers, Caregiving, http://www.nursefriendly.com/caregivers/
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
Geriatrics Nurses, http://www.nursefriendly.com/geriatric/
Hospice, Death, Dying, End of Life, Palliative Care, http://www.4nursing.com/hospice/
Long Term Care Nurses, http://www.nursefriendly.com/ltc/
Missouri Nurses, http://www.4nursing.com/missouri/
Private Duty Nursing, http://www.nursefriendly.com/private/****************************************************
National Institute on Aging:
http://www.nia.nih.gov/******************************************************
National Institute of Standards and Technology: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration, takes an active role in promoting science and technology education throughout the Gaithersburg, Md., community.
Public Inquiries Unit, (301) 975-NIST, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. Technical website questions: webmaster@nist.gov.
HTTP://www.nist.gov/******************************************************
******************************************************
Canadian Links:
Older Adult Centres' Association of Ontario:The Older Adult Centres' Association of Ontario ensures that older adults in Ontario have opportunities and choices that lead to healthy, active lifestyles
http://www.oacao.org/******************************************************
Southern Saskatchewan Stroke Prevention and Management Unit:
******************************************************
http://www.medi-fax.com/stroke/stroke.html******************************************************
Government:
Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA): The federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Programs.
******************************************************
http://www.cms.gov/
Medicare: The Official US Government Site for Medicare Information
******************************************************
http://www.medicare.gov/Listservs:
What is the ALZHEIMER list?:"ALZHEIMER is an email discussion group for patients, professional and family caregivers, researchers, public policy makers, students and anyone with an interest in Alzheimer's or related dementing disorders in older adults. ALZHEIMER is intended to provide interested individuals from various perspectives an opportunity to share questions, answers, suggestions and tips."
Washington University School of Medicine Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
4488 Forest Park Blvd., Campus Box 8111-ADRC Saint Louis, MO 63108-2293
VOICE: (314) 286-2881/2882 FAX: (314) 286-2763
Send your questions, comments and ideas to: ALZHEIMER-Owner@lists.biostat.wustl.edu
http://alzheimer.wustl.edu/adrc2/alzheimerlist/******************************************************
Schools:
Institute of Gerontology: Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
******************************************************
http://www.iog.wayne.edu/******************************************************
For Health Information you can use, Follow, Connect, Like us on (Most Invites Accepted): http://www.nursefriendly.com/social/:
Twitter! http://www.nursefriendly.com/twitter
Blogger: http://4nursing.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.nursefriendly.com/facebook
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nursefriendly
Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurses In Business, http://nursingentrepreneurs.ning.com/
Posterous.com, http://nursefriendly.posterous.com
StumbleUpon, http://www.nursefriendly.com/stumbleupon
******************************************************
If your website is not listed here, we encourage you to submit it: Add Your Website/URL.
See also:
Nursing Degrees, LPN-RN, RN-BSN, RN-MSN, Online/Offline College, University and more!:"Higher income. Career mobility. Now, no matter where you live or what your schedule, you can earn your Associate or Bachelor Degree to take your professional life to the next level — without putting the rest of your life on hold!"
If you do any Browsing or Windowshopping online, please visit our online Mall:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/shopping/Gifts For Nurses:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/gifts/4nursinguniforms.com:"Choose from Top Nursing Uniform Companies. All sizes, styles and popular name brands available. Large selection of accessories as well: Accessories Blood Pressure Cuffs, Sphygnomanometers Nursing Tote Bags, Carry-Ons, Medical Bags Clinical, Medical Supplies, Nurses Discount Outlet: Angels, Books, Clothing , Equipment, Figurines, Holidays, Home Decor, Jewelry, Nurses, Office Decor, Scrubs, Shoes, T-Shirts Footwear, Shoes, Sandals, Discount, Bargains Gifts For Nurses (Nurses Week) Hosiery, Socks, Stockings Hats, Jackets, Jumpers Jewelry, Earrings, Necklaces, Watches Luxury Spas, Facials, Manicures, Pedicures Perfumes, Fragrances, Phermones Shoes, Boots, Sandals, Footwear, High Heels, Slippers Stethescopes, Nurse Kits, Replacement Parts Swimwear (Tan-Through) Women's Lingerie "
4nursinguniforms.com******************************************************
Nursing Chat, Nurse Discussion Forums:
http://nursingdiscussions.com******************************************************
The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of this page is
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directory/spec/geriatric.htmlSend comments and mail to Andrew Lopez, RN Last updated by Andrew Lopez, RN on Saturday, September 17, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Geriatric Nurses, Eldercare Nursing, #NurseFriendly #eldercare #caregivers #nursing #nurses #geriatrics #seniorcare
Monday, June 20, 2011
Most Baby Boomers are Unprepared to Care For Aging Parents | The Intentional Caregiver
Yesterday, I was fortunate to be able to interview Mr. Jeff Huber, President of Home Instead Senior Care, the largest
provider of in-home care services for seniors in the world and was the first company to offer franchise opportunities.
Most professionals involved with eldercare are aware that adult children are not prepared to care for their parents when they receive “that call” that throws them into the caregiving role. But the Home Instead Senior Care network wanted to learn more about that and so in conjunction with The Boomer Project, a study of 600 baby boomer aged adults was conducted.
The results surprised me:
- Less than 50% were knowledgeable about their parents’ medical history
- 49% were unable to name any of their parents’ current medications
- More than 30% did not know just how many medications their parent(s) was taking
Thank you Shelley for bringing attention to this critical topic. It is a phone call we will each be getting eventually. It is much better to be prepared.
Click on the "VIA" link to read the full article.
--
******************************************************
For Health Information you can use, Follow, Connect, Like us on (Most Invites Accepted):
http://www.nursefriendly.com/social/
Twitter!
http://www.nursefriendly.com/twitter
Facebook:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/facebook
What's New:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/new/
Blogger:
http://4nursing.blogspot.com/
Linked In:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nursefriendly
Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurses In Business
http://nursingentrepreneurs.ning.com/
StumbleUpon,
http://www.nursefriendly.com/stumbleupon
******************************************************
Sincerely,
Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618
150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links
http://www.4nursing.com
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com
http://www.legalnursingconsultant.com
http://www.nursefriendly.com
http://www.nursingcasestudy.com
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
http://www.nursingexperts.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Elderly Patient Repeatedly Injured In Nursing Home "Accidents." Negligence, Coincidence or Abuse?
ShareThis See also: Medical, Legal Nurse Consultants, Clinical Nursing Case of the Week, Clinical Charting and Documentation, Nurses Notes, Courtrooms, Disability, Discrimination, Employment, Expert Witnesses, Informed Consent, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Practice Acts, Pensions, Search Engines, Torts and Personal Injury, Unemployment, Workers Compensation, Workplace Safety:
Each week a case will be reviewed and supplemented with clinical and legal resources from the web. Attorneys, Legal Nurse Consultants and nursing professionals are welcome to submit relevant articles. Please contact us if you'd like to reproduce our material.
For a free subscription to our publication:
Please send a blank e-mail to: clinicalnursingcases-subscribe@topica.com
Summary: As the elderly population continues to increase, more and more families are faced with the decision to place loved ones in nursing homes. When a family member is placed in a facility, a certain standard of care is expected. In this case, a resident was injured repeatedly while under their care. When the patient died a few days after being "dropped" the family sued.
The patient was a 95 year old woman who was placed in a Missouri nursing home when the family was no longer able to care for her needs.
"Approximately 1.5 million people live in the nation's 17,000 nursing care facilities. . .The typical nursing home resident is a woman in her 80s displaying a mild form of memory loss and dementia. Although physically healthy for a woman her age, she needs help with approximately 4 of 5 activities of daily living (eating, transferring, toiletting, dressing, and bathing)."2
During her admission the patient would sustain multiple injuries over the course of her stay. In 1993, on two occasions, the patient's legs were broken with fractures diagnosed. Each time the patient was transferred to the hospital for treatment and then returned to the nursing home.
Each time the documentation would show that the family had been "made aware." This was reflected in incident reports that had been filed. The incident reports did not specify which family members had been notified.
A third injury took place in 1995 when the patient was being transferred from her bed. Documentation of the incident stated that the patient had been "dropped" during a transfer. The charted notes documented that a head injury was sustained and that family members were notified.
The patient was again transferred to the hospital and was evaluated in the Emergency Department. Interestingly, when examined by a physician, the day after the incident, the physician stated that there was no evidence of head injury. Five days following this examination, the patient died.
The family would sue the nursing home. They would allege that standards of care had not been met. They would accuse the nursing home of rendering negligent care.
It is no secret that nursing home abuse occurs. It can take many different forms and have devastating consequences on residents and their families.
"The United States Department of Health and Human Services researchers identified seven categories of abuse. Ninety-five percent of those surveyed said they felt that all seven are problems for nursing home residents:
Physical abuse --infliction of physical pain or injury.
Misuse of restraints --chemical or physical control of a resident beyond physician's order or outside accepted medical practice.
Verbal/emotional abuse --infliction of mental or emotional suffering.
Physical neglect --disregard for the necessities of daily living.
Medical neglect --lack of care for existing medical problems.
Verbal/emotional neglect --creating situations harmful to the resident's self-esteem.
Personal property abuse --illegal or improper use of a resident's property for personal gain."3
The basis of the family's lawsuit centered on the assumption that a certain standard of care, and a "duty" is owed to nursing home residents. This duty it was assumed, included safe living conditions, freedom from harm and timely medical treatment. They alleged that these standards had not been observed by the nursing home.
In the initial trial, a review of the charting and documentation showed that in each "incident," facility protocols had been followed. Upon discovery of the injuries, medical treatment and family notification had been provided.
The Defense moved to have the charges dismissed. The court agreed.
The family appealed.
Questions to be answered.
1. Was there clear evidence of either neglect or abuse on the part of the nursing home staff in either of the three documented incidents of injury?
2. Had standards of care been met in regard to treating an injured patient and providing safe and reasonable care.
Chiefly due to the timely documentation of the incidents, the records were used to demonstrate adequate care being given.
The family's lawsuit chiefly targeted the "handling" of the incidents rather than the "cause" of injury. The documented interventions and notifications on the part of the nursing staff provided sufficient proof that standards were upheld.
It is common knowledge that documented nurses' notes and the medical chart are legal records. They should be written and treated at all times as if a jury will later examine them.
Had the incident not been documented as thoroughly or had incident reports not been filled out, it might have been a different story. It was the clear and concise charting of the nursing homes staff's handling of the incidents that saved the facility from a potentially costly lawsuit and trial.
This was particularly evident when the family accused the nursing home staff of "failure to notify" the family members. As long as efforts were documented in the notes to notify the family, the facility was covered.
It is a bit strange that the specifics as to "who" was notified was not included in the chart. Under a different set of opinions, this could easily be interpreted as a "red flag." In this case it was not.
This documentation of "notification" could have been seen as the nursing home staff charting to cover themselves regardless of whether a family member had been contacted.
To minimize suspicions of impropriety it is suggested that when a family member is contacted, the name and phone number also be documented. All evidence is subject to interpretation. This can be applied to physician notification as well.
When a patient has an attending, consulting physicians and residents responsible for their care, "MD made aware" leaves much room for debate as to who was notified. If the name of the physician is noted, the guesswork is removed and accountability easier to establish.
What was not addressed in this case was the nature of the "accidental" injuries. It is not difficult to imagine a 95-year-old patient falling as she tries to get out of bed. It is common for patients to fall on their way to or from the bathroom. The pertinent question is "could the injuries have been avoided."
It is clear from published studies that indeed many can be.
""We found that neither complaint investigations nor enforcement practices are being used effectively to assure adequate care for Nursing Homes residents and the prevention of nursing home abuse and neglect. As a result, allegations or incidents of serious problems, such as inadequate prevention of pressure sores, failure to prevent accidents, and failure to assess residents' needs and provide appropriate care, often go uninvestigated and uncorrected."4
Lawsuits against nursing homes are common and on the rise. If you are working in a nursing home, you need to be aware that you are responsible for documenting adequate care. You are equally responsible for prevention. If a dangerous condition or "accident waiting to happen" is identified, steps must be taken and documented to correct it.
If a patient is at risk for falling they may refuse to call for assistance. If they try to get out of bed anyway, it should be documented that the patient was instructed to "call for assistance," and did not.
If a patient is clearly a danger to himself or herself and others, restraints may be indicated. The family or the physician may refuse to allow or write an order for them. The nurse must document that the need for them was communicated, to whom and the response.
Even with adequate care being given accidents can happen with legal consequences. Nursing homes are currently the focus of intense governmental supervision and regulation. The effectiveness of the regulation is debatable. There are many that feel that the only "solution" to correcting problems are legal actions against nursing homes.
If this approach is to be paralleled to eliminating medical malpractice, a solution may be a long way off. What can be anticipated is increased pressure from the government, from consumers and the courts. This will result in increased litigation and increased pressure on nursing home staff and facilities. Each member of the nursing staff would be wise to document carefully daily care and especially incidents that result in injury.
Related Case Studies:
June 13, 1999: Felony Child Abuse Conviction, Made Possible Thanks to Nurse's Documentation.
State v. Gillard, 936 S.W. 2d 194 - MO (1999).
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/clinical.cases/061399.htmJune 6, 1999: Emergency Department Nurse Verbally Abused, Physician History Well Documented
Gordon v. Lewiston Hospital, 714 A.2d 539 - PA (1998)
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/clinical.cases/060699.htmMay 30, 1999: Patient Left Unrestrained, Patient Injured. Nurses Judgement Call
Gerard v. Sacred Heart Medical Center - 937 P. 2d 1104 (1997)
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/clinical.cases/053099.htmRelated Link Sections:
Abuse:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directpatientcare/abuse.htmClinical Charting and Documentation, Nurses Notes:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/linksections/directpatientcarelinks.htmEmergency Department Nurses on the Nurse Friendly:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directory/spec/ed.htmlEthics:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directpatientcare/ethics.htmHead Injuries:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directpatientcare/head.injuries.htmMechanical & Physical Restraints:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/directpatientcare/mechanical.physical.re...Medical Legal Consulting Nurse Entrepreneurs:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/ymedlegal.htmNursing Homes, Long Term Care Links:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/nursing.homes.long.term.care.htm
Sources:
1. 40 RRNL 1 (June 1999)
2. American Health Care Association. September 1998. Profile: Nursing Facility Resident: Retrieved June 27, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ahca.org/secure/nfres.htm
3. Seniors-Site. No date given. Nursing Home Abuses to Senior Citizens. Retrieved June 27, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://seniors-site.com/nursing/abuses.html
4. United States Senate. March '99. Excerpts from Committee On Aging Hearings. Retrieved June 27, 1999 from the World Wide Web: http://www.jeffdanger.com/
The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Internet Street Address of this page is
http://www.nursefriendly.com/nursing/clinical.cases/062799.htmSend comments and mail to Andrew Lopez, RN Created on Saturday May 23, 1999
Last updated by Andrew Lopez, RN on Monday, February 28, 2011
--
******************************************************
For Health Information you can use, Follow, Connect, Like us on (Most Invites Accepted):
http://www.nursefriendly.com/social/
Twitter!
http://www.nursefriendly.com/twitter
Facebook:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/facebook
What's New:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/new/
Blogger:
http://4nursing.blogspot.com/
Linked In:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nursefriendly
Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurses In Business
http://nursingentrepreneurs.ning.com/
StumbleUpon,
http://www.nursefriendly.com/stumbleupon
******************************************************
Sincerely,
Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618
150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links
http://www.4nursing.com
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com
http://www.legalnursingconsultant.com
http://www.nursefriendly.com
http://www.nursingcasestudy.com
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
http://www.nursingexperts.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Care Givers, Caregiving, Nursing Homes & Long Term Care
ShareThis See also:
Caregivers, http://www.nursefriendly.com/caregivers/ Chronic Care Nurses Disability Services Nurses Geriatrics Nurses Home Health Nurses Hospice, Palliative Care, End of Life, Dying, Death, http://www.nursefriendly.com/hospice/ Hospitals Long Term Care Nurses Nursing Home Organ & Tissue Donation Physical Rehabilitation Nurses New!
AgingInfoUSA:"Sue Salach-Cutler has worked in the geriatric healthcare field for close to 20 years and is the Author of "Along Comes Grandpa", a caregiving resource guide, and the novel "If I Walked in Her Shoes" (http://www.AlongComesGrandpa.com). As a National Speaker, Sue utilizes her personal and professional experiences to educate and empower professionals on the work/life affects of caregiving. ;As CEO of AgingInfoUSA she partners with companies to evaluate the cost of employee caregiving on their bottom line and implement cost effective solutions. Sue was the 2010 recipient of the YWCA Marguerite Henry Leadership Award for Communications/Technology and the Influential Women in Business Award from the Business Ledger and NAWBO. AgingInfoUSA received the 2010 Excellence in Business Award from the Business Ledger and was nominated for the Chicago Innovation Award."
651 S. Sutton Road - Suite 204
Streamwood, IL 60107
call: 847-630-0381
fax: 630-889-9886
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AgingInfoUSA
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/suesalach
Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanavello
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/aginginfousa
http://www.aginginfousa.com/Categories: Care Givers, Facebook/, Geriatric Resources, Geriatric Nurses, LinkedIn, Long Term Care (LTC), Twitter, Youtube
******************************************************
******************************************************
Humobile: A Caregiver's Guide to the Human Mechanical Machine by Dolores M. Monahan:"Humobile is a book designed to assist a person/family (especially babyboomers) with a sick or injured loved one at home, especially if they do not have any family to help or lack basic nursing/healthcare knowledge and skills. It is also designed to assist home health aides, nursing aides, assistant living aides, nursing students, medical assistants, or even seasoned medical or preventaive health care practitioners with the activities of daily living for the person who they are taking care of. In other words, it gives the "why" behind the "what" you are doing for the home patient and shows you how to "safely" take care of yourself and your loved one or home patient. It is written in simple terminology, which leads to easy reading and understanding. It describes the correlationship between a human body and an automobile in relationship to being "good working mechanical machines or run down old jalopies." ******************************************************Nurses House, A National Fund For Nurses in Need:"Nurses House is the only national charitable foundation dedicated to helping nurses in need - regardless of race, color, creed or gender, in all 50 states. The much needed work of our voluntary organization has been supported by the generous contributions of nurses, and by the friends and families of nurses, who recognize that sometimes those who spend their lives caring for others need to be cared for too."
Nurses House 2113 Western Avenue, Suite 2 Guilderland, NY 12084-9559 or call (518) 456-7858 Fax (518) 452-3760. Email: mail@nurseshouse.org
http://www.nurseshouse.org/******************************************************
Caregiver's Beacon newsletter:"The Caregiver's Beacon newsletter is a free service to family caregivers. It is formerly known as The ElderCare Beacon and Keepin' Up With ALZwell. Simply enter your e-mail address in the box and click "Subscribe." Twice each month we will send you a supportive and informative newsletter that includes feature articles, caregiving tips, book reviews, hot topics, community updates and our chat schedule."
http://www.ec-online.net/Knowledge/Newsletters/subscribe.htm******************************************************
The Caregiver's Handbook:"This Caregiver's Handbook was developed and produced in booklet form by The Caregiver Education and Support Services, Seniors Counseling and Training Case Management Services of the San Diego County Mental Health Services; Robert Torres-Stanovik, LCSW, Editor."
http://www.biostat.wustl.edu/ALZHEIMER/care.html******************************************************
ceus-r-ez.comHello, and welcome to ceus-r-ez.com! This site is designed to help long-term care administrators, assisted-living administrators and managers, certified nursing assistants, personal care assistants, group-home caregivers, and residential aides obtain continuing education units easily and inexpensively."
http://www.ceus-r-ez.com/This Link is located on our Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) section: http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
******************************************************
CNA's Certified Nursing Assistants, MSN Groups.com:"Welcome all Cna's/Caregivers and any one in Geriatrics."
http://groups.msn.com/CnasCertifiedNursingAssistants******************************************************
CNA FORUM Frequently Asked Questions/ Making Change Count
http://www.network54.com/Forum/11252?achk=1This Link is located on our Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) section: http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
******************************************************
The Dark Side Of Caring: Challenges Of Caregiving:"The meaning of disability on perception of self-worth as a nurse was identified through this qualitative study of disabled registered nurses. A metaphor emerged depicting the phenomena of the lived experience of disabled nurses. The results indicate that by creating a caring environment, nurse administrators can encourage disabled RNs to return to nursing practice."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=1534578&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b******************************************************
Direct Care Alliance:"Nationwide, we face a critical shortage of high-quality direct-care workers — home health aides, certified nursing assistants, and personal care attendants — who can meet the needs of our country's long-term care consumers — people who are elderly, chronically ill, or living with disabilities. Direct-care workers provide the vast majority of hands-on care within our long-term care health system. Consumers rely on these workers to provide them with comfort, companionship, and care in an atmosphere that preserves their dignity and well-being. As a result, consumers consistently cite the quality of their relationship with their paraprofessional workers as a primary determinant of their quality of life."
Direct Care Alliance
c/o Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
349 East 149th Street, 10th Floor- Bronx, NY 10451
Phone: 718.402.7766 - Fax: 718.585.6852
email: info@directcarealliance.org
http://www.directcarealliance.org/Related Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) section: http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
******************************************************
ElderCare Online:"ElderCare Online is a beacon for people caring for aging loved ones. Whether you are caring for a spouse, parent, relative or neighbor, we are committed to providing an online community where supportive peers and professionals help you improve quality of life for yourself and your elder."
http://www.ec-online.net/Related Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) section: http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
******************************************************
Free Eldercare Guide for Seniors, Older Adults, Caregivers:"the national, comprehensive guide for older adults and caregivers. Information on this site identifies your local options for senior living facilities - including Assisted Living, Residential Care, Retirement Communities, Skilled Nursing, Alzheimer, Hospice and Adult Day Care facilities; local options for senior insurance, healthcare discount cards (coming soon), other frequently needed health and professional services such as legal and financial, mental health, home health, and geriatric care management. Click here for descriptive and status information about our Directories."
http://www.senioroptions.com/******************************************************
Institute for Caregiver Education:
Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly
100 North 17th Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-5728 phone (215) 545-5372 fax
http://www.caregivereducation.org/Related Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) section: http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
******************************************************
Associations:
Alzwell Alzheimer's Caregivers Page For Dealing With Dementia, Memory Impairment, Alzheimers Disease And Caregiving Issues For The Elderly:"Alzheimer's Caregivers Page. Includes Resources, Reader Contributed Stories, Tips, Q and A, a Virtual Memorial, Interactive Links and more - located in El Dorado County."
http://www.alzwell.com/******************************************************
Coalition of Women in Long Term Care (COWL):"Long term healthcare (LTC) is, in many respects, a women's issue. Women comprise 75% of the nursing home resident population, 97% of professional long term caregivers and the vast majority of family members caring for relatives at home. This demographic reality gives rise to a lot of issues, from healthcare delivery to pay equity and fringe benefits. Ironically, but not surprisingly, the majority of leadership and policy-making positions, both in long term care and in government, are occupied by men. The question becomes: How can we bring women's unique perspectives and situations, as they pertain to long term care, to the full attention of the board rooms, the legislatures, and the executive agencies of the government?"
P.O. Box 2789
Lebanon, TN 37088-2789
Phone: 615-444-1836 Fax: 615-444-0366
Webmaster: WebMaster@COWL.Org
http://www.cowl.org/******************************************************
Caregiving:"Caregiving Online offers you access to the support, information and resources you need when you care for an aging relative. The web site is an off-shoot of Caregiving newsletter, a monthly print publication.
http://www.caregiving.com/******************************************************
Children of Aging Parents:"Children of Aging Parents is a non-profit, charitable organization with a national mission to assist the caregivers of the elderly with reliable information, referrals, and support and to heighten public awareness that the health of family caregivers is essential to ensure quality care of the nation's growing elderly population."
Children of Aging Parents
P.O. Box 167
Richboro, PA 18954
http://www.caps4caregivers.org/******************************************************
ElderWeb Online Eldercare Sourcebook:"This award-winning site is the oldest and largest eldercare sourcebook on the Web. It is a research site for professionals and family members, with over 4,500 links to eldercare and long term care information on legal, financial, medical, and housing issues, as well as policy, research, and statistics."
http://www.elderweb.com/******************************************************
Family Caregiver Alliance:
690 Market Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94104. Phone (415) 434 3388 Fax (415) 434 3508 info@caregiver.org
http://www.caregiver.org/******************************************************
National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants:"The National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants was formally established in 1995 by former certified nursing assistants Lori Porter and Lisa Cantrell. Initially working as CNAs, both moved up the nursing home management ladder, Lori eventually becoming a licensed nursing home administrator and Lisa a director of nursing. Throughout their careers, they remained focused on their years as CNAs, realizing that nursing assistants are both the backbone and the heart and soul of the nursing home profession."
National Association of Geriatric Nursing Assistants
2709 West 13th Street Joplin, Missouri 64801
Phone: 417-623-6049 • 800-784-6049 Fax: 417-623-2230
Email: info@nagna.org
http://www.nagna.org/Categories: Alzheimers Disease, Dementia & Senility, http://www.4nursing.com/alzheimers/
Associations, Organizations, Patient Education, Healthcare, Medical, http://www.4nursing.com/healthcare
Care Givers, Caregiving, http://www.nursefriendly.com/caregivers/
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), http://www.nursefriendly.com/cna/
Geriatrics Nurses, http://www.nursefriendly.com/geriatric/
Hospice, Death, Dying, End of Life, Palliative Care, http://www.4nursing.com/hospice/
Long Term Care Nurses, http://www.nursefriendly.com/ltc/
Missouri Nurses, http://www.4nursing.com/missouri/
Private Duty Nursing, http://www.nursefriendly.com/private/****************************************************
National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA):"NFCA is the only national, charitable organization dedicated to making life better for all of America's family caregivers. There are more than 25 million people who find themselves in a caregiving role. And the numbers are growing daily. Family caregivers focus on their loved one's needs. NFCA focuses on family caregivers.
Call Our Number for Relief! between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time 1-800-7 RELIEF 1-800-773-5433
http://www.nfcacares.org/******************************************************
National Respite Locator Service:"Respite, a break for caregivers and families, is a service in which temporary care is provided to children with disabilities, or chronic or terminal illnesses, and to children at risk of abuse and neglect. Respite can occur in out-of-home and in-home settings for any length of time depending on the needs of the family and available resources. (Many of the programs listed here also serve adults.)"
http://www.respitelocator.org/******************************************************
Seniors-Site.com -- for adults 50+ (senior citizens) their children & caregivers:"Seniors-site is dedicated to provide a unique, informative, interesting, and entertaining website for seniors and encourage their participation. The site also promotes products and services important to senior citizens."
http://seniors-site.com/******************************************************
See also: Nov. 26, 2002: North Carolina: Who cares about caregiving? It's not a disease or disability. It's the future of health care:"Today it isn't bad enough that our society marginalizes our elders. Caregiving itself is treated as a disease or disability, and the caregiver is often alienated, neglected and even shunned. It's been my experience that most people don't want to get too close to a caregiver on a regular basis. Much of our lives is not our own, and we are forced to decide which relationships, social engagements and interests to sustain and which to drop. And, let's face it, sometimes we are too exhausted or depressed to be fun company."
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/4606546.htm******************************************************
******************************************************
- Caregivers Advisory Panel giving a voice to the caregiver...
- Giving a voice to the caregiver, caregivers, home care, home health, aging, eldercare, elder care, older adults, seniors, and Alzheimer's disease caregivers. ...
http://www.caregiversadvisorypanel.com
Empire Homecare Resources, Inc.:"Empire HomeCare Resources is a senior health care planning and support service for those of you who are facing real concerns regarding a disability, illness, injury, or other health problem which needs to be addressed. We focus on education, support, and training for seniors, family, caregivers, and the disabled so that a long term illness or chronic health condition will be as comfortable, and stressless as possible."
1558 Knoll Circle Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93103
http://www.empirehealthstore.com/******************************************************
http://women.webmd.com/news/20110512/internet-popular-with-people-seeking-hea...
@DrWayneWDyer
The more you work at just being yourself, the more likely you'll feel purposeful and significant in your life.
--
******************************************************
For Health Information you can use, Follow, Connect, Like us on (Most Invites Accepted):
http://www.nursefriendly.com/social/
Twitter!
http://www.nursefriendly.com/twitter
Facebook:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/facebook
What's New:
http://www.nursefriendly.com/new/
Blogger:
http://4nursing.blogspot.com/
Linked In:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/nursefriendly
Nursing Entrepreneurs, Nurses In Business
http://nursingentrepreneurs.ning.com/
StumbleUpon,
http://www.nursefriendly.com/stumbleupon
******************************************************
Sincerely,
Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618
150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links
http://www.4nursing.com
http://www.inspirationalnursing.com
http://www.legalnursingconsultant.com
http://www.nursefriendly.com
http://www.nursingcasestudy.com
http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com
http://www.nursingexperts.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com
