November 22, 2013 by Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

Milwaukee Nursing Home Abuse Victims Note New Law

New law takes effect to prevent nursing home abuse

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Nursing Home Abuse on Friday, November 22, 2013.

Wisconsin residents who have parents or friends in a nursing home could be worried about their safety. Most nursing homes follow strict procedures and programs, but sometimes there are errors or outright neglect takes place. Now, an Oklahoman law may change the way things are done in the state, as well as in other states if it proves to be effective.

According to a report from Nov. 20, there was a hidden camera in the room of a 96-year-old woman. It was placed there by her daughter, and it allegedly caught an aide abusing the woman’s mother. The aide allegedly stuffed latex gloves into the elderly woman’s mouth while taunting her. One worker allegedly performed chest compressions on the woman and another was believed to have thrown her onto her bed.

The only silver lining in this cloud is that a new law that just took effect in Oklahoma allows families to place surveillance cameras in nursing homes as long as the nursing home is aware of the cameras in the room. These cameras may reveal any issues that are happening, allowing patients to receive care and assistance while giving families peace of mind. The law also gives the family the right to use any recordings in a court of law, which is a good way to provide clear proof of any wrongdoing.

Oklahoma is not the only state with this law. According to the news, New Mexico and Texas also permit surveillance. In New York and Ohio, surveillance videos have been used to record evidence in similar cases.

Although the law is not yet part of the Wisconsin legal system, if you think your family member is suffering from abuse in a nursing home, you may want to consider speaking to a Milwaukee personal injury attorney to understand your legal options for gathering evidence or seeking compensation and justice.

Source:
ABA Journal, “‘Granny cam’ law aimed at curbing nursing-home abuse takes effect in Oklahoma” Debra Cassens Weiss, Nov. 20, 2013

May 17, 2013 by Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

Nursing Home Abuse Never Seems Far from Milwaukee

Criminal charges issued after sexual abuse at nursing home

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Nursing Home Abuse on Friday, May 17, 2013.

Placing a loved one in the care of a nursing home can be an incredibly difficult decision. A family has to completely trust that the facility will always closely look after and care for their loved one. Unfortunately, many nursing homes allow residents to be neglected or even abused.

The abuse of individuals trusted to the care of nursing homes rightfully angers many. For the families of these victims, anger does not begin to cover the emotions experienced after such a trauma. The family feels betrayed and furious that their trust was also abused when a nursing home fails to protect their loved one.

A vulnerable, incompetent adult was recently sexually abused at a nursing home out-of-state. The attacker is facing criminal charges of sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

Unfortunately, this most horrific manifestation of nursing home abuse is also too common in nursing homes across Wisconsin. In many instances, criminal charges for the culprit are not enough justice for a family in Milwaukee that had a loved one sexually abused in the care of a nursing home facility.

Many families feel let down by a facility that failed to prevent such an action from occurring in the first place. Accordingly, there are additional measures that can be taken to pursue recourse. A nursing home abuse attorney can assist a family file a lawsuit in attempt order to hold a negligent facility financially accountable for their liability in the sufferings of a family’s vulnerable or elderly loved one. If you need legal help due to nursing home neglect or abuse, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

Source: WXXA, “Glens Falls man accused of sexual abuse at nursing home,” May 10, 2013

May 10, 2013 by Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.

News of Insurance Fraud and Medical Malpractice Close to Milwaukee

Hospital under fire for finical gain from unnecessary procedures

On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney Ric Domnitz of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Nursing Home Abuse on Friday, May 10, 2013.

Not that far from Milwaukee, several top hospital administrators, the hospital owner and multiple physicians at Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago are scrambling to defend themselves following arrest in an extremely disturbing and elaborate scheme aimed at collecting reimbursements from Medicare. The establishment that was supposed to be helping people is now facing charges for performing risky, needless surgeries and other procedures on poor and elderly patients in order to reap the financial kickbacks.

A complaint states that at least $2 million was collected by the hospital in health care program reimbursements for procedures that did not need to happen and put the health of victims at risk. Presently, it is estimate that $225,000 of that figure was fraudulently passed to doctors, disguised as compensation for teaching a course to medical students that do not exist, among many other unethical explanations.

Residents of nursing homes that did not need any medical attention were a favorite to prey on for these corrupt administrators and doctors. Tragically, nursing home residents in Wisconsin and elsewhere across the nation can be vulnerable to this kind of abuse because they are frail and often unable to protest.

The hospital accomplished this with the assistance of an ambulance company in on the scheme. The ambulance would bring the nursing home resident directly to the Emergency Room so that the hospital could bill Medicare. Doctors are charged, among other offenses, with heavily sedating patients so that it would be harder to take the patient off of a ventilator. Then the doctor would declare that a tracheotomy needed to be performed.

Since 2008, it is alleged that the hospital did this to 28 victims. Suspicion began to arise around the hospital when five victims died in just a two week span because doctors were unnecessarily cutting holes in the throats of patients. It is absolutely appalling that these elderly, vulnerable individuals had their health compromised intentionally so that some greedy doctors could take home a few extra dollars.

As this investigation unravels, it is expected that more parties will be arrested and charged in this scheme of greed and disregard for human life. It is likely that families of victims could also file claims of nursing home abuse or medical malpractice in these happenings. Once this case is blown wide open, there will certainly be a lot of explaining to do.

Source: Chicago Tribune, “6 arrested in alleged kickback scheme at Sacred Heart Hospital,” Jason Meisner, April 16, 2013

If you were injured due to medical malpractice close to Milwaukee, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney with Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C.