The nursing home abuse trial for former Corpus Christi nursing home owner began last week. According to NBC News, this 69 year old woman, Najmeh Griffin, has been charged with abusing the elderly patients at her assisted living facility. She has been accused of putting urine and feces-filled bags around the necks of two of her patients. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports that Griffin put these bags on her patients to punish them for soiling themselves, and left these individuals in a restroom where they were eventually found by an employee.

Further investigations into Najmeh Griffin and her husband’s facility revealed that the assisted living home violated many state standards. Investigators reported that patients were regularly subjected to abuse: physical, verbal, and neglect. The Griffins had two elderly facilities; one was an assisted living home and the other an adult day care. Both facilities are the subject of a criminal investigation citing their noncompliance with state safety standards. Both of the Griffin’s facilities have been shut down.

While this case represents and extreme example of nursing home abuse, where actual physical violence threatened the health and safety of nearly 55 patients, sometimes negligence on the part of a nursing home can be just as harmful. LawyersandSettlements.com states that nursing home neglect can often go unreported, because it isn’t as obvious as physical abuse. However, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse and exploitation are extremely frequent occurrences.

It is crucial to learn to recognize signs of nursing home abuse and to learn one’s rights under elder care laws. If a loved one of yours is in an assisted living situation, be sure to keep an eye out for certain warning signs such as: behavior or personality change, depression, anxiety, unexplained accidents or injuries, bed sores resulting from infrequent movement on a nursing home bed, muscle atrophy, burns, fearfulness, rapid weight loss, unwarranted use of physical restraints, unexplained venereal disease or bruising in areas surrounding genitalia. You can also visit Texas’ Office of the Attorney General’s website at https://www.oag.state.tx.us/elder/select.shtml for more information on your rights when looking for a satisfactory nursing home.

Nursing home abuse and neglect cases can be complicated, so it is best to use a lawyer who is familiar with nursing home laws and regulations. Borchardt Law Firm has over 20 years of experience representing victims of nursing home abuse. Don’t wait until it’s too late to contact a lawyer and learn about your rights.

At Borchardt Law Firm, we wish for no family to experience incapacitating tragedies due to nursing home abuse and neglect. Our firm has the experience and the drive necessary to continue to strive for the improved protection of future generations of Texans. If you or a loved one has ever suffered from a related misfortune don’t hesitate to contact a lawyer to discuss any legal compensation you might be entitled to. Borchardt Law Firm represent clients over many areas in Texas; feel free to give us a call.

Toll Free: 866.832.9300
Phone: 817.332.9300
Fax: 817.332.9301
firm@attorneysmb.com
801 Cherry St #1005
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
For easy access to blog updates, follow us on Twitter: @AttorneysMB

According to the Associated Press, government investigators with the Office of the Inspector General recently found that billions of taxpayer dollars to Medicare have ended up in the hands of sub-standard nursing home facilities. Although it is legally required for a nursing home to submit to the government detailed treatment plans for every patient, many were found to be either falsifying such documents, consciously creating insufficient plans, or acting in a way contradictory to their treatment plans. Medicare then reimbursed those nursing homes for their treatments, even though the actual care received was poor in quality. It has been reported that in one out of every five nursing home stays, the patient’s health had not been properly addressed in their treatment plan. This finding is shocking for a patient who might believe that government oversight would only allow Medicare to reimburse reputable and quality nursing home practices.

This discovery has raised considerable questions about Medicare’s oversight practices that have allowed payment to go to nursing homes that could potentially be harming their patients. Though Medicare has promised to ramp up supervision and incentive measures for nursing homes to utilize good treatment practices, the effects of such measures could take months or years to appear. Borchardt Law Firm is committed to working for the rights of nursing home abuse victims. One cannot rely on a false security that a “top-notch” nursing home provides quality care, or that the government is doing enough to ensure that nursing homes comply with federal standards.

Nursing home abuse is still a major problem in the state of Texas; there is lax oversight and enforcement of state and federal standards, and nursing homes often avoid facing major consequences for their actions (or inaction). Our firm has long been a supporter of those who have encountered nursing home abuse or neglect. In fact, Borchardt Law Firm has recently seen major success in the representation of a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect. This wonderful success demonstrates our dedication to seeking justice for victims of nursing home abuse. No one wants to entrust a loved one into someone else’s care, only to find that they have been systematically abused or neglected. Borchardt Law Firm is the firm to right these wrongs for victims and their families.

At Borchardt Law Firm, we wish for no family to experience incapacitating tragedies due to nursing home abuse and neglect. Our firm has the experience and the drive necessary to continue to strive for the improved protection of future generations of Texans. If you or a loved one has ever suffered from a related misfortune don’t hesitate to contact a lawyer to discuss any legal compensation you might be entitled to. Borchardt Law Firm represent clients over many areas in Texas; feel free to give us a call.

Toll Free: 866.832.9300
Phone: 817.332.9300
Fax: 817.332.9301
firm@attorneysmb.com
801 Cherry St #1005
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
For easy access to blog updates, follow us on Twitter: @AttorneysMB

Coumadin, similar to other drugs, must be carefully monitored almost everyday during a patients first month on the drug. Since the drug is a blood thinner, doctors must be extremely cautious in watching how thin the blood gets. When blood becomes too thin, it could eventually cause a patient to bleed to death, whether or not they have open wounds. If the blood does not thin, a patient could suffer from blood clots, possibly leading to a heart attack, stroke or even death. Once blood clots have formed, there is very little doctors can do in order to stop them, which is why patients taking Coumadin need to be carefully monitored.

During a patients first month on the drug, every day they should undergo either a prothrombin time (PT) test or an international normalized ratio (INR) test. Both tests are blood tests that measure how long it takes for the patient’s blood to clot. The tests also check for bleeding problems and determine how well the blood thinning medicine is working. The only difference between the tests is the INR test is a way of standardizing the results of the PT tests, allowing doctors to understand results even if they come from different testing methods or different labs. The PT and INR tests are crucial for doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes and care providers to maintain in order to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the medicine.

As all medicines do, Coumadin affects each patient differently. Age and health backgrounds may alter the performance and side effects of the drug for each person. Those responsible for the testing, whether it is the primary care doctor, hospital or nursing home, should know the risks and warnings that come with the drug.

If you or a loved one have ever taken Coumadin and have suffered from the drug not properly being monitored or have had serious side effects that you were not warned about, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney. At Borchardt Law Firm, we have seen and dealt with many cases involving Coumadin and several other failed prescription drugs due to the negligence of those responsible for the monitoring. We wish no family has to ever experience a tragedy caused by negligence, but feel the work we do will continue to protect future generations of Texans. Feel free to give us a call.

Toll Free: 866.832.9300
Phone: 817.332.9300
Fax: 817.332.9301
firm@attorneysmb.com
801 Cherry St #1005
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Sources:
http://www.drugs.com/coumadin.html

When abuse is suspected our firm recommends families to immediately become in contact with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS). “The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services was created to administer long-term services and support for people who are aging and who have cognitive and physical disabilities. The department also licenses and regulates providers of these services, and administers the state’s guardianship program. They began formal operations on Sept. 1, 2004.”(DADS website) The department endeavors to keep elders safe.

First Steps to Report Abuse

1. By contacting the Texas Department of Aging and Disablity Services victims are able to file a complaint by calling their hotline at 1-800-458-9858. The complaints are anonymous and all of the names (including the name of your loved one) will be redacted from the report. DADS, the state agency, track these reports by a control number. Be sure to explain to the state all of your issues, and to get the control number. This will allow you to get a copy of the report once it is finished. Retaliation by a nursing home for making a complaint is illegal so you shouldn’t hesitate to file a complaint.
2. Move your loved one to another facility that is feasible. Don’t wait to make the move, you don’t want matters to worsen.
3. After you have filed your complaint and moved your loved one to a new home, contact an experienced lawyer who handles nursing home negligence cases.

How to Pick the Right Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer

1. Meet with potential lawyers to handle your nursing home negligence case. At Borchardt Law Firm, all of our initial consultations are free of charge.
   1. Ask the lawyer and/or law firm about their experience in handling nursing home negligence cases. Texas law has changed dramatically in this area, it is important to hire a lawyer with some experience. Visit our firm’s website to read about prior experience. Borchardt Law Firm
   2. Ask the lawyer and/or law firm about their trial experience in handling nursing home negligence cases. You want to hire a lawyer who takes and has taken these types of cases to trial.
   3. Ask the lawyer and/or law firm about their staff’s experience. At Borchardt Law Firm, we have a full time nurse on staff who can quickly read and review medical records to determine if a case has a merit.
2. Don’t be afraid to meet with more than one lawyer. Going through a nursing home negligence case is difficult, and you want to know that you have selected a lawyer who you feel comfortable with and can trust.
3. Remember, any lawyer who makes representations about the value of your case is probably not the lawyer you want to hire.
4. If you are a lawyer reading this blog and have a Texas nursing home case, please contact Borchardt Law Firm. Within the parameters of Texas law, we are happy to assist other lawyers with nursing home cases.

If you suspect nursing home abuse don’t hesitate to contact your Dallas Fort Worth nursing home abuse lawyer. At Borchardt Law Firm, we wish no family has to ever experience nursing home abuse or neglect, but we also believe the work we do will protect future generations of Texans. Feel free to give us a call.

Toll Free: 866.832.9300
Phone: 817.332.9300
Fax: 817.332.9301
firm@attorneysmb.com
Burnett Building
801 Cherry St #1005
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
To read the full CBS article, please click on the following link. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/30/national/main304038.shtml

To learn more about the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services please click on the following link.
http://www.dads.state.tx.us/index.cfm