PRESSURE ULCERS (bedsores)

These can be found on about 25% of nursing home residents, most often because they’ve been left unattended for too long in their bed, a wheelchair, a bathroom or elsewhere. Bedsores usually appear on the buttocks, lower back, ankles, heels or backs of the knees. They may also appear on the elbows, upper back, back of the head or even the ears. They result from prolonged pressure (for as little as two hours,) usually when the skin is pressed between a bone and a bed, wheelchair, cast or other surface. Typically, they start with redness of the skin, and if undetected or untreated may penetrate through the layers of the skin all the way to underlying muscles and bone, and can become infected, perhaps very seriously.

POOR HYGIENE

Your loved one doesn’t look, smell or feel clean. For obvious reasons, this is more prevalent when residents are unable to care for themselves and, when noted earlier, they rarely or never have visitors checking up on their care.

INJURIES

Bruises, pressure marks, broken or fractured bones, abrasions, scratches, burns, a black eye, a bloody nose, ripped clothing, etc.

UNEXPLAINED WITHDRAWAL

from normal activities, a sudden change in alertness, and unusual depression.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Bruises on or around “private parts.” Notice if your loved one acts fearful or pulls back at the appearance of certain staff members or other residents, or if they complain about a certain person bothering them but aren’t specific as to why, as they might be embarrassed to say.

VERBAL ABUSE

Belittling, threats or other uses of power and control by nursing home employees, other residents or visitors (theirs or their roommate’s.)

STRAINED OR TENSE RELATIONSHIPS

Becomes increasingly argumentative, or becomes uncharacteristically withdrawn.

CHANGES (SHORTAGES)

in your loved one’s financial situation, including cash in a wallet, purse or bedside drawer, or funds in a checking or savings account.

MALNUTRITION (a.k.a. UNDERNOURISHMENT)

One out of every six older adults is undernourished, especially those who live in a nursing home. As one elder care specialist explained it: “Under-nutrition may result from eating too little food (i.e., too few calories) or foods that do not contain enough of the needed nutrients, particularly protein, vitamins and minerals…. Residents of nursing homes usually do not get to choose the foods they are served, and cannot get food when they want it. Meals may be served and taken away at specific times, without any consideration of whether a person is hungry. (Or even awake.) Occasionally, residents are neglected—not given the help or the time they need to eat. ‘Hot’ food may be cold when it arrives, or become cold while the resident is waiting for someone to help them eat it. Consequently, they may not eat enough.”

There may also be other reasons; e.g., certain disorders cause symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to meet nutritional needs.

Or, your loved one may be suffering from malnutrition simply because the food is terrible and he or she would rather starve than eat it! If you can visit during meal times, taste the food yourself and judge it.

FILTHY CONDITIONS

Filth has no place anywhere in a nursing home. It needs to be as clean as possible, for both medical reasons and appearance. If you notice that a loved one’s room and bathroom, the dining hall, the kitchen (if you can gain access) or any other part of the nursing home is not clean, take action. If necessary, report it to the appropriate authorities.

LIGHT-HEADEDNESS; DRY SKIN, EYES OR NASAL MEMBRANES;

A DECREASE IN URINE; DARK URINE; OR A FALL IN BLOOD PRESSURE

Any of these symptoms may be a warning sign of dehydration—not having enough fluid (especially water) in the body. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated, it might even result in death. The relatively simple treatment includes replacing lost fluids with water, dilute broth, or a fluid containing some sodium or other electrolytes.

DIRTY BANDAGES, UNTREATED CUTS OR BRUISES, SCRATCHES, FRACTURED OR BROKEN BONES, ETC.

Dirty dressings and untreated injuries are obviously signs of neglect. Staff members not have examined your loved one often enough and/or have ignored the need for medical care. Fractured or broken bones are common in nursing homes that house older residents, who are often prone to falls and other physical injuries. But they may also be caused by altercations with other residents, staffers or even visitors. If your loved one shows any of these warning signs, identify the cause.

UNUSUAL WEIGHT LOSS

If not due to any the above, this may be the result of not having enough food to eat (a roommate or staffer might be stealing some), loose or missing teeth, poorly fitting dentures, liver failure, lactose intolerance, taking drugs that decrease appetite, cancer, infections, smoking, etc. Perhaps they need help eating, and are reluctant to ask to be fed. Again, if you can visit during a mealtime, check on the quantity and quality of the food being provided, and notice any difficulty in eating.

Leitner Varughese attorneys Brett Leitner and Justin Varughese are among New York State's most recognized and respected leaders in nursing home abuse and negligence litigation, advocating for nursing home victim's rights both in and out of the courtroom. Attorneys Brett Leitner and Justin Varughese have facilitated in the recovery of over $50 MILLION in nursing home verdicts and settlements on behalf of neglected residents and their families, and work tirelessly to be a voice for those victims who cannot speak for themselves.

Leitner Varughese attorneys Brett Leitner and Justin Varughese have successfully handled hundreds of cases involving severe nursing home negligence and mistreatment, many of those involving injuries such as bedsores (pressure sores, decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers), femur fractures, hip fractures, many with open reduction internal fixation surgery or total hip replacement, aspiration, choking, head injuries such as subdural hematoma or other brain bleed or brain injury; sudden and unexpected death, severe infection such as necrotizing fasciitis from infected feeding tubes, and many other injuries.

Attorneys Brett Leitner and Justin Varughese are recognized as top trial attorneys both in the State of New York and nationally, having been selected to the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers, SuperLawyers, American Academy of Trial Attorneys Premier 100, America's Top 100 Attorneys and Rue Ratings Best Attorneys in America, to name a few.

Attorneys Brett Leitner and Justin Varughese are routinely called upon to handle high-profile and newsworthy cases, many of which have been televised or reported on in national and regional news and media outlets, including the New York Law Journal, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, Channel 7 Eyewitness News, CBS News, Best of Long Island Press, Newsday, News 12 Long Island, Long Island Herald, and FIOS 1, amongst others.

If you, a family member or a friend have been injured due to the neglect of others in a New York nursing home, call Leitner Varughese at (855) LV LAW NY (855-585-2969), or visit our website at http://www.lvlawny.com.

The following is a list of many New York State nursing homes organized by county: NASSAU: A Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility Beach Terrace Care Center Belair Care Center Inc Central Island Healthcare Cold Spring Hills Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Daleview Care Center Excel at Woodbury for Rehabilitation and Nursing, LLC Fulton Commons Care Center Inc Garden Care Center Glen Cove Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation Glengariff Health Care Center Grace Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Grandell Rehabilitation and Nursing Center Hempstead Park Nursing Home Highfield Gardens Care Center of Great Neck Long Beach Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing Marquis Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Mayfair Care Center Meadowbrook Care Center, Inc Nassau Rehabilitation & Nursing Center North Shore-Lij Orzac Center