Pleasant Law Blog (Insurance Claims, Medical Misakes, and Nursing Home Claims)

Increasing Demands for Nursing Home Aids and Other Staff: a Frightening Prospect

Attorneys and lawyers handling nursing home cases, and even medical malpractice cases (in some instances) know that nursing homes have staffing problems (one of the key factors leading to nursing home injury, abuse, neglect and wrongful death lawsuits and claims), it's frightening to think what we face as a nation as the "baby boomer" generation's long term care needs explode and the workforce in the nursing home industry becomes that much more strained. The Gerontological Society of America's website (click on the title link to this blog entry) has some interesting information about how this aging population will strain long term care resources, including the "direct-caregiver workforce" made up of front-line nurses and certtified nurse's assistants (CNA's).  A report arising from a study called "Better Jobs Better Care" is available at this website, and details in its full findings significant issues regarding pay and work relationships among nursing homes and hospitals, as well as turnover problems in the workforce in the nursing home industry; which affects nursing home patient/resident care, and the entire healthcare system. If you or someone in your family has suffered abuse, neglect, injury or death as a result of care (or lack of care) in a nursing home, that bad result could be due to a lack of staffing in the nursing facility. I often explain to clients how the budget process from the "higher ups" at nursing homes affects patient care on the "front lines," and these clients' stories often match up with this scenario (e.g., resident's not being turned and repositioned in order to avoid pressure sores, etc.). If you need help with a possible legal claim against a nursing home, feel free to contact my office for a free consultation. My firm has convenient locations in Wilmington, Raleigh and Fayetteville; and we can arrange to meet with you anywhere else if necessary. We can be reached Toll Free at 888-435-7156.

Nursing Home Staff Job Satisfaction Changes Could Reduce Nursing Home Abuse, Neglect, Injury and Death Lawsuits

By Thomas Waitt Pleasant, North Carolina (Raleigh, Wilmington, Fayetteville) nursing home and medical malpractice injury and wrongful death attorney.McKnights Long Term Care News reports ( http://www.mcknights.com/Job-satisfaction-latest-nurse-recruitment-tool/article/116684/?DCMP=EMC-MCK_Daily ) that certain nursing home chains and facilities are apparently finally getting the message that the quality of their care is driven by the satisfaction of their caregivers. This, of course, has a direct link to the kinds of problems that lead to nursing home abuse, injury, and wrongful death lawsuits and claims. This encouraging news suggests that some nursing home chains are actually striving to improve the staffing levels as part of this effort. Of course, overworked nurses and certified nurses assistants in skilled nursing facilities are not happy. Those who accept positions in nursing homes that overwork and underpay their staff are more likely to be less caring, and more prone to neglect and abuse of the elderly. Understaffing is a key aspect of most  nursing home injury and/or wrongful death cases, because when there simply aren’t enough people to take care of the patient, the patient suffers. This is particularly true in a nursing home, because the patients are all in need of lots of skilled nursing care. If you are reading this because you or a loved one has suffered abuse, neglect, injury or death as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect; feel free to contact my office to discuss your matter. We are available to meet with you wherever you are, including, but not limited to, our locations in Raleigh, Wilmington and Fayetteville, North Carolina. You can contact us Toll Free at 888-435-7156, and for more information, visit www.pleasantlaw.com or http://www.pleasantlaw.com/practice_areas/nursing-home-abuse-neglect1.cfm .

Nursing Home Nursing Directors: Staffing Problems Biggest Headache

By Thomas Waitt Pleasant, North Carolina Nursing Home Lawyer, Insurance Lawyer and Medical Malpractice Lawyer. McKnight’s reports that staff recruitment and retention are huge headaches for directors of nursing in nursing homes. (see http://www.mcknights.com/DONs-most-stressed-over-staff-issues-long-term-care-survey-suggests/article/121274/?DCMP=EMC-MCK_Daily) My personal opinion (and I think, fairly, the opinion of many other lawyers and attorneys handling nursing home injury, abuse, and wrongful death cases) is that this is the “root of all evil” in nursing homes, so to speak. Generally speaking, it seems that the nursing home industry has had little trouble making money and being profitable generally. (Big equity firms like Carlyle Group don’t buy unprofitable businesses, or at least businesses that they don’t think can be turned around in order to make a lot of money.) But nursing home jobs aren’t that much different form other industries in terms of attracting good employees – the market demands a certain wage; and if the nursing homes are not willing to pay the market wage to get enough decent employees, they will not get enough decent employees. Result: harm to nursing home residents from lack of staffing. Nursing homes must get their homes staffed properly in order to avoid hurting their patients. Increasing staffing will also, apparently, help reduce some of the stress now on their directors of nursing – which will itself likely help nursing homes avoid problems with their resident care, and avoid abuse, neglect, injury and wrongful death. Contact me at The Law Offices of Thomas Waitt Pleasant, PLLC for a free consultation if you or your loved one has suffered injury or harm as a result of a nursing home’s negligence or bad care. We will make the evaluation process easy for you, and will consider cases in any region of North Carolina. Specifically, we have locations in Raleigh, Wilmington, and Fayetteville. Toll Free 888-435-7156.