Our Michigan nursing home neglect lawyers are reporting a recent story in the Detroit Free Press about two troubled nursing homes in the City of Detroit, that still remain open regardless of the fact that federal ratings show it is one of the state’s lowest performing facilities – St. James Nursing Center in Detroit and Omni Continuing Care in Detroit. Both homes are owned by Ciena Healthcare Management. The story of these nursing homes, particularly St. James, shows that a substandard nursing home with many continuing violations can still remain open for business.

Brittany Manor in Midland, Michigan, also owned by Ciena, is also one of the state’s lowest performing nursing homes as well. However, Ciena, a nursing home chain with nearly three dozen Michigan facilities, owns both rich and poor nursing homes. Ciena recently opened its newest nursing home in Waterford, Michigan called Regency at Waterford. While the Regency shines, St. James, Omni, and Brittany have been cited again and again by state inspectors for serious abuse and neglect in patient care.

These there homes are not alone when it comes to being near the bottom in serious violations. In fact, more than three-quarters of Michigan homes received at least one violation in the last three years. All three of these homes, including others, residents have died due to some form of abuse and several incidents have failed to have been reported.

The concern and question is of many, not limiting to Ciena, but to any chain that has an extreme mix of rich and poorly financed nursing homes, why is that money being spent on building new homes instead of being spent on fixing the old, struggling places.

According to a report done by the Detroit Free Press, over the last three years, state inspectors cited Michigan’s 427 nursing homes 2.5 times on average for serious violations, meaning residents were harmed or place din immediate jeopardy because of something the nursing home did wrong. In fact, at St. James and Omni, state regulators found serious violations 11 and 13 times, respectively – the highest statewide. St. James was also the most fined home in Michigan, being fined $300,349. Altogether, Michigan levied $9.9 million in federal fines against nursing homes, more than any other state in the nation.

Our Michigan nursing home neglect lawyers represent nursing home residents and their families in lawsuits against nursing homes and residential care facilities, such as St. James of Detroit, Omni Continuing Care, and Brittany Manor in Midland. There are strict laws and regulations to protect the safety and welfare of these residents. Unfortunately, nursing home patients do not always receive appropriate care and the results can be severe and are often deadly.

If you or a family member suffers injuries due to nursing home neglect or abuse, call our office now at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced Michigan personal injury lawyers.  We will represent you under our No Fee Promise, meaning you do not pay any legal fees whatsoever until we win or settle your case.

Our Michigan nursing home neglect  lawyersare reporting a Taylor nursing home abduction that took place on July 18th at about 10:30 p.m at Regency Healthcare Centre.  According to police, two men came in at night and tried to sign Floyde Pickrell out of the center, but were denied. However, staff found Pickrell missing from the care center not long after. Surveillance footage shows the same men lifting the man over a wall of the yard of the nursing home grounds. Pickrell has still not been found and he suffers from dementia along with other health problems.

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I am very sorry to hear about this incident. I hope the victim is found soon and without any injuries.

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A Traverse City nursing home being investigated for nursing home abuse did not do enough to prevent the abuse, according to a report by the Michigan Department of Community Health.  The Tendercare Health Center-Birchwood facillity has had several incidents of resident on resident abuse and assault since 2006.  The state concluded employees of the facillity failed to stop attackers from exploiting vulnerable residents, especially older women with dementia or disabilities, from physical and sexual assaults.

I am very sorry this abuse has happened.  I think it is important to hold nursing homes and their employees accountable when they are complicit in this kind of abuse and neglect.

When a resident is abused or neglected in a nursing home, the victim or his or her family may be able to file a lawsuit against the nursing home or its employees.  A nursing home abuse case can involve incidents where a resident is injured through neglect by the employees themselves, such as when employees fail to move a disabled resident and severe bed sores develop, or a case can involve incidents such as this one where the employees fail to protect residents from aggression by other residents.  An experienced Michigan nursing home abuse lawyer could help evaluate a possible lawsuit.

For more information about Michigan dog bite cases, visit our law firm web site at www.BuckfireLaw.com.  If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan dog bite attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.

Bedsores, or pressure sores, are sores caused by prolonged pressure on an area of the body.  They are often the result of neglect or abuse by hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitations centers, foster homes, and other facilities.  They are common among the sick, elderly, disabled, and others who have difficultly moving themselves.  The pressure from prolonged amount of time sitting or laying in the same position begins to cut off the supply of blood to an area of the body.  The sores start as red irritations (stage 1), but can develop into blisters or ulcers (stage 2) and will eventually form a crater (stage 3) which indicates damage to the tissue below the skin. 

Stage 4 bedsores are the most serious level of bedsores.  By the time, a stage 4 sore has formed, there has already been a craterous sore for some time.  Stage 4 is the terminology used to indicate the crater has become so deep that there is damage to the muscle and bone underneath the skin.  Often times, the muscle or the bone may actually be exposed, complicating treatment and causing a heightened risk of infection. 

Infection seriously delays the healing of earlier stage bedsores but can be life-threatening at Stage 4.  Infection can penetrate the bone, causing osteomyelitis and requiring weeks of treatment.  From there, the infection can spread into the blood stream, causing sepsis.  This will also require weeks of treatment and skin grafting may be necessary.  Skin graft operations, however, may not be successful in older or malnourished patients, which are two of the groups most likely to suffer Stage 4 bedsores.  Even if a skin graft operation is successful, the infections may recur months or even years later. 

Stage 4 bedsores are almost always the result of negligence, neglect, or outright abuse.  By the time a sore reaches this stage, the neglect has gone beyond the mere occasional omission and instead represents prolonged mistreatment.  Stage 4 bedsores can occur anytime there is prolonged pressure on a part of the body, but they are especially common when a hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, foster home, or other care facility fails to monitor its patients or residents over a prolonged period. 

Individuals who have sustained Stage 4 bedsores and their families should contact Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. immediately to determine their legal rights.  Our office will start working on your case immediately and begin gathering the evidence to prove and win your case.

An Allegan County nursing home is facing questions about its future after the death of two patients.  A home operated by Metron Integrated Health Systems has been closed while an investigation by the state Attorney General’s office is underway.  The two patients died at Metron of Allegan after nursing home employees neglected to administer oxygen to them.  This was the same way a patient died at a Big Rapids Metron facility in 2005.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Disbursement has already terminated federal coverage after finding 11 safety violations, including these two deaths as well as failure to prevent patient abuse and other neglect. 

If you suspect that a loved one may be in danger of abuse or neglect at a nursing home, you should transfer them immediately.  Aging advocates and the state government have resources to assist you. 

For more information about Michigan nursing home cases, visit our law firm web site at www.BuckfireLaw.com   If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan nursing home attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.