Whistleblowers Turn Case in Nursing Home Lawsuit

26 Mar Whistleblowers Turn Case in Nursing Home Lawsuit

According to the Daily Journal, two people who formerly worked at a nursing home were instrumental in turning a jury against a facility accused of rampant abuse and fraud. The women were employees up until 2004, when they decided to speak out about what was going on at the nursing home. Unfortunately, their story is common among nursing home abuse cases.

Phony Claims

One element of the case involved filing phony claims to Medicare and Medicaid, according to the report. This is not uncommon and is something that these agencies have to deal with all the time. Some nursing home facilities claim that care was given that was never rendered or bill for other expenses that are unjustified, taking in the profits off of the claims once they are paid.

Abuse

The abuse involved in this nursing home was particularly horrific, according to the report. The plaintiffs held that the abuse had gone on for at least six years and residents had died as a result of some of the abuse.

Deaths in nursing homes due to abusive staff members is all too common. Sometimes the abuse is outright violence or sexual abuse and sometimes it’s more along the lines of neglect that leads to dangerous medical conditions.

In this case, the jury ruled against the defendants to the tune of $28 million.

Working with Staff

There are cases of nursing home abuse where the staff is complicit or even works hard to conceal what’s going on. In other cases, the staff may be horrified by what’s going on and be willing to turn on their employer for the good of the residents. Sometimes, if you suspect that there is abuse going on, talking to a staff member may be very productive.

Never be afraid to confront a staff member about signs of abuse. Bruises, cuts, infections, poor hygiene and other signs of abuse may manifest long before the abuse actually turns deadly, but there may be very little time to act in cases where someone is being actively abused by a nursing home operator.

If you do discover abuse, remember that there are plenty of places where you can turn for daycare abuse help. If you believe that your loved one is in very real danger, request to transfer them to an ER. Talk to their doctor, talk to the state authorities and the police, if need be, but do take action as soon as possible.

RASANSKY LAW FIRM
2525 McKinnon Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
877-659-1620