Patients and their families won a class action lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare Group Inc., which operates 22 assisted living facilities in California. Although the jury originally awarded $670 million, the case was settled for $50 million. Yes, it’s much less, but it also means that the patients will actually get compensation now, while they are still alive.

Skilled Healthcare Group Inc. was found liable for understaffing at its nursing homes–patients didn’t receive the minimum amount of nursing care required under California state law. Although the group did not admit doing anything wrong, it agreed to the settlement dollars.

The lawyers of HensonFuerst are heartened by the original verdict. Nursing home residents are routinely neglected and often abused, and we are happy to see that the good guys sometimes win. The only sour notes in this story are that the settlement ended up being only about 7% of the original verdict…and that Skilled Healthcare didn’t have to admit that it had done anything wrong.

We hope that this verdict serves as a caution to other nursing home operators—follow regulations, take care of residents, and put their health above the quest for money. Everyday, HensonFuerst Attorneys fight for the rights of abused and neglected elderly nursing home residents. We will continue to speak for them and, when necessary, to see that justice prevails.

To read more about this story, see the full article here:  Los Angeles Times nursing home verdict story

A measure to confront the failing quality of care in nursing homes created by the lack of transparency in the ownership and management structure of these facilities recently passed the California Assembly on an overwhelming 77-0 vote. It would require each licensee of a skilled nursing facility to disclose with each abbreviated contract of admission and contract of admission the name of the owner and licensee for the facility and the name and contact information of a single entity that is fully accountable for all aspects of patient care and the operation of the facility. The disclosure specified shall be provided as the first attachment of the contract.  HensonFuerst’s lawyers believe this is an admirable bill for all 50 states to adopt.  We encourage its support.

Click to read the entire story from the California Chronicle.

According to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, “We found examples of residents being punched, choked or kicked by staff members or other residents.” Waxman’s findings include the abuse and death of Helen Love, who was attacked by a certified nurse’s assistant at a Sacramento facility.  “He choked me and went and broke my neck and broke my wrist,” said Love, who died two days after her interview. Her assailant got a year in county jail. CBS News learned and reported that three other employees at the same Sacramento facility had been convicted for abuse, which should have barred them from nursing home work.

Click to read the entire story from CBS News.

Breaking News:  The State of California has fined a nursing center $75,000 in the case of an elderly man whose death was reported for months as a heart attack, although he really choked on a tuna sandwich.  In 2003, the state accused the same facility of giving unnecessary drugs to eight patients. However, no fines or sanctions were given then. Viewers to the HensonFuerst Nursing Home blog are reminded to exercise extreme vigilance when family and friends in elder care are on restricted diets.

Click to read the entire article from the Orange County (CA) Register.