Personal Injury Law

TN Department of Heath Fines Murfreesboro Nursing Home, 90% of Nursing Homes Nationwide Cited for Violations

A Tennessee nursing home investigation uncovered violations in administration and nursing services for Boulevard Terrace Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, a 100-bed nursing home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health has suspended all new admissions and imposed a $1,500 penalty and recommended a federal penalty of $4,000 a day until the major violations are corrected.

While Tennesseans with loved one in nursing homes await specifics of this Murfreesboro nursing home's violations, some knowing the Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner may only suspend a Tennessee nursing home?s admissions when conditions are determined to be "detrimental" to Tennessee nursing home residents? ?health, safety or welfare,? Tennessee Law Blog would be remiss if it didn?t cover a shocking New York Times story earlier this week on the epidemic of nursing homes nationwide in violations of federal health and safety standards.

The Times article by Robert Pear reports on a recent Department of Health and Human Services report revealing that 94% of the nation?s nursing homes were cited in 2007 for violations. Interestingly, for-profit homes had on average a higher incidence of safety or health violations than other types of nursing homes.

Overall, about 17% of U.S. nursing homes had violations that caused, according to the inspector general of DHHS, patients ?actual harm or immediate jeopardy.? These violations often indicated the presence of widespread and/or persisting nursing home abuse.

From the 37,150 federally filed nursing home complaints, DHHS nursing home investigators were able to take action on 4 out of 10, with 2 out of 10 confirming reports of abuse or neglect of nursing home residents.

The primary cause for nursing home neglect or abuse, according to the report, is because nursing homes ?have systematically failed to provide staff in sufficient numbers and with appropriate clinical expertise to serve their residents.?

In our own state, and too often the case, Tennessee nursing home abuse remains hushed by nursing home staff and administrators. A native Tennessee nursing home attorney under the process of discovery can uncover the depth of abuse and neglect occurring in a Tennessee nursing home. If you believe your loved one has suffered some form of nursing home abuse or neglect, let our qualified TN nursing home attorneys at our Nashville office know. Initial consultation with a HHP nursing home lawyer is always free of charge.

Full post as published by Tennessee Law Blog on October 03, 2008 (boomark / email).