NURSING HOMES OPERATOR IS SUED UNDERSTAFFING CLAIM CENTRAL IN ALLEGATION.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer An attorney known for suing nursing homes filed a class-action lawsuit Thursday charging elder abuse Elder Abuse Definition Elder abuse is a general term used to describe harmful acts toward an elderly adult, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect, including self-neglect. because of insufficient staffing at 31 homes operated by Longwood Management Corp., including 10 homes in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . The lead plaintiffs in the case said their mother, Estelle Benkle, was left to sit in her own urine and feces at Longwood's facility in Sherman Oaks. Benkle suffered severe bedsores Bedsores Definition Bedsores are also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, or pressure sores. These tender or inflamed patches develop when skin covering a weight-bearing part of the body is squeezed between bone and another body part, or a bed, that became infected and led to her death. In the complaint filed in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Superior Court, attorney Stephen Garcia charges that Longwood consistently failed to meet California's minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, putting elderly residents at risk and billing insurance companies, MediCare and MediCal for a level of care the patients never received. ``There's a direct relationship between understaffing and death. And there's a direct relationship between understaffing and profit,'' Garcia said. ``We want them to change they way they do business or get out of business.'' Longwood Management Corp. officials couldn't comment on the specifics of the lawsuit but said the allegations are not true and that the staff develop strong connections to the patients in long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. . ``We consistently do everything in our power to maintain the standards of staffing that have been set by the California Legislature,'' the company said in a statement. ``We take these allegations very seriously because the care of our patients is the top priority of our employees at every level, from management to support staff and the actual caregivers.'' The case is based on a California law California Law consists of 29 codes, covering various subject areas, the State Constitution and Statutes. See also
In the lawsuit, Garcia said that Longwood's facilities did not meet that requirement. For example, Magnolia Gardens Convalescent con·va·les·cent adj. Relating to convalescence. n. A person who is recovering from an illness, an injury, or a surgical operation. convalescent 1. pertaining to or characterized by convalescence. 2. Hospital in Granada Hills provided on average 3.02 nursing hours per patient, which was 6,300 hours short of what the hospital's 96 patients should have received, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the complaint. Garcia, who specializes in elder abuse cases, filed a similar lawsuit in January against Beverly Healthcare, which operates nursing home and assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. centers across the country. The nursing home industry has struggled to meet the staffing level requirement. Most homes depend on MediCal and MediCare reimbursement, which has been low in the past, and there has been a shortage of trained nursing assistants in a field that pays an average of $10.50 an hour. Recently, though, California significantly increased MediCal reimbursement and most nursing homes in the state meet the 3.2 hour requirement, said Betsy Hite, director of public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. for the California Association of Health Facilities. Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com NAMED IN LAWSUIT The following San Fernando Valley nursing homes were named in the lawsuit: Alameda Care Center in Burbank Burbank Health & Rehabilitation Center in Burbank West Hills Health & Rehabilitation Center in Canoga Park Broadway Manor Convalescent Hospital in Glendale Magnolia Gardens Convalescent Hospital in Granada Hills Sherman Village Healthcare Center in North Hollywood Northridge Care Center in Reseda Sherman Oaks Health & Rehabilitation Center Imperial Care Center in Studio City Studio City Rehabilitation Center CAPTION(S): box Box: NAMED IN THE SUIT (see text) |
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