09
I hate to say it, but nursing home care may get worse in Virginia.
With our state in a serious budget crisis, Medicaid spending will likely be cut.
05
Did you have your gallbladder removed last year? How about an appendix or more significantly a cancerous tumor?
04
I know no one wants to admit it, but mistakes happen during surgery and after surgery. They happen all the time.
02
Lauren and I have been blogging over the years that, in our opinion, “non-profit” nursing homes provide better care than “for-profit” nursing homes. Our experience tells us that non-profit nursing homes hire more nurses to care for the residents than do the for-profit nursing homes.
25
A very interesting lawsuit is moving through the system in Roanoke, Virginia. The case, filed on behalf of Ronald Burchett, initially started out as a fairly routine medical malpractice case. The suit alleged that Burchett was admitted to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in March 2008. He was septic, had severely low blood pressure and was suffering from respiratory failure. Ultimately it was determined that he had acute colonic pseudo-obstruction, a condition in which the colon dilates significantly, and Burchett’s colon burst. A gastroenterologist was not initially called to examine Burchett.
23
I posted a blog back on February 9 titled, “Nurse Going to Jail? Are you Kidding me?”
20
Why don’t Virginia nursing homes give up? Virginia courts do not like enforcing mandatory arbitration agreements contained in nursing home admission contracts. You know…the language which says the nursing home can sue you for failing to pay your charges but if the nursing home staff drops you and breaks your hip you cannot hold the facility accountable in court.
17
I told a family this week, that I hoped and prayed that their loved one got better… and if she did heal from the pressure ulcers which developed at a local nursing home, then I would not recommend filing a lawsuit.
15
Assisted Living facilities are a wildly popular alternative to nursing homes for some Virginia families. Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) are usually paid for privately and rarely will accept Medicaid or Medicare for payment.
13
I hate to admit it, but even the best hospitals have problems. Patients slip through the cracks, medication errors occur, injuries unrelated to treatment happen.