Mehic has been charged with vulnerable adult abuse for inappropriately taking out his aggression on the elder home resident. Reports indicate that the 86-year-old's arm was red from the contact and that she and other residents at the home feared Mehic.
Mehic denies any wrongdoing. He claims that he grabbed the woman's arm to help her get up and that his voice carries moreso than the average person's, making it sound like he was yelling at the resident when in fact he was not.
]]> Elder abuse in group homes, assisted living facilities and nursing homes can come in many forms. Suspicious or unexplained injuries may indicate that there abuse is occurring. It is not uncommon for residents to refuse to discuss the cause of their injuries if they are being abused by staff members; it is possible that he or she has been threatened with continued abuse for telling on the worker.If your loved one's condition begins to rapidly deteriorate without a medical explanation, it's possible that abuse is going on. If you have doubts about the care or treatment your loved one is receiving at a Phoenix-area home, do not hesitate to bring your concerns to management and to an attorney.
Neglect is also a form of elder abuse. Malnutrition, dehydration and wandering off (elopement) are real threats to the health and safety of nursing home and assisted living residents.
Source: My Fox Phoenix, "Caregiver accused of abusing elderly patient," Julie Rose, May 17, 2012
]]>A misdiagnosis of a serious illness like cancer means a delay in the appropriate treatment. For those who are misdiagnosed with a disease that they actually do not have, the medical mistake likely means they've undergone unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment, not to mention the emotional roller coaster that they've been mistakenly put on.
]]> According to Evan Falchuk, vice chairman of Best Doctors, Inc., one-third of the $2.7 trillion spent each year on health care in the United States is wasted on the treatment of an incorrect diagnosis. He offers several reasons for the high number of missed diagnoses in the U.S.:Regardless of the cause of a missed diagnosis, when a life-altering or life-threatening illness is not diagnosed and treated, the individual is unfairly robbed of his or her opportunity to fight back against the disease.
Source: The Seattle Times, "Misdiagnosis: Millions of patients are being treated for the wrong conditions," Evan Falchuk, April 27, 2012
]]>From rashes to diarrhea to death, ADEs due to medication errors may be prevented by requiring doctors to electronically submit prescriptions rather than allowing a handwritten Rx. A study that followed the prescriptions of New York health care providers revealed that slightly more than 1 in every 3 handwritten prescriptions contained an error or caused an error at the pharmacy. Those who instead used e-prescription software had a less than 1 in 10 error rate.
]]> The error rates reported in the study did not include legibility issues that a pharmacist was able to clear up through contacting the prescribing physician, doctor or nurse practitioner. Readability errors are not without potential harm to a patient however. A delay in administering a necessary prescription means a delay in effective treatment.As medical records are switched over to electronic form, it seems a natural progression that prescriptions would be as well. But, only 30 percent of hospitals nationwide have switched to using e-prescriptions. Some hospitals equipped with the technology have left the decision to use electronic prescription software up to the health care professional resulting in about one-third of prescriptions still being hand-written.
About 36 percent of prescriptions in 2011 were delivered electronically in the United States.
Source: The New York Times, "Chicken Scratches vs. Electronic Prescriptions," Randall Stross, April 28, 2012
]]>A fatal crash at 37th Avenue and Camelback Road claimed the life of a 5-year-old boy. Rescue crews reported that the boy likely was not wearing a seat belt during the car accident. It is believed that the lack of a safety restraint contributed to the boy's fatal injuries.
Phoenix firefighters are now using the crash to educate others on the importance of safety belts and child safety seats. Preventing serious and fatal injuries that can result from a motor vehicle accident starts with the simple step of fastening a seat belt or using an appropriate car seat.
Arizona law requires everyone in the front seat to use a seat belt unless an exemption applies. Specific child-restraint requirements are also laid out in the Arizona Revised Statutes.
]]> Infants should be strapped snugly into a reclined rear-facing car seat. An infant should never be placed in the front seat if the car is equipped with a passenger-side airbag.Convertible seats may be used to safely buckle up a child as well. The convertible seat should be reclined and rear-facing until the child is one year old and at least 20 pounds. Once a child is old enough, the seat may be turned to face forward and sit upright. Convertible seats are typically usable until a child reaches 40 pounds.
Booster seats are appropriate for children between 40 and 80 pounds. The booster seats should be used in conjunction with the car's lap and shoulder belt system.
Source: CBS5AZ, "Fatal crash prompts firefighters to educate," Jennifer Jones, April 30, 2012
]]>Defective products can result in serious personal injury. When a company knows about a defect but chooses not to fix it, punitive damages may be an appropriate way of punishing the company for causing avoidable injury or death.
Punitive damages are in addition to money paid by an at-fault manufacturer for past, current and future expenses, like medical bills and lost wages. Often punitive damages will entice the manufacturer of a defective product to the settlement table because they are generally not covered by insurance and will have to be paid out of the company's own assets.
]]> Consider the Ford Crown Victoria. At one time, police throughout Arizona drove Crown Victoria patrol cars. But, the Ford sedan had a serious product defect: an exploding gas tank. Jason Scheterle of the Phoenix police department received third and fourth degree burns when his patrol car was struck from behind and burst into flames. Chandler police officer Robert Nielsen was killed in a fatal car accident when his Crown Victoria patrol car's gas tank exploded. Nielsen's death prompted then-Governor Jane Hull to stop any future purchase of the defective Fords.The Crown Victoria met federal standards at the time, but according to Scheterle, Ford was well-aware of the problem caused by the faulty gas tanks. But, Scheterle said the auto manufacturer put profits before safety and not until it was threatened with punitive damages by injured officers and their widows did Ford fix the problem.
There are exceptions in the bill that allow for punitive damages when a manufacturer doesn't comply with government defect-reporting requirements or essentially bribes a government official to get a product approved. However, shielding all manufacturers from punitive damages may go too far to protect business interests at the expense of Arizona families devastated by a defective product.
Source: AZ Daily Sun, "Bill limiting punitive damages clears House," Howard Fischer, May 3, 2012
]]>Antipsychotic drugs have been used by nursing home staff to control residents who showed tendencies toward wandering off or being physical or verbally abusive to staff and other residents. But the drugs are not without severe side effects and using a strong antipsychotic for other than what it should be prescribed for can present serious dangers to nursing home residents.
Antipsychotic drugs are intended for patients with severe mental illness, like schizophrenia, not dementia or Alzheimer's. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings specifically against using antipsychotics for dementia. These 'black box warnings' include the possibility of death as a side effect related to giving an antipsychotic to a dementia patient as well as dizziness, cardiovascular complications, heart arrhythmias, low blood pressure and blurred vision.
]]> According to data regularly collected by U.S. nursing home regulators and made available to the Globe via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, one in five nursing homes across the country use antipsychotic drugs to control residents who do not have a mental illness that would dictate their use.While some nursing home administrators argue that the use of antipsychotics is necessary to keep residents from harming themselves or others around them, other elder care professionals believe that more information on the side effects of antipsychotics for older, frailer and typically sicker adults is needed.
Source: National Journal, "Antipsychotics Overused in Nursing Homes: Report," April 30, 2012
]]>The SUV crossed the center line on the two-lane road, colliding head-on with the semi truck. The driver of the SUV was killed by the impact of the crash. The cab of the semi caught fire during the motor vehicle accident, claiming the life of the truck driver. Both drivers died at the scene of the fatal car accident.
]]> There's no indication that the driver of the SUV was impaired at the time of the collision, but investigators are still uncertain what caused him to cross over the center line into the path of the oncoming semi. A nine-mile stretch of the highway was closed while investigators and emergency crews responded to the crash. There was debris from the SUV scattered across U.S. 93.The 200 mile two-lane stretch of U.S. 93 north of Wickenburg was also the site of a fatal semi-truck rollover and another fatal head-on collision last September. The Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDoT) intends to widen the road to four lanes with a divider between traffic traveling in opposite directions. Over $500 million has been allocated to widening and improving the dangerous roadway. The four-lane divided highway would reach from Wickenburg, Arizona to the Hoover Dam.
Source: The Arizona Republic, "2 killed after semi, SUV crash on U.S. 93," Cassondra Strande, April 26, 2012
]]>A recent report from the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) notes that the FDA's post-approval monitoring of potentially dangerous drugs is improving as drugs that have been approved for sale are now receiving the same scrutiny as before being approved. Adverse reactions that aren't apparent before a drug is approved become visible after approval because:
With improved post-approval monitoring, the FDA hopes to limit the impact of newly-discovered adverse effects of dangerous and defective drugs.
]]> Long-term changes in safety protocols at the FDA have been in the works for awhile, but until recently, the FDA lacked authority to implement them. The FDA can now:The FDA notes that no drug is without risk, but it is hoped that these changes will limit the number of people affected by newly-discovered side effects of dangerous drugs.
Source: FDA.gov, "Report: FDA strengthens monitoring of post-approval drug safety," April 21, 2012
]]>The nearly 20-year-old metformin, sold under the brand name Glucophage, runs about $14 per month and may do a better job lowering blood sugar. Metformin also has the added benefit of lowering bad cholesterol that can contribute to heart disease. Many of the newer diabetes drugs do little to nothing to lower LDL cholesterol levels; some may actually cause a rise in bad cholesterol.
A month's supply of Actos can run from $230 to $370. Cost aside, Actos has come under fire after the type 2 diabetes drug was linked to bladder cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings about the risk of developing bladder cancer after taking Actos for a year or longer.
]]> Metformin is not without side effects, however. It has been linked to gas, bloating, diarrhea and nausea. But, these side effects are generally minor when compared to the potential for cancer, linked to Actos, and heart failure, linked to both Actos and Avandia.Consider also that some who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are able to control it without taking prescription medication. Through a combination of diet, exercise and the right health care team, some people are able to manage their diabetes successfully without metformin, Actos, Avandia or another diabetes drug.
The American College of Physicians is urging patients to consider "high value care" rather than high cost care. Expensive drugs like Actos aren't necessarily better at doing what they're prescribed for than their time-tested generic counterparts.
Source: NPR, "Doctors Group Tells Patients To Go For Cheaper, High-Value Treatments," Richard Knox, April 19, 2012
]]>But is trust in the preparedness of nursing homes, group homes and assisted living facilities misplaced? A recent report from the Health and Human Services Department revealed that in the case of an emergency caused by a natural disaster, most homes are underprepared to care for the numerous residents already relying on them to do so. Failing to complete appropriate disaster planning can result in serious injuries to residents and may be a form of nursing home neglect.
Over 3 million people called a nursing home 'home' in 2009, the most recent available statistic.
]]> Government investigators inspected the emergency plans of several nursing homes throughout the country. While the majority looked good on paper, when inspectors actually went into the field to talk to nursing home staff; many were unprepared to deal with a death or an illness that occurred during a disaster while others failed to keep up-to-date records of patient needs for referral during an emergency. Still more didn't have back up plans in place in case staff were unable to come to work during a disaster.Investigators also noted that most facilities lacked a system to keep track of residents during an evacuation, such as a wristband or other identifier that would allow staff to quickly recognize residents. Investigators recommended that specific requirements for emergency planning be added to Medicare and Medicaid regulations to improve nursing home preparedness for natural disasters.
A Houston Chronicle article reported that 139 nursing home patients died in Hurricane Katrina. Some drowned in their beds, leading to criminal charges against nursing home staff. While Arizona is not among the top 10 natural-disaster-prone states, it is not immune from powerful storms or fires.
Source: KSWT News 13, "Big gaps found in nursing homes' disaster plans," Ricardo Alonzo-Zaldivar, April 15, 2012
]]>One of the first steps to treating any health condition is recognizing the signs and symptoms of a potential problem. Particularly with elderly individuals or vulnerable adults, primary caregivers at nursing homes, assisted living facilities and in-home care are expected to notice signs of changing health and encourage those affected to seek treatment.
]]> The workings of the ear, particularly the inner ear, play a significant role in balance. Those who suffer from hearing loss may also be more likely to fall, almost three times more likely to suffer a fall and related injuries, according to some research.Moderate, untreated hearing loss can also triple the likelihood that an adult will develop dementia. Mild forms of hearing loss are thought to double the chances of developing dementia. It's not uncommon for those who suffer some amount of hearing loss to feel socially isolated, another contributing factor to the onset of dementia.
One problem noted with properly treating hearing loss is the expense of the hearing aids themselves. Medicare does not cover most hearing loss technology and many private insurers have chosen not to either. Consumer Reports noted that a pair of hearing aids can cost upwards of $7,000.
Source: The New York Times, "Why Won't They Get Hearing Aids?," Susan Seliger, April 5, 2012
]]>There was no warning that the car was speeding toward them. There was no opportunity to avoid the fatal head-on collision. But, one expert believes that ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) should have known that there is a median problem on I-10 and that the department could have and should have taken steps to prevent the Glazer family's tragedy.
A jury recently agreed with the expert and found ADOT at fault for the fatal accident that took away two-thirds of the Glazer family.
]]> Nine months before the Glazer family crash, two other people were killed in a similar crossover accident on I-10, near the same milepost. However, ADOT does not track a median crossover as a common cause of accidents, so nothing was done to fix the dangerous stretch of roadway nor to keep track of exactly how many serious and fatal injuries occur on that stretch of I-10.The highway was constructed in the late 60s and little has been done in the meantime in terms of promoting driver and passenger safety. On the contrary, the speed limit has nearly doubled to 75 mph.
The small, barrierless median separating traffic traveling in opposing directions does little to protect drivers from head-on collisions. Drivers who lose control and cross the I-10 median have about 2 seconds to regain control before coming out on the other side of the 84-foot divide.
Source: AZFamily, "ADOT held responsible for fatal accident,"Sybil Hoffman, April 9, 2012
]]>The nursing home insists that Martin signed himself out of the home voluntarily and that they would not hold him against his will. However, his wife says he has the mind of a 2-year-old because of his dementia and that he doesn't know he needs heart medication to survive. The family moved to Arizona only two years ago from Michigan; his wife is also worried because Martin doesn't know the area well.
]]> Martin's wife called the nursing home to check on him only to be informed that he was allowed to walk out on his own earlier that day. Phoenix-area police and Martin's family are still looking for him."I just want him to survive," said Martin's wife told reporters.
Nursing home abuse or neglect isn't limited to bruises or broken bones. Wandering off or 'elopement' is not uncommon among dementia patients. Even though Martin signed himself out of the nursing home facility, the family had entrusted the home with Martin's safekeeping.
By allowing him to sign himself out without contacting his family, the nursing home may have failed to identify the risks of sending someone with dementia and a heart condition into the streets, or even desert, of Arizona. Allowing a dementia patient to sign himself out may amount to nursing home negligence.
Source: MyFoxPhoenix, "Missing: James Martin," Kristen Keogh, April 1, 2012
]]>The drug is approved by the FDA for adults, but under the Marshall Protocol, the 11-year-old received doses of more than twice what is recommended for adults, making it a dangerous and potentially fatal drug for the young boy. His family has decided to stop following the Marshall Protocol and law enforcement is investigating the nurse practitioner who allegedly prescribed the dangerous drug.
]]> Symptoms parents should look for if their own children are taking Benicar include tiredness, dehydration and a yellowish tint to the skin, similar to jaundice. Phoenix officials are urging parents to take their children to the hospital for examination if they are taking Benicar.Trevor Marshall, founder of the Marshall Protocol, stands behind the treatment plan as part of the "next generation of medical knowledge, but one Valley doctor questions the Benicar dosage levels suggested for children. "Liver and kidney failure would certainly be possible at that dosage," noted Dr. Sam Benjamin.
Some adults have reported success with the Marshall Protocol but parents should be wary of considering positive results for adults as an indicator that children's bodies can tolerate the same types and dosages of medication without the drugs becoming a threat to their child's health. The nearly-fatal drug had to be ordered from Canada in order to get the dosage required under the Protocol for the child.
Source: MyFoxPhoenix, "County Attorney: Check Children for Too Much Benicar Use," March 21, 2012
]]>Neither the condition of the truck driver nor the driver of the car is known at this time. The passenger was in extremely critical condition following the motor vehicle accident. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
]]> NHTSA Intersection-Related Crash StatisticsAccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 40 percent of the almost 6 million crashes in the United States in 2008 occurred at an intersection. Over 7,000 of the intersection-related crashes were fatal; over 700,000 intersection-related crashes resulted in serious personal injury to one or more people involved in the crash.
The vast majority of collisions were due, at least in part, to driver error. Driver errors included:
Intersections lacking a traffic control device -- a stop light, stop sign or other -- were more likely to be the site of a motor vehicle accident caused by driver error than a controlled intersection, according to the NHTSA.
Source: ABC15.com, "Woman critically injured in Phoenix crash," March 28, 2012
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