Will LTC nurse go to jail?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

The family contacted the police and on the news last night it said the son is going to bring criminal charges against the nursing home because of the poor care of his mother. The son said the nurses at the LTC lied and charted that they did dressing changes but he said no they didn't do them. Do you think any of the nurses involved in this situation are going to jail?:confused:

The gossip around town is that the nurse couldn't do the dressings for 5 days because the patient was in too much pain and they couldn't control her pain so they sent her to hospice. She died on Sunday.

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The gossip around town is that the nurse couldn't do the dressings for 5 days because the patient was in too much pain and they couldn't control her pain so they sent her to hospice. She died on Sunday.

Jeepers! Then someone should have been paging the MD over and over until they got her relief, got the family involved, and called the Medical Director. I read recently that LTC's can get an IJ for not controlling pain. That poor woman. If all of this is true then the facility should be investigated. I am really bothered by this situation.

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In the St. Rita's deaths, the owners didn't just leave the patients to die. They decided that because of the acuity of the residents, they wouldn't evacuate them unless there was a mandatory evacuation order. Basically they thought that evacuation of extremely sick elderly patients would be more dangerous than trying to ride out a hurricane. It turned out that they were wrong, perhaps even foolish, but not quite the heartless b*stards that the press tried to make them out to be.

Especially when you consider that during the evacuation of Houston for hurricane Rita, some elderly people DID die during the evacuation.

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As a nurse that practices in both LTC and in Acute care it repuses me that the administration at this LTC in New Orlenes made the decision to not evacuate. People lost their lives and the damage goes beyond that. Where were the nurses advocating for safe patient care? did this LTC facility actively supress nurses in speaking out for patient safety?

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Here is some more to think about....

- Actions like those at the St. Rita's Nursing Home contribute to the reputation that LTC facilities are failing the care of our loved ones.

- It has been my experience that LTC institution does not do well in supporting issues in nursing such as adequate/safe staffing for patients, encuraging nurses to speak out on issues and contribute to the way nursing is practiced in LTC, nor on encuraging any type of professional growth for nurses.

-Some LTC facilities that i have worked for actually did not want people to continue their nursing education or speak out on issues. I have worked for such places.

In the end the patient/resident is the one paying for all of this mess. We really need to rally as a profession and speak out on issues like this. We are professionals and we owe it to the ones we care for.:)

Take care and Blessed be

Nursewolf:lol_hitti

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Don't think I'm on the LTC side in the New orlean's tragedy but didn't the town survive the hurricane just fine. That's what the evacuation order was for, right. And wasn't it the levees that could not withstand the rain and wind that failed, putting the whole town into a crisis.

I like to get all the facts straight first vs jumping to judgement. I think that the LTC facility may be responsible for neglect. It's a one sided story for now. There are certainly facilities out there that should be closed down. I doubt that any nurse will serve time in jail. The investigators will certainly find out the facts and pursue the correct course of action. The nurses may face disiplinary action with the BON though.

You can't believe everything you read and those who rush to judgement cut their nose off despite their face.

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How can he prove it? Never heard of any nurse going to jail for something like this. The son is full of hooey. I think any case he tried to file would be laughed out of the court.

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Stuff like this does happen. A nursing home in my area was shut down, administrator and DON tried for manslaughter and convicted, just waiting for sentancing.

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Stuff like this does happen. A nursing home in my area was shut down, administrator and DON tried for manslaughter and convicted, just waiting for sentancing.

Thanks all for your messages. Wow!!! A DON and administrator going to prison!!! That case really sounds interesting. Please let us know the facts of this case. Thanks:)

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Ya know, I never even thought about that. Kinda odd that those residents died at St. Rita's, and Hurricane Rita hit shortly after.

But yes, the nursing home was St. Rita's. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/13/katrina.impact/ . As for who St. Rita is, I have no idea. :)

FYI....staff died there too, I do not think alot of people are aware of this. I am a local from N.O. and that is the word on the grapevine.:o :o :o

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Specializes in MDS coordinator, hospice, ortho/ neuro.
The family contacted the police and on the news last night it said the son is going to bring criminal charges against the nursing home because of the poor care of his mother. The son said the nurses at the LTC lied and charted that they did dressing changes but he said no they didn't do them. Do you think any of the nurses involved in this situation are going to jail?:confused:

It is one thing to accuse someone of something........it is another thing to prove it. Maybe the son is right, maybe he isn't.

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