In March 2024, Consumer Voice published a new report, The Impact of Understaffing on the Daily Lives of Nursing Home Residents. The report highlights the pervasive issue of inadequate staffing in nursing homes, emphasizing its detrimental impact on residents’ quality…
$1,000,000 Settlement Against Home for the Aged for Failing to Secure Stairwell Doors to Keep Residents Safe
The defendant, a licensed home for the aged/assisted living facility, failed to lock, alarm, or monitor the doors to the stairwells in the building, resulting in an 86-year-old resident entering the stairwell, unnoticed by staff, and falling down the stairs…
AG Nessel Launches Updated Elder Abuse Reporting Form and Law Enforcement Training Series
Elder abuse is a grave concern that demands our attention. On October 9, 2023, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in partnership with the Elder Abuse Task Force (EATF), took significant steps to address this pressing issue. The Department of Attorney…
United States Supreme Court rules nursing home residents have private right of action under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA)
Introduction: In a landmark decision that impacts the rights of nursing home residents, on June 8, 2023, the United States Supreme Court rendered a significant ruling in the case of Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County et al. v. Talevski….
Jules Olsman and Lauren Walson secure $1.6M Verdict for Elderly Victim of Financial Fraud Scheme Orchestrated by Housekeeper
Following a two-day bench trial, Jules Olsman and Lauren Walson of Olsman Mackenzie Peacock & Wallace, P.C., secured a verdict of $1,606,500.00 in a case involving the financial fraud of an incapacitated, elderly gentleman. Between 2016 and 2019, while employed…
Olsman MacKenzie Secures Victory in Supreme Court for Seniors in Independent Living
The Michigan Supreme Court recently issued a decision that will improve the quality of care and safety of elderly individuals who live in senior independent housing. Four years ago, a trial court in Oakland County dismissed the case of Kermath…
Donna MacKenzie joins Consumer Voice President’s Circle of Leaders
The President’s Circle of Leaders is a distinguished group of donors who believe in Consumer Voice’s mission. The Consumer Voice is the leading national voice representing consumers in issues related to long-term care, helping to ensure that consumers are empowered…
New bill increasing liability protections for care workers draws criticism
Donna MacKenzie was quoted last week in the Detroit News about the legislation headed to Governor Whitmer’s desk that would increase liability protections for more health care workers and facilities that lawmakers said faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. …
Nursing Home Immunity
Michigan Nursing Home Immunity – Should Nursing Homes be Shielded from COVID-19 Liability? Nursing home residents are at extraordinarily high risk for infection, a grave illness, and death from COVID-19.[1] In fact, over one-third of all U.S. Coronavirus deaths have…
National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) releases position paper regarding pressure injuries during COVID-19 pandemic
On June 22, 2020, the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) released a position paper regarding pressure injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the NPIAP, the mere diagnosis of COVID-19 does not make a pressure injury inevitable or unavoidable. However, the…