The toll-free number for the Consumer Product Safety Commission is (800) 638-2772. If you want to become a member of an email list for the CPSC, log onto www.cpsp.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Anyone who wants to see products that are recalled or…

In recent years, many nursing homes have begun using patient lifts. One well-known brand carries the name Hoyer.  These lifts are generally intended to transfer individuals who are severe fall risks from a bed to a wheelchair. However, in the…

Under federal law, side rails are a safety device. In a nursing home setting, side rails can only be used if a physician orders their use. In the mid-1990s, the Detroit Free Press undertook an investigation into deaths caused by…

Diabetes is a lifelong condition, which can be controlled, but not cured.  Our body will take foods – carbohydrates – such as starch, milk, fruit and sweets, and break them down into sugar in our blood stream.  The pancreas (a gland in the body)…

In many cases, falls in nursing homes and hospitals could be prevented by use of appropriate restraints following careful patient/resident assessment by nurses and physicians. As a result of the federal nursing home statute, OBRA 87, which specifically prohibits use…

Many facilities have sprung up in the Detroit area and label themselves as “senior housing.” These facilities specifically claim that they are not nursing homes or assisted living facilities but seem to look just like them. Moreover, these facilities almost…

We see many cases involving pressure wounds which are also known as decubitus ulcers. Many years ago, these were referred to as bedsores. Although pressure ulcers many times develop at pressure points on the body, coccyx (backbone), hips and other…

More and more our firm is seeing claims against so-called “Independent Living” facilities.  All too often these facilities are thought of as a nicer option to a nursing home.  However, independent living facilities are nothing like a nursing home.  These…

Your presence during the initial admission assessments could help assure that your loved one receives quality care at the new nursing home.  A family member or friend may be able to share information with the staff when your loved one…

Your presence during the initial admission assessments could help assure that your loved one receives quality of care at the new nursing home. A family member or friend may be able to provide the staff with information on behalf of…