A Georgia nursing home has settled fraud claims with the Department of Justice for over half a million dollars.  The settlement of $613,300.00 was made possible by the efforts of a physician whistleblower who informed the federal government that Golden LivingCenters was billing state and federal governments (Medicaid and Medicare) for inadequate care.  In particular, the evidence shows that the nursing homes were not providing proper wound care treatment for their aging patients.

According to the government, the negligence of the nursing home included “inadequate and worthless monitoring, documentation and prevention and treatment of wounds.”  In addition to the settlement, the nursing home will update its internal policies and procedures and will agree to monitoring for up to five years.  Because this is a settlement, the nursing home of course continues to deny any wrongful conduct.

Maryland nursing home claims frequently contain allegations of improper treatment that causes skin ulcers.  Skin ulcers (also called decubitus ulcers, pressure sores and bedsores), are caused by lack of movement—less mobile patients who stay in the same position for extended amounts of time can develop small wounds on the skin.  If not properly and timely treated, those wounds become larger and deeper, and severe infection/necrosis can follow.  We’ve seen some cases where the underlying bone becomes infected, and many sad situations where patients die because of their injuries.

Nursing home cases are particularly tragic because the injuries are so often avoidable.  We find a financial motive with many nursing homes—they are understaffed so that the company can turn a larger profit.  These wounds are less likely when a nursing home has enough employees to regularly move and exercise the patients.

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If you believe you or a family member has a nursing home claim, contact our medical malpractice lawyers at 1-800-776-4529, or fill out our confidential online contact form.