Dementia Residents Subjected to Improper Medication, False Diagnoses, and Neglect at Massachusetts Nursing Home
A host of violations and “appalling” conditions amounting to nursing home malpractice were recently uncovered during an investigation at Bear Mountain Worcester nursing home.
A two-year Disability Law Center investigation of a Massachusetts nursing home has revealed numerous violations related to nursing home malpractice, says a Boston 25 News article. According to the DLC, the multiple Nursing Home Reform Act violations found during the investigation of Bear Mountain Worcester from October 2021 to October 2023 stem from understaffing and lack of clinical expertise—nursing home malpractice issues that are common among for-profit healthcare providers like Bear Mountain. Boston 25 says nearly two-thirds of Massachusetts’s nursing homes are for-profit.
According to the article, the neurobehavioral unit of Bear Mountain was especially impacted by the acts of nursing home malpractice. Residents of this unit, who suffer from dementia, anxiety, depression, brain injuries, and trauma, were discovered to have been regularly treated with a range of antipsychotics and other psychotropic medications. Some were given “questionable” schizophrenia diagnoses. The DLC also said that there was evidence of “minimal engagement with patients in the neurobehavioral unit;” the facility furthermore had no trained/credentialed psychiatric nurses, psychologists, or psychiatric and neurological consultations.
The issuing of false diagnoses and the inappropriate administration of antipsychotics or psychotropics to elderly residents are both acts of nursing home malpractice falling under the umbrella of nursing home medication errors. Giving the wrong medication in order to chemically restrain a dementia patient to make him or her easier to deal with not only violates that resident’s rights, but is also a dangerous practice that can lead to the following serious issues:
Attorneys who handles matter of nursing home malpractice ought to be contacted if it is suspected that distribution of inappropriate medication is taking place in a nursing home. In the event of an accidental death related to medication errors, it will unfortunately be necessary to contact a wrongful death attorney.
Beyond the above violations, the article also stated that Bear Mountain was accused by guardians and families of nursing home infections throughout the facility, filthy communal spaces, and even rodent infestation.
“The conditions at Bear Mountain have been appalling,” said DLC Executive Director Barbara L’Italien. “It has been a dire situation, and we must hold the Commonwealth accountable for its duty to inspect and ensure proper care in these facilities.”
Holding Nursing Homes Responsible for Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death
Attorney Brian P. Murphy is a nursing home malpractice lawyer and wrongful death attorney committed to upholding the rights and safety of Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing home residents. Your loved one living in a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home should never be subjected to any sort of nursing home malpractice, including medication errors and false diagnoses. Brian Murphy holds accountable those Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes responsible for elder abuse or neglect, particularly any incident of nursing home malpractice that results in wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy is ready to discuss your legal options. If you or your loved one needs to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, call Brian Murphy today.
