17 Bodies Found at New Jersey Nursing Home Hit by Coronavirus After Anonymous Tip
As reported by the Newyorktimes.com, there was a call requesting body bags on Saturday and an anonymous tip on Monday about a body in a back shed that led police to enter the New Jersey nursing home facility called Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II. They discovered 17 bodies in the facility’s morgue only intended to hold four people (the body had been moved inside). There have been 68 recent deaths associated with the facility, including two nurses. Of these deaths, 26 people had tested positive for Coronavirus. Of the remaining patients, 76 people have tested positive for Coronavirus; more than half of these are staff members and an administrator.
Today, Governor Philip D. Murphy announced that a team from the state had been dispatched to the Andover facility and that the state attorney general had been asked to look into what happened and to conduct a review of all long-term care facilities with a disproportionately high number of deaths during this time. The governor also expressed concern about the weaknesses in the system involving long-term care facilities.
We are hearing reports that COVID-19 is sweeping through the nation’s nursing homes; many of which were already short-staffed. Caretakers lacking personal protective gear are getting sick themselves. Thousands of residents have already succumbed to the disease and we know there are more deaths coming. In New Jersey alone, 6,815 patients have been infected by Coronavirus at its long-term care facilities. Medicare had recently given the Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation facility a one-star rating, which translates to “much below average” for staffing levels, inspections and patient care. This begs the question: could deaths have been prevented with adequate staffing levels, inspections and higher quality patient care?
Do I have the right to sue for nursing home negligence?
If you or a family member has been harmed by nursing home neglect or abuse, you may be able to sue a nursing home to recover damages and seek justice. Seek the help of an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer to discuss your legal rights.
Nursing homes are represented by insurance companies who will try to settle cases as quickly and cheaply as they can. An experienced nursing home abuse attorney can be a very valuable asset to getting the settlement you deserve. A negligence suit is the most powerful way of punishing a nursing home; it can reap monetary damage awards for the plaintiff and impose a license suspension or revocation, force changes to operating procedures, and a loss of government funding to the nursing home.
What to do if you Suspect Nursing Home Abuse / Neglect of your Elderly Family Member
The first thing to do if you suspect abuse or neglect in a nursing home is to speak with your family member and some of the other residents. You may also wish to speak with staff or administrators to hear their explanation of your concerns.
If you are not satisfied with answers provided by the staff or nursing home administrators, or the seriousness of the situation is so clear that you have no doubt about abuse; you should take steps to remove your loved one from the facility and report the abuse. To find your state’s reporting number, go to the National Center on Elder Abuse website and click on “Where to Report Abuse.”
Seek the help of a nursing home neglect attorney
If your loved one has been injured as a result of abuse or neglect, you have enough to deal with. Let an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer help you fight for justice. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a good lawyer. Call the caring elder abuse attorneys at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
