Court favors industry over hurt residents
(12/22/04 Miami Herald) Guest column by Kenneth L. Connor
Last week, in the spirit of the season, the Florida Supreme Court delivered a spectacular gift to the nursing-home industry. But to the families of nursing-home residents who suffered abuse or neglect, it sent a lump of coal. Read more...

Bad care, not lawsuits, responsible for nursing home insurance crisis
(August 13, 2004, Nashville Business Journal) Guest column by Brian D. Reddick
In short, the nursing home industry in Tennessee is doing a horrible job of meeting even the most basic of minimum standards put in place to protect and safeguard residents from harm. Imagine the outcry if 99 percent of schools failed to meet minimum educational criteria or if one in three child day care centers were caught harming children. Would the outcry be about their rising insurance rates? Read more...

Focus on ideas, not smears
(July 21, 2004, Miami Herald) Guest column by Kenneth L. Connor
Name-calling by the RNC serves no useful purpose for anyone but the Democrats, who will be quick to point out the hypocrisy behind the RNC's accusations. Republicans will do well to stay focused on issues and to avoid the name-calling. Republican values of lower taxes, less government and more freedom are winning the hearts and minds of the American people -- let's not lose those hearts and minds by demeaning others simply because of their chosen profession. Read more...

Name-callers beware
(July 13, 2004, Orlando Sentinel) Guest column by Kenneth L. Connor
The mere fact that someone is a trial lawyer should not be the gauge by which to judge that person. All professions have members who reflect poorly on them. Doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs -- all have members who are an embarrassment to the others. Read more...

Keep the promise to nursing home patients
(March 25, 2004, Stuart News) Guest column by Barbara Hengstebeck
As citizens of this state, we have a fundamental question to ask: "How far are we willing to go to protect neglectful and abusive nursing home operators?" As recently reported in this paper, three years ago the Florida Legislature passed a comprehensive bill (SB 1202) designed to address the "skyrocketing lawsuit" problem faced by our state's nursing homes. At the time, resident advocates such as myself contended that the escalation in litigation was due primarily to poor care. Industry representatives contended that the problem was due to a plaintiff-friendly law and an aggressive trial bar. Read More...

Testimony of Kenneth L. Connor
(October 20, 2003, Before the U.S. Senate Special Committee On Aging)
Thank you for your willingness to address the problems of neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation of the elderly in our society. These are problems of enormous magnitude, but about which the public, law enforcement, and lawmakers have been largely uninformed. Read More...

Re: Soaring liability insurance rates trouble nursing home officials
(April 17, 2002, Oklahoma Journal Record) Guest column by Jim Wilkes
Exactly one year ago, the U.S. Congress released a devastating report showing that 85% of homes in Oklahoma “violated federal health and safety standards”. The report also found that nearly one out of every six homes was putting residents in “immediate jeopardy” and “had caused actual harm to residents or placed them at risk of death or serious injury”. And what makes these numbers even more shocking is that they are most likely “understated”. Read More...

Cameras could limit nursing home abuse
(April 8, 2002, St. Petersburg Times) Guest column by Barbara Hengstebeck
The Coalition to Protect America's Elders supports a change to Florida law that would allow residents the option of installing surveillance cameras in their rooms. These cameras would not be mandatory, nor would homes be required to pay any of the costs, as they would be the responsibility of residents and their families. A notice on the door would alert employees and others that a security camera is monitoring the room. Read More...

Florida nursing homes should allow nursing home cameras
(March 18, 2002, Tallahassee Democrat) Guest column by Barbara Hengstebeck
When crimes like those described in the GAO report occur, law enforcement agencies would be armed with the evidence they might need to prosecute the offenders. In fact, Florida's top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Bob Butterworth, recently issued a report stating that "the likely deterrent effect on resident abuse and neglect ... suggests that the voluntary use of cameras in ... resident rooms would work well in Florida." Read More...

Attorney disputes unfounded myths
(February 25, 2002, Hattiesburg American) Guest column by Rae Turner
As a starting point, I want to emphasize that "tort reform" is a misnomer designed to put a prettier face on the real objective: limiting the rights of injured Mississippians. To sell this concept, supporters of the plan are concocting two myths that they are seeking, with the help of the media, to spread as truth. Read More...

Attorney takes issue with Editorial stance
(February 14, 2002, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal) Guest column by Jim Wilkes
While I disagree with your conclusions that reforms are needed, I would instead like to address the statement you make: "Mississippi leads the nation in various measures and by reputation as a state disproportionately friendly to lawsuits alleging malpractice." You do your readers a disservice by perpetuating the myth that Mississippi is a "Mecca" for lawsuits. Read More...

In nursing home lawsuits, experience counts
(January 15, 2002, Hola! Arkansas) Guest column by Brian Reddick
For those families who have exhausted all other options, only a lawsuit will help them find out what really happened to their loved one. Once that decision has been made, what next? How should you choose an attorney? Perhaps the most important factor is experience. Look for an attorney who has handled similar types of cases. Find out whether the attorney is looking for a quick settlement – or whether he or she will fight for the rights of your loved one. Read More...