Tennessee

• 1 year with Discovery Rule. (Tenn. Code Ann. §28-3-104)
• Medical malpractice – 1 year with Discovery Rule, but no later than 3 years after the date on which the negligent act or omission occurred, unless the action involves a foreign object. (Tenn. Code Ann. §29-26-116)

• None.

• 1 year. (Tenn. Code Ann. §28-3-104)

• None.

• Tennessee Department of Health
• Adult Protective Services
• Commission on Aging and Disability
• Long Term Care Ombudsman

• Adult Protection Act – (Tenn. Code Ann. §§71-6-101-20)
• Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Licensing of Services and Facilities – (Tenn. Code Ann. §33-2-402)
• Rights of Nursing Home Patients – (Tenn. Code Ann. §68-11-9)
• Registry of Persons Who Have Abused, Neglected, or Misappropriated the Property of Vulnerable Individuals – (Tenn. Code Ann. §§68-11-10)

• Citing Safety Concerns, Authorities Refuse To Allow New Admissions To Nursing Home

Poor quality care is preventing some nursing homes in Tennessee from accepting new residents.  In the past several years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of complaints directed to health and safety of the residents.

Accusations of serious safety violations are getting attention from state inspectors.  At Nashville's RiverPark Health Center, a complaint of a resident fall caught investigators' attention.  The complaint alleged that following the fall, the nursing home staff ignored the resident's cries for help.  It turns out the resident had broken his neck and eventually died from his injuries.  The investigation revealed that not only did the staff act improperly following the fall, the staff conducted no internal investigation to determine if its employees acted improperly.

• Tennessee Nursing Home Resident Abused By CNA

A certified nursing assistant (CNA) has been charged with willful physical abuse after hitting a blind resident with a clipboard and incontinence pad and pulling the resident's hair and slapping her.  The incident alleged nursing home abuse took place on October 21st at Etowah Health Care Center.  

The CNA was arrested following a police investigation in the matter.  According to the Tennessee Department of Health website, the CNA has a valid nursing license from November, 2002 through November, 2008 and has no other violations.

• Improper Record Keeping Leads To Suspension Of New Admissions In Nursing Home

Tennessee officials have suspended new the admission of new residents at the Quality Care Health Center in Lebanon, TN.  The suspension comes after state and federal investigators found multiple safety violations during an investigation related to a complaint filed against the nursing home.  Investigators from the Federal Center for Medicare-Medicaid Services found violations in physician services, nursing services and with medical records.

Investigators discovered residents at the Tennessee nursing home were put in 'immediate jeopardy' because nurses did not keep proper charts.  Additionally, nursing home inspectors also documented instances of dramatic weight loss among residents.

• "Life Care Center" Permitted To Accept New Patients After State Finds Poor Living Conditions

After a week where the facility was banned from accepting new residents, Life Care Center of Red Bank is now permitted to accept new patient admissions.  One June 17th, the Tennessee Department of Heath Commissioner suspended new patient admissions to this Tennessee nursing home because of conditions encountered during a survey (inspection).  During the survey inspectors found heath and safety violations concerning:

• Grandson Alleges Poor Nursing Care Results In Bed Sores "You Could Stick Your Fist" In

Harriman Care and Rehabilitation Center is under investigation after the grandson of a resident claims the facility provided such extraordinarily poor care that his grandfather developed advanced bed soresso big, 'you could stick your fist in'.  The grandson, William Brummitt claims the care Harriman provided to residents was so poor that it resulted in harm to both his grandfather, William Williams and his grandfather's roommate, Larry Waldo.

Brummitt claims the facility mistreated Waldo so severely that  he 'had laid in bed for seven days without a sheet being changed.'  'Flies were swarming around his left leg stump, where the femur was exposed," Brummitt added referring to Waldo's amputated legs.