There are specific elements in a medical malpractice case that have to be brought forth in order to have a case work. They have to show that a duty was owed, because there is a legal duty that exists whenever a health care provider or hospital engages in the care or treatment of a person. Showing that the duty was breached is also important; breach of duty simply means that the provider did not conform to the accepted standard of care. This may be proven by an expert testimony or by obvious errors. One has to show that the breach caused an injury, and what the specific damages are. If there are no damages, then there is no basis for a claim, even if the medical provider was negligent. Hospital negligence: Hospitals owe a duty to every patient who presents for their care. When hospitals do not live up to that responsibility, patients are the ones to suffer. All too often, patients suffer infections or other serious injury due to hospital neglect. Our law firm takes on these facilities for their negligence. On 01.27.2016 my father went to that shoddy place that has the nerve to call themselves a dental clinical. They lied to him about needing to have teeth pulled that in-fact t could have been saved. He was told that a filling had fallen out and that the tooth had chipped and was not able to... It took me a while to come to you, Joe said. The reason I'm very frustrated is because I don't believe people are doing the right thing at the Buffalo V.A. When a dentist or other health professional fails to provide to you that level of care required of similar health care providers you may have the basis for a dental malpractice claim. Such cases are often difficult and costly to present, and any potential plaintiff has to weigh carefully the financial and emotional costs that must be invested to pursue such a dental malpractice claim. Payment can be made only at our office. Open Margins Comprimised Restorations xiii. Venue (where the claim will be tried). Contact The San Antonio Medical Malpractice Lawyers Of Marynell Maloney Law Firm, PLLC There is a bond of trust between medical professionals and their patients. Patients turn to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers with the faith that they will provide, at the very least, competent care. When this bond of trust is breached by a medical professional, serious injuries and even wrongful death can result. Fortunately, patients who are harmed by the negligent actions, or failures to act, on the part of medical professionals can seek compensation for their losses and expenses by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Attorneys For Dental Negligence Moundsville WV 26041.
2.17 miles 21515 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 1000, Torrance, CA 90503-6505 Defense verdict obtained in medical malpractice/wrongful death action against a nurse practitioner relative to diagnosis and treatment of three year old child in the ER. Car Accident injuries are mistreated Defendants New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and Dr. PN (collectively defendants) move for summary judgment, dismissing... Maryland requires that the certificate of a qualified expert explicitly state the name of the doctor or health care professional who allegedly breached the standard of care. When the arguments advanced by damage cap advocates are analyzed with the actual statistical data, it is clear that the data does not support the arguments. Medical malpractice cases already have unique restrictions and limitations unlike any other personal injury lawsuit. Finally, medical malpractice damage caps, even if found constitutional, would not result in any significant lowering of the cost of medicine. In a future article, we will address insurance industry reforms that can help to reduce medical malpractice premiums for doctors. Psychiatry, media, science, philosophy, war. - Dental Malpractice Lawyer Services. Michigan Medical Malpractice Attorney Most dentists are honest and caring individuals who genuinely have the best interests of their patients at heart. They become friends with their patients and often treat them and their family members for life. It is therefore disappointing that those few dental groups who would put profits ahead of ethics would risk tarnishing the reputations of these honest dentists. If you've been the victim of a dental scam, rip off or fraud anywhere in California, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson and let us know what you've been through. Others, Klimas said, don't have time to read the training manual VA put out to help them care for Gulf War veterans, don't have more than 15 minutes to deal with each patient, or don't know how to refer them to specialty clinics where they can get care and some simply don't care to learn. Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Medical Negligence Lawsuit After Inmate Dies
For instance, in Cleveland there are 45 qualified Dental Malpractice attorneys for you to consider; however, expanding your search by 50 miles will result in 4 qualified Dental Malpractice attorneys to consider. Expand your search to a 100-mile radius from Cleveland and you will have 12 qualified Dental Malpractice Lawyers to review. This increases your ability to find the right attorney for your case. There are three main types of bridges: The effect of malpractice suits on doctors Elderly Medical Malpractice Lawyer Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other healthcare provider does not follow standard or accepted medical procedure. Action was taken that shouldn't have or action that should have been taken was not, with the result being injury or death to the patient. Clinical Negligence Solicitor, min 3 yrs PQE, required by a top rated London law firm. The clinical negligence department specialises in high value... According to Islamic Punishment Law, the rate of Dieh is an- We substantiated an allegation that an East Campus patient was physically abused, and no one was disciplined. We received other allegations of patient abuse at both the East and West Campuses, which we did not substantiate. Allegation 1: A patient was physically abused at the East Campus, and no one was disciplined. We substantiated this allegation. On the August 18, 1995 evening tour of duty, a registered nurse found an East Campus Nursing Home Care Unit patient in his wheelchair. The wheelchair was tied to a side rail in the dayroom. His body was restrained, and he was soiled with feces and urine. The nurse also noted that the right side of the patient's face and his right eye had an estimated 2 to 3 day-old laceration and bruise. The nurse wrote a memorandum to the nurse manager, but did not record her findings in the patient's medical record. The CAVHCS Director convened an Administrative Board of Investigation on August 23, 1995. The board sustained the allegation that physical abuse occurred. Board members could not, with certainty, identify the abuser(s), but they strongly suspected that two particular nursing employees were responsible, because they had been assigned to the patient on August 16, and these two employees were the first ones to notice the bruises, but did not report them. The CAVHCS Director wrote a memorandum to the Regional Director regarding this case, stating his intent to discipline a nursing assistant, two registered nurses, a licensed practical nurse, and a medical doctor because: ? The two employees did not report the bruises that they noted. ? A Nurse Supervisor and Manager did not fulfill their supervisory roles. ? A physician told the nurse not to report the abuse. Medical Malpractice Compensation Provides that a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion as to the facts at issue in a case under certain circumstances; provides that the elements necessary to permit a witness to testify as an expert witness are satisfied if the principles or methods on which such knowledge is based are generally accepted by the relevant expert community; provides that facts or data that are otherwise inadmissible in evidence may not be disclosed to the jury by the proponent of the opinion or inference unless the court determines that the probative value of the facts or data in assisting the jury to evaluate the expert's opinion substantially outweighs the prejudicial effect of the facts or data. Moundsville West Virginia
Get email updates for the latest Malpractice Claim Manager jobs Additional statistics reported in the article sheds further light on just how troublesome this epidemic has become: A person who is injured by the negligence of another is entitled to be compensated for mental suffering caused by the dentist's negligence for the results that proximately flow from it in the same manner as you are for physical suffering. Included within this class of damages is the fear that death will result from an injury, if the jury concludes you honestly had this fear. The genesis of this idea is that it is hard for both sides to find experts in these cases. Any for-pay finding of experts is just silly in 2016. Information should be free. So we have started this project and try to keep building it as we go. To hear many in the health care professions and tort reform advocates tell it, malpractice litigation represents one of the great scourges of modern medicine, racking up costly and time-consuming verdicts, clogging the civil justice system, and leading caregivers to wasteful defensive practices, including over-testing and over-medicating. Our Tennessee law office has filed and is investigating other fungal meningitis cases in Middle Tennessee. It is apparent that Tennessee has been among the hardest hit by the fungal meningitis outbreak and, by extension, Tennessee Courts will likely be among the most active in handling and addressing these types of cases. The epidural steroid injections are a product distributed in Tennessee and, even though they are used for medical purposes, the cases surrounding this outbreak will be governed under product liability laws. Pre-Requisites For Professional Negligence Claims No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claims problems and special needs. Don't ask the lawyers to solve it Best Practices in Hospital Based Physician Practice
In her spare time, Jessica likes to spend time with her family and at her parents' farm in central Minnesota. Her interests also include politics, Minnesota history and cooking. Do not believe that the U.S. Treasury controls bank accounts for all citizens. $24,775,000.00 was the largest personal injury verdict in the history of Kane County - the previous high verdict was $6,000,000.00. read more... patient is hurt or killed, the law firm of Ginsberg & Wolf is available to make sure that the doctor, hospital, nurse or Research your medical issues in depth so that we understand exactly what went wrong Dental Malpractice Lawyer Services Moundsville West Virginia 26041 Your attorney's behavior caused you damage. This includes proving that the results of your case would have been different (for example, you would have won the case) had the attorney acted properly. Being that I was the only next of kin that was of age it was my duty to see that my father passed in dignity. I only kept him on life support for four days. It was never his wish to stay on life support. Having to be responsible for his life and death at that age is not easy. His final diagnosis was multiple strokes caused by a clog in the back of his neck. The mini strokes had started when he had originally brought himself in before he suffered a major stroke when he stumbled into my mother's garage. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a serious injury or fatality due to medical malpractice, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced medical malpractice personal injury trial lawyer at The Maurer Law Firm, PLLC to schedule a free consultation to discuss your rights by filling out our free website Tell Us About Your Case review form, or phone us directly at 855-391-3727. You do not have to limit your search to just Gulfport. Feel free to expand your search to the surrounding areas and adjacent cities, such as Long Beach , Biloxi , McHenry , Pascagoula , or even Richardson Expanding your search gives you a larger selection of qualified attorneys to choose from. As to Thomas's Privacy Act claims, the district court correctly found them barred by section 511. Unlike the FTCA claims, counts XI and XII allege only that the VA's failure to maintain accurate and complete records adversely affected Thomas's benefits determinations.
Are you an active military member, veteran or military personnel family member who has fallen victim to medical malpractice or negligence on a military base or in a military medical facility? Our skilled military medical malpractice lawyers at Webb & Beecher can help you. Call us today at (323) 462-3736, or contact us online We represent clients throughout the nation and worldwide. On this website you will find links to each of our lawyer's profiles , outlining their experience and why we are passionate about fighting hard for our clients. Medical Negligence Case Examples Copyright 2015 All rights reserved If you suspect that you suffered a surgical injury during a carpal tunnel release procedure, please call us at 412-471-4300 or 800-350-6161, or click here Berger & Lagnese , lawyers specializing in medical malpractice , work on cases in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Beaver Erie, Washington, and all courts in Western Pennsylvania. The initial consultation for your personal injury lawsuit is free with no obligation. You will not owe us a fee unless we recover money for you. No Win No Pay Negligence Claim is the same as a No Win No Fee Negligence Claim. There are two different terms that refer to the same agreement of remuneration to a lawyer or law firm. 9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 Phoenix, AZ 85044. Phone: +1-480-598-0001. Fax: +1-480-598-3450 Incorrectly performed procedures Birth-related injuries LASIK eye surgery complications Registered name: Seth Lovis & Co Solicitors Limited SRA number: 612571
A duty was owed (a legal duty exists when a hospital or health care provider undertakes care or treatment of a patient); I am here to help. I am not here to judge. For nearly 20 years I have been helping people in difficult situations and I would be happy to speak with you to see how I might be able to help you too. What else makes us qualified to handle your case? Contact Our Experienced Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of current research in fragile X syndrome (FXS) with regards to the morphology and behavioral phenotype associated with FXS and the use of psychotropic medication for the treatment of behavior problems (e.g., aggression) often seen in FXS (full mutation). The lack of production of the fragile are in fact settled out of court, which would mean that 36. Here, the plaintiff's failure to rebut the presumption that Dr. Johnson was a state employee and the facts that demonstrate that Dr. Johnson was a state employee at the time of the treatment leaves no question that sovereign immunity applied. Accordingly, Dr. Johnson's estate is clearly immune from being sued in his individual capacity. This research should include asking family and friends about any prior cases which they may have had. Ask your family and friends about the outcome, diligence and timeliness of the lawyers efforts. Your research should include extensive online searches, including the PA Disciplinary Committee and Lawyer rating Sites (such as ). (877) 977-2286 Texas Tech University School of Law and University Of Houston Background There has been an explosion of basic science results in the field of wound care over the past 20 years. Initially, wound dressings were the only therapeutic option available to the wound practitioner. With advanced basic science knowledge, technical innovation, and the recent participation of pharmaceutical companies, the wound clinician now has an arsenal of dressings, biological tissue replacements, gene therapy, and cell-based treatment options. What has not, however, kept pace with these changes is the education and practical training for those treating nonhealing wounds. The pace of innovation in wound diagnostic tools has also lagged, creating even more pressure on the clinician to use experience, skill, and training to properly diagnose the root cause for the nonhealing wound. As wound healing is not considered a medical specialty, there is no formal training process for physicians, and subsequently, allied health practitioners are often the only ones available to provide care for these complex patients. Wound care training, however, is also not part of any formal curriculum for these healthcare providers as well, creating confusion for patients, payors, regulators, researchers, and product manufacturers. The Problem In all other fields of medicine there is a formal process in place for physicians to train, certify, and credential. Medicine is constantly evolving and there have been several new fields of specialty care created over the past two decades that can serve as examples for the wound care field to follow. Without academic-based, clinical residency/fellowship training in wound healing ultimately leading to formal certification, the field will be unable to achieve an appropriate status in the medical establishment. Achieving this goal will impact product innovation, payment, and the sustainability of the field. Basic/Clinical Science Advances The enhanced understanding of normal and dysregulated wound healing processes, which have been uncovered by basic scientists, has translated to the bedside through the creation of multiple advanced biological solutions for patients with nonhealing wounds. Clinical Care Relevance These advanced wound care therapeutics will require physician involvement in a way not previously seen in wound care. It will no longer be possible to practice wound care part time in the near future. The amount of new information and massive base of core knowledge required will mandate a full-time commitment. The increase in patients with this condition because of an aging population, increased numbers of diabetic patients, and the ever growing epidemic of obesity will mandate that all clinicians providing wound care will need to increase their skill sets through formal training. In addition, underserved patient populations are disproportionately affected and their outcomes are comparatively worse, further complicating the problem at a healthcare structural and policy level. Conclusion The American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair was founded in Illinois as a nonprofit organization whose express function is to organize university-based medical school programs around a common curriculum for physicians who want to specialize in wound healing. Currently, two wound care fellows have graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago and other programs are under development. The ultimate process will be achieved when certification is accredited by an organization such as the American Board of Medical Specialties. This article outlines the current process in place to achieve this goal within 10 years. PMID:24527303
Don't see the business you're looking for? Add it here A fear of dentists is called dentophobia and in cases of dental malpractice or negligence, it is easily warranted. Hardly anyone enjoys visiting the dentist and though the industry has modernized, most people associate the experience with pain. While complications and significant loss or pain at the hands of a negligent dentist are not common, they can and do occur. At Levinter & Levinter, personal injury lawyers, we're here to help and you'll always find us as close as a phone call away. My client is a well-known Law firm based in Bradford and they are looking to recruit Clinical Negligence Solicitor to join the team. And while the effectiveness of Maryland's tort reform on medical liability premiums will ultimately be judged years down the road, they do show promise. One of the major Maryland malpractice companies flattened its rates in 2006 and decreased its premiums across the state by 8 percent in 2007 and again in 2008. Duplicates: with similar meta description: 2, with similar title: 2. PI+ Solicitors, Specialists In Dental Negligence Claims is located in the Church Stretton area of Shropshire. There are at least 5 other listings in the SY6 postcode area. Damages are awarded in many different types of law suits, from personal injury to employment disputes to breach of contract litigation, and a solicitor will help you claim for this. She cited a number of reasons for this: patients who don't know their options, legal roadblocks and a culture of silence around mistakes. Josh Humbrecht received his J.D. in 2009 from Southern Illinois University where he graduated Magma Cum... ( more ) You would be liable for payment of any disbursements and would need to insure against losing the case in court and having to repay defence costs.
key legal specialisms, providing you with the expert Do I Need a Lawyer for Help With a Malpractice Settlement? Afgeschermd. Alleen jij hebt toegang tot deze lijst You do not have to limit your search to just Nashville. Feel free to expand your search to the surrounding areas and adjacent cities, such as Madison , Brentwood , Bellevue , Millersville , or even Franklin Expanding your search gives you a larger selection of qualified attorneys to choose from. CMA will keep members up-to-date on developments. Dental Malpractice Lawyer Services Moundsville West Virginia This shows that it was received by the hospital that was supposed to perform the result the day after it was ordered. This entry apparently resulted in the surgical consult being sent to the psychology department, were it remained for several days before it was redirected to surgery. The point is that sometimes important details are not contained in every copy of what is supposedly the same record. It has taken me years to grasp this concept, only recently have I begun to understand some of the things that may cause this. 2. What is Vista CPRS and More Importantly Where's My Client's Data? VISTA is the acronym for Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture. CPRS stands for Computerized Patient Record System. I have often been confused by these terms. They are often used incorrectly by many, including members of the VA. In order to avoid further confusion, this is an explanation of these two terms and how they relate to each other to form VISTA CPRS, from a recent Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General's report: CPRS is a Vista application that enables health care staff to enter, review, and update administrative, diagnostic, and treatment information for VA patients Vista - Vista enables the creation of a comprehensive, integrated, electronic record for each patient that is viewable by all clinicians at VA medical facilities, thus eliminating the need for paper medical records. Approximately 100 separate applications are currently in use with Vista including: healthcare provider; registration; financial management; enrollment; patient data exchange and eligibility applications. In 2007, Vista Imaging was implemented which allows multimedia data (for example, radiology images) to be linked to patient's electronic medical records. VistAWeb allow clinicians to see health data from any other VA facility where the veteran has received health care. CPRS - CPRS is a VistA computer application and was initially released in 1996. CPRS provides an integrated electronic patient record system for clinicians, managers, quality management staff, and researchers. CPRS enables electronic order entry and management of all information connected with any patient. The goal of CPRS is to create a user-friendly product that provides critical information through clinical reminders, results reporting, and system feedback so clinicians can make medical decisions regarding orders and treatment. Twenty-eight VistA software applications are integrated with CPRS, which allows clinicians to use CPRS to request laboratory tests, medications, radiology tests, and procedures. Additionally, clinicians can use CPRS to: record patient's allergies or adverse reactions to medications; request and track consults; enter progress notes, diagnoses, and treatments; and access clinical information from other VA medical facilities. The VISTA CPRS is a software program that is available from the VA under the Freedom of Information Act, and has served as the basis for many other electronic medical record systems that are in use throughout the world. It was first implemented at many VA's during the early 1990s. It was been implemented at all VA Medical Center's by the end of 1996; however, there is a wide range of potential customization available within the program to address unique local practices. We all have used computer programs that are marketed for use by the public, as they are, off the shelf; for example any of the Office 2010 programs, while the program is customizable based on our preferences, the program that you run and the file that is created in Word 2010, on your computer, can be saved as a data file, and then the data transferred by some media to my computer, where the same program should essentially open it up, and display the file on my computer the same way that you saw it. Many of these data files can be forensically examined to see when changes were made, and to analyze the data and metadata, at many different levels. There are two differences between VISTA CPRS and off the shelf programs. VISTA CPRS has a tremendous amount of options, and levels of customization that differ depending, on how each facility chooses to install and configure it. The only analogy that I can make is that the VISTA CPRS is a lot like Time Matters, and some of the other legal practice management software. These programs are designed to work at law firms ranging from a solo practitioner, to the mega firm with hundreds of attorneys in many different cities. For Time Matters to work at my office, it has required a considerable amount of adjustment to the program, by either a consultant, or me, by getting rid of features that I don't use, and tweaking the features that I do use. VISTA CPRS is vastly adjustable to allow for the tremendous differences within the VA's medical system as far as facilities and services that are available at each of the more 1,300 locations that the VA has it installed at. This customization is done through the installation of business rules. These are the same rules, that when not properly installed by a facility, result in allowing records to be altered after they have been digitally signed. Several years ago, when I was younger and had less gray hair, I investigated setting up the VISTA CPRS software on a computer system in my office. I thought that I would be able to get my client's files electronically from the VA and then be able to view them the same way that the VA's health care providers did, silly me. I thought Iwould be able to get a forensic evaluation of the data and metadata to look for changes that may have been made. As VISTA CPRS serves as the basis, for several other commercial medical records systems, I found a software consultant who could set up the software, but unfortunately, I have yet to be able to actually get the electronic data from the VA. The reason for this is the manner in which the VA stores the veteran's electronic data. Essentially, the veteran's CPRS file is really nothing more than a directory of other files with the actual data containing the information is stored, somewhere, within the VA's nationwide computer system for the veteran. The CPRS file for the veteran points to potentially thousands of other files, which contain data for other veterans and may point to data that is actually physically stored in many different physical locations. Recently, I deposed the Director of Information the for the VA's Connecticut Healthcare System. He told me that in all likelihood most of the data containing my client's medical information, for his treatment at the West Haven VA in Connecticut, was probably housed in a computer in Brooklyn New York, but that the information that was in Brooklyn, would point to numerous other computers throughout the country where the actual data residedThe VA's budget documents which, admits that VISTA CPRS is based on twenty-year old technology which has become increasingly difficult to manage. It also confirms that the current system does not store the data in a veteran specific file. Perhaps this also indicates that in the future, the system may have more problems, than it has had in the past and that our own attention some of these issues should be raised as well. On the occasions when I have tried to obtain the raw CPRS electronic data from the government, I've been provided with responses from the US attorney that it would take hundreds of hours to extract the electronic data for my client, so that it could be disclosed to me, without disclosing the data for the other veterans I have yet to encounter the Judge who appears to be interested in making the government provide the electronic data without a showing that there has been some alteration, unless I was willing to reimburse the government for the time that it has to spend extracting it. So far I have passed on the extracting of data, while I am certain that it will extract a lot of money from me, I am equally sure that it will not extract any information from the VA. Call me a skeptic, but I think that any data that is turned over after the VA's employees have spent hundred hours extracting it, is likely to have had any have had any useful data extracted in the process as well.. If anyone gets a different response, by all means let me know. In the right case, I know that I intend to revisit this issue with the government, but for the meantime I would like to submit some items for you to consider when dealing with the paper copies of these electronic medical records. Cities Served: Phoenix , Scottsdale, Peoria, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Casa Grande, Tucson, Sierra Vista, Flagstaff, Prescott, Bullhead City, Lake Havasu, Kingman and statewide in Arizona To ensure maximum compensation, your solicitor will assess your position for 'special damages' before negotiating final settlement. Note: This website provides general information, not legal advice. Contact a licensed attorney in your state if you or someone you know has been involved in any kind of accident. Nothing in this site is meant to imply any sort of legal relationship or advice. Click here for full LEGAL DISCLAIMER This may cause the patient to build up high (maybe even unreasonable) expectations that may lead to disappointment and, potentially, to a lawsuit.
At the Saldo Law Group, we understand the medical profession. One of the attorneys at our firm is a licensed physician, thus we have a comprehensive understanding of the standards, procedures, and laws governing the field of medicine. Our skill and experience have allowed us to obtain more than $200 million in damages for our clients. For more than 30 years, we have been advocates for victims of medical negligence, including those who have suffered birth injuries due to medical malpractice. Failure to diagnosis oral cancer or gum disease Tags: birth injury, birth injuries, medical malpractice At a six month check up, the dentist told me I had two large fillings. One tooth was fractured and the other would. 4.8 miles 3810 Osuna Road N.E., Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87109-4417 Standards real estate form agreements It must be established that a medical practitioner acted negligently or unlawfully, by way of the failure to meet established and accepted standards of medical practice in the jurisdiction, and that injury or death resulted from such an act. For this reason, the most important evidence, at least initially, will be that provided in the form of a medical opinion from a practitioner providing a suitable attestation to this effect. She is interested in alternative treatment and medicine, and sometimes it was hard to find enough patients. With so many people becoming more interested in this type of treatment, she has found more patients and is still practicing. Q: I was thinking of suing for malpractice, negligence and breach of contract. Can anyone think of anything to add to that? The nursing duties and functions that were so simple and basic, and that should have all been mastered while in nursing school prior to graduation and licensure, all turned into major disasters and complications that could have ALL been prevented. These are only a few of the negligent and incompetent acts: (1) bed sores on my mother's buttocks on the third day of admission, not having been turned, moved or changed, (she was actually stuck to the soiled linen from old urine and feces) until I arrived from the United States to change her myself...there was absolutely no reason for decubitus ulcers on a third day, or any day for that matter, if basic nursing care is carried out. She was in a private room on the Geriatric floor where nobody changed patient's beddings for weeks at a time, or until forced to by the family of the patient.