Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit Seeking $1 Million Says 80-Year-Old Patient Injured in Repeated Falls Because He Was Unsupervised
The wife and guardian of an 80-year-old nursing home resident is suing the assisted living facility where he was staying for severe neglect and abuse. The nursing home abuse lawsuit is seeking $1 million.
According to the elder abuse complaint, her husband, who was suffering from advance dementia, was admitted to Elderberry Square. His wife, who visited him a number of times, found him unsupervised. One time, she reportedly found him sitting in his own waste matter. Her lawsuit contends that because he was left alone, he fell repeatedly and during one fall accident broke his wrist.
This is not the first nursing home abuse lawsuit filed against Elderberry Square that makes such allegations. In 2007, a lawsuit was filed accusing workers of leaving an Alzheimer’s patient alone on so many occasions that he fell a number of times. The complaint contends that the last fall accident led to his death.
Both nursing home abuse lawsuits accuse admissions and management of the nursing home of misrepresenting the facility as being a place that is properly equipped, staffed, and has the necessary experience to take care of patients with senile dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases require special medical care and attention. Failure to provide that care could be grounds for a nursing home neglect lawsuit.
The National Guidelines Clearinghouse Web site offers a number of dementia care recommendations for nursing homes that care for patients with related conditions, including:
• Develop an effective care plan.
• Tailor care to resident’s specific needs.
• Find ways that will allow each resident to be able to communicate with workers, such as speaking in direct, simple terms and having a resident work with a speech therapist.
• Assign the same staff members to a patient so that he or she can experience consistency.
• Create a safe and positive environment.
• Conduct routine assessment of the patient’s health and well-being.
Elder Assisted Living Facility Hit With Second Lawsuit, February 20, 2009
Florence assisted living facility sued for $1 million, KDRV, February 20, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Dementia: Hope Through Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Alzheimer's Caregivers Guide, Helpguide.org
