Two Years After Resident Wanders Off, Nursing Home is Sued for Wrongful Death
The son of former nursing home resident Ruby Larson is suing the Pheasant Pointe Retirement and Assisted Living Residence and its parent company for wrongful death. Larson, 75, was an Alzheimer’s patient. She disappeared from the nursing home in July 2007 after being admitted to the facility in May of that year. In 2008, a judge declared Larson legally dead.
The family’s nursing home negligence complaint is seeking $2 million. According to the lawsuit, the elderly woman had wandered on multiple occasions yet nursing home workers failed to prevent her from eloping again. The plaintiff, David Buoy, is Larson’s son. He wants compensation for the loss of companionship that he and his two brothers have suffered since his mother disappeared.
The complaint claims that nursing home workers knew that Larson suffered from short-term memory loss, dementia, and disorientation. They were also aware that she could not remember what her limits or medical or health needs were. She also had been flagged as a wander-risk. Buoy’s wrongful death lawsuit says that nursing home staffers did not immediately tell police that his mother had disappeared.
Nursing Home Elopement
A nursing home patient who suffers from dementia or memory loss and wanders off the premise could end up forgetting where he or she came from and how to get back to the facility. This can be dangerous for the resident’s health, who could end up freezing to death, suffering from serious dehydration, getting injured in a pedestrian accident, breaking a hip in a fall accident, or becoming the victim of a sexual or physical assault crime. Many patients that live in nursing homes require strict supervision—especially patients who are a wander risk, forget where they are, need help taking care of their most basic needs, or are on a strict medical plan.
If your loved one wandered off a nursing home, you may have grounds for filing a nursing home negligence lawsuit.
Son of missing Alzheimer’s patient sues care facility, KATU, August 4, 2009
Family of missing Alzheimer's patient sues care center, Oregon Live, August 3, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Common Reasons for Wandering Behavior in Alzheimer's, About.com
The Mysteries of Dementia-Driven Wandering, NPR, June 29, 2009
