Case Summaries
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Suffocation - Wrongful Death A registered nurse working at a Warwick, Rhode Island, nursing home on a temporary assignment refused to suction secretions from a resident's tracheal tube. The resident's primary airway was through the tracheal tube because of prior surgery to his larynx. The resident was allowed to suffocate to death over the course of several hours even though he was heard banging on his bedrail for hours trying to call for help. The nursing home tried to cover up the resident's death by having the medical director of the nursing home report on the death certificate that the resident's death was from a stroke and not related to a suffocation incident. Criminal charges were brought against the nurse who pled guilty to felony patient neglect.
An Attleboro, Massachusetts, nursing home was required to serve an Alzheimer's resident with soft foods only and supervise her when eating because of her tendency to put too much food in her mouth at one time. The nursing staff gave the resident a plate of steak fries and left her unattended. The resident was found as she was suffocating to death.
A Cranston nursing home failed to care for a resident who developed large bedsores on her heels and on her coccyx. She was taken to a hospital, but was in such bad condition from the bedsores, dehydration, and malnutrition that she died. 1st Degree Sexual Assault & Involuntary Hospitalization The South County Nursing Home in North Kingstown, RI, negligently investigated the sexual assault on a 78 year old resident and concluded she was hallucinating and delusional when she reported being sexually assaulted. The nursing home transferred the resident to a psychiatric hospital where she was held against her will for 2 weeks. Later, a janitor employed by the nursing home pled guilty to first degree sexual assault of the resident and was sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison. The janitor was an undocumented worker with a prior criminal history. Allegations had been made against the janitor for sexual assault by another nursing home resident before the attack. The Providence Journal (3/22/07) reported in detail on the filing of this lawsuit.
The staff of a Pascog, Rhode Island, nursing home put scalding hot coffee on the meal tray of a Alzheimer's resident and left her unattended. The coffee spilled and the resident suffered 3rd degree burns on her stomach and groin. In addition, the resident's care plan required nursing home staff to supervise resident while using the commode because resident was at risk for falls. The nursing staff did not follow the care plan and left the resident unsupervised. The resident fell off commode, struck her head on a bed frame and fractured her neck. The resident died shortly thereafter from her injuries.
A resident went to a Providence, Rhode Island, nursing home after a hip fracture to get physical therapy and rehabilitation. The nursing staff was not attentive and did not respond to the resident's calls for help. The resident was not able to toilet on her own. She developed a severe urinary tract infection that went undiagnosed and untreated, and ultimately died from an infection and sepsis.
A resident fell 12 times at Haven Health Center of Warren, a Warren, Rhode Island, nursing home during an 8 month period. The nursing home failed to update the resident's care plan to include fall precautions and failed to provide the resident with help when walking as required. The resident fell and suffered a hip fracture. The resident became immobile due to the fracture and needed to be repositioned periodically. The nursing staff failed to reposition the resident and he developed massive pressure sores on his heels. The sores progressed and eventually exposed his Achilles tendons. The sores became infected from fecal matter that was allowed to get into the sores and the resident died from a massive infection and sepsis. The funeral home director told the family that the pressure sores were the worst he had ever seen. Assault & Abuse - Personal Injury A blind resident of Pawtuxet Village Harborside Health Center, a Warwick, Rhode Island, nursing home who had suffered a stroke needed help going to the bathroom. The resident rang the call bell to ask for help, but no one responded. The resident was forced to ring the bell again and again until a nursing aide finally responded. When the aide arrived, she grabbed the blind woman's hand, squeezed it, told her never to use the call bell again, and shoved her against the headboard of the bed, causing significant injuries.
The Grand Islander Health Center, a Middletown, Rhode Island, nursing home failed to adequately assess the nutrition and hydration status of a resident when he was admitted to the nursing home. The nursing staff threw his dentures out with the trash, did not notice that he had thrush, an infection of the mouth, and did not give him the dietary supplements that were recommended by the dietician. The 88 year-old man entered the nursing home happy, cheerful, and cooperative and died from malnutrition and dehydration 13 days later.
The nursing staff at Edmund Place Health Center, an East Providence, Rhode Island, nursing home failed to update the care plan of a resident to include fall precautions, such as using a personal alarm, lowering the bed, or placing a mat beside the bed even though the staff knew he was at risk for falling. The resident fell and hit his head on a chair. He suffered a scalp laceration and bleeding inside his head. The nursing staff failed to monitor the resident for signs of a head injury and he was found unconscious about 24 hours later and died.
The Hillside Health Center, a Providence, Rhode Island, nursing home assessed a resident as being at risk for dehydration because of his medications and his dementia which caused him to forget to drink fluids. The nursing home failed to prepare a care plan to address the risk of dehydration. The nursing staff did not systematically offer the resident fluids, provide him with assistance in drinking, monitor his fluid intake and output, or order lab tests such as a urinalysis to see if he was getting sufficient fluids. The resident became unresponsive and died from acute renal failure due to dehydration.
The staff of a North Attleboro, Massachusetts, nursing home failed to supervise a resident with dementia who was confined to a wheelchair and unable to propel the wheelchair by herself. The nursing home allowed the resident to pass through a locked door onto an outdoor deck and fall down a flight of stairs. The resident suffered massive facial injuries and died.
A nursing aide at the Evergreen Health Center, an East Providence, Rhode Island, nursing home that is owned by Life Care Centers of America, Inc., failed to prevent a resident that was being pushed in a wheelchair from falling face first onto the ground. The wheelchair did not have leg rests, foot pedals or either a lap buddy or seatbelt to prevent the resident from falling. The resident suffered brain injuries, a fractured neck, and a fractured hip. She died several days later from her injuries. It was discovered while the lawsuit was pending that the nursing home destroyed the wheelchair and failed to identify a witness who observed the fall and the nursing staff was told to add notes to the resident's medical records after she had passed away. |
