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Nursing Home Neglect Results in a Woman Suffering Multiple Bed Sores

On Behalf of | Feb 4, 2016 | Medical Malpractice

Our client was an 84 year old woman who was placed in a nursing home facility for rehabilitation after an elective surgery. She was a very active elderly lady who enjoyed going out, gardening, and spending time with her children. When she was admitted to the nursing home she was able to move about on her own with the aid of a wheeled walker. She would often leave the facility with her daughter for outings.

One day, our client fell and was injured. She was treated for her injuries by the hospital and was discharged on the same day. Our client was no longer able to move about with the aid of her wheeled walked. The staff at the nursing home did not adjust their care plan.

Our client remained in bed for three days after she was returned to the nursing home. She was not turned or repositioned on any of these days, as the standard of care requires. This change in our client’s status was never relayed to her physician. Each day the nursing home staff would check on her and even assist her with feeding herself, but never turned or repositioned our client. When caring for a patient who is immobile, it is imperative that the patient be turned and repositioned to prevent the formation of bed sores.

On the fourth day, our client was not easily aroused, and her physician was finally notified of her condition. She was transferred to the ER, where it was determined that she had suffered from a clavicular fracture as a result of her previous fall. The ER physician and staff also found multiple decubitus ulcers on our client’s sacrum, and left lateral heel. She was very dehydrated and the ER even found a pill was found stuck to her tongue. It was clear from ER documentation that our client had suffered from the neglect at the nursing home during the four days after her fall.

The nursing home staff failed to provide our client with proper fluids and failed to protect her skin from pressure. They noted her immobility multiple times, but failed to implement proper turning and repositioning techniques to prevent the formation of pressure wounds. If the staff had attempted to reposition our client they would have noticed that she had a broken clavicle. Moreover, had they reported the changes in our client’s physician, her decubitus ulcers would likely have been prevented.

Due to the neglect of the nursing home staff, our client experienced great pain and suffering. She was a very active woman and spent time daily with her daughter at the nursing home. They planted and tended to an herb garden, went on drives, and attended church together. Our client’s daughter promised to prevent her mother from being neglected or abused at the nursing home facility. Despite all of her efforts, our client was neglected and bed sores because of the neglect. Our client had to undergo extensive treatments in order to for her decubitus ulcers to be healed. During this time she was unable to participate in the normal activities that she so enjoyed. Todd Townsley was able make the nursing home pay for the damages they caused as a result of their neglect.

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