New York Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

A Georgia jury recently awarded $1,250,000 in a nursing home case to a plaintiff who suffered bedsores (pressure sores, decubiti), weight loss, infection, and eventually death while a resident. The plaintiff-decedent developed a Stage IV bedsore on her buttocks that progreesed to the point where it infected the bone. At trial, the plaintiff introduced evidence that the facility did not employ a sufficient number of nurses and/or nurse's aides in order to provide adequate care. Evidence was also introduced indicating that the facility's nurses failed to turn and position the decedent in proper intervals.

Gallivan & Gallivan provides aggressive, yet compassionate representation of victims of elder abuse and/or neglect. Please contact us if you or a loved one has suffered as a result of understaffing at nursing homes.

A 76-year-old resident in a New Mexico nursing home was placed on a bed pan and left unattended for 24 hours. As a result of the staff's failure to remove the resident from the bedpan, it become lodged in the resident's skin. An open wound developed and became infected. The resident died from the infection 5 days later. The resident had been admitted to the facility for rehabilitation after her had suffered a broken hip. The incident occured on Christmas Day in 2005.

The owner of the facility has been found guilty of elder abuse and neglect. The facility faces up to a $5,000 fine and may be excluded from receiving reimbursement from Medicare/Medicaid.

Website Resource:

Nursing Home Owner Convicted in Bedpan Death, www.wiredprnews.com, February 22, 2009.