We recently resolved a horrific case of nursing home abuse and neglect involving a disabled Kentucky man who developed a massive bedsore that resulted in his death. Although the man was only 50 years old, he was in a nursing home because he was unable to care for himself at home after sustaining a brain injury in a car accident.
He had two daughters who visited him every day. For ten years, there were no problems with the man’s care. Then, the nursing home was sold to an out-of-state nursing home chain. After that, things began to go downhill quickly. The daughters started noticing less staff in the nursing home and a general change in the mood of their father and other residents they saw on a regular basis. The daughters began having to do more and more for their father, including basic things such as bathing him and keeping him in clean clothes.
Nursing Home Care Went Downhill After a Change in Ownership
Due to the change in ownership and decline in care, the daughters made a point for one of them to visit every day. They were making arrangements to find another nursing home, but the process takes a very long time. They made constant complaints to the administrator and director of nursing (DON) and were repeatedly told they were on top of the situation. While waiting to find a new nursing home, one of the daughters had to go out of town on a mandatory business trip. The other daughter was still planning to visit every day while her sister was out of town. Unfortunately, she became ill and could not visit the home for a few days. She called the nursing home every day to check on her father and was told by the staff that everything was fine.
After four days, she felt well enough to visit her father at the nursing home. When she walked into his room, she smelled something terrible, and her father looked awful. She immediately called for the nurse to ask what was wrong with him. After inspecting her father, they discovered he had a massive bedsore on his backside that extended into the bone. The nurse seemed shocked that this had not been reported earlier.
The man’s daughter called 911, and he was taken to the ER where he was diagnosed with sepsis and sepsis syndrome and a stage 4 pressure ulcer. He quickly went downhill and died only days later.
Our Firm Showed That Staffing Changes Were Made With Profits in Mind
We sued the Kentucky nursing home and its parent company for abuse and neglect. Through our investigation and team of experts, we were able to show how the company had scaled back on staffing and replaced long-term employees with new, unskilled, and less costly staff in an effort to maximize their profits. The degradation in care that occurred once the new company purchased the home was alarming. Unfortunately, Kentucky has very few significant staff requirements for nursing homes, which allows out-of-state corporations to come into Kentucky, purchase existing homes, and squeeze as much profit out of them as possible. In almost all cases, this comes at a great cost to its residents.
If your loved one has been seriously injured due to the negligence of a nursing home or assisted living facility, download a complimentary copy of our report, Fighting Back Against Nursing Home Abuse: What Families Need to Know to Help Their Loved One, today. Alternatively, contact our office for a free consultation. We’ll give you an honest assessment of your specific situation and help you to understand your rights and options—and there is no obligation whatsoever.