Sometimes an elderly individual in a Pennsylvania nursing home receives care that is so poor that it causes the person's death. Unfortunately, one man in another state recently passed away due to alleged nursing home neglect. The man's estate is now suing the center believed to have negligently cared for him.
According to the lawsuit, the health care center did not provide enough care or protect the man from neglect and abuse. The staff there also did not tell his doctor when his condition changed, nor did they have a procedure in place for treating and preventing his pressure sores. They, furthermore, are accused of not maintaining his protein levels and body weight.
The staff are also blamed for not fully assessing the man's status, giving him proper nutrition and fluids, and preventing and controlling urinary tract infections. They also allegedly did not monitor the man's oxygen saturation levels or provide other care aimed at maintaining his well-being. The center's staff are accused of violating the Nursing Home Care Act.
As part of the lawsuit, the plaintiff is seeking over $200,000 in damages. When people lose loved ones due to reported nursing home neglect in Pennsylvania, it is within their rights to file civil lawsuits against the alleged perpetrators, pursing the reimbursement of damages tied to the documented incidents of negligence. The awarded money cannot bring the deceased victim back, but it may help to address pain and suffering caused by the incidents and allow the family to more easily move forward.
Source: madisonrecord.com, "Estate sues over man's allegedly neglectful care before his death", Dan Harkins, July 21, 2015