The daughters of Oliver J. Shrock are suing Kindred Healthcare Operating Inc. and Kindred Nursing Centers West LLC for Orange, California nursing home neglect. The 77-year-old assisted living facility resident died on July 18, 2009 from injuries he sustained during a fatal fall accident.
Deborah Anne Whitman and Kathleen S. Sakoguchi are seeking unspecified damages. According to their Orange, California wrongful death lawsuit, their father, who was suffering from coronary artery disease, diabetes, and hypertension, lived at the nursing home from May 10 to July 14, 2009. Assisted living facility workers knew that Shrock was susceptible to fall accidents and needed nursing assistance for almost all of his needs.
Soon after being admitted to the long-term care facility, Schrock fell but did not sustain serious injuries. The nursing home installed a bed alarm and placed mats on the ground. However, Sakoguchi contends that these safety measures weren't always in place.
Schrock fell on July 14 as he was getting ready to go home. A nursing assistant found him on the ground and his head was bleeding. The 77-year-old patient had sustained fatal head injuries and died four days later.
The plaintiffs are accusing the assisted living facility of failing to do enough to prevent their dad from falling. They also contend that nursing home workers did not keep their father clean and dry, which resulted in bedsores.
The state of California issued an "AA" citation--the worst violation that can be issued to a nursing facility--against the Orange nursing home over Schrock's death and ordered the facility to pay an $85,000 fine.
Nursing Home Falls
Common causes of Orange County, California fall accidents at assisted living facilities include:
• Inadequate staffing
• Poorly trained workers
• Wet or slippery floors
• Inadequate lighting
• Incorrect bed height
• No bedrails
• No wall rails
• Overmedicated residents
• Failure to help residents get out of bed, go to the bathroom, sit in their wheelchair
• Failure to activate bed alarm
• Call buttons that don't work
Fall accidents can lead to broken bones, fractured hips, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, back injuries, and other personal injuries. Older and/or sick people tend to recover from fall accidents more slowly than their younger counterparts and are at higher risk of infections, permanent injuries, and death.
Nursing home in Orange sued over man's death, OC Register, April 8, 2010
Family of man who died from fall at Orange nursing home sues operators, 89.3, April 8, 2010
Related Web Resources:
What Causes Falls in the Elderly?, AAFP.org
Prevent Falls for the Elderly, ABC News, November 4, 2008
