Alabama residents with loved ones in elder care facilities may want to re-evaluate the quality of care provided by those facilities. The recent case of a South Carolina man’s mother highlights how nursing home neglect and neglect are more rampant than one might think in the elder care industry.
On May 7, 2012, after attempting to research clean and safe nursing homes, the man admitted his 90-year-old mother into a local home. The man had spent years taking care of his mother at home before concluding that he would no longer be able to continue providing in-home assistance. The decision to admit her was one of the hardest he has ever made, the man told local press. The decision is also one that the man regrets as his was found dead approximately six months after she entered the home.
The man discovered his mother covered in bruises, and she had a broken hip when she died. She had previously told him that she was attacked by two women, so he photographed all of her injuries. An in-house investigation was conducted, but its findings have not been disclosed.
Before placing his mother in the home, the son sought federal inspection reports and was unable to access them. Two of these reports, accessed by the press, show that the home was previously cited for failing to implement neglect and abuse policies and for failing to report a patient injury. Currently, the only way to view these records is to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act. The man is working to change that.
Under law, a company may be held liable for the wrongful acts of employees committed within the scope of their duties. An Alabama personal injury attorney may be able to assist by talking to witnesses, reviewing medical records and filing a claim or negotiating a settlement.
Source: WMBF News, “Son seeks justice, changes after mother dies in nursing home,” Jody Barr, April 22, 2013
