Tennessee Injury Lawyer Blog
In Tennessee and all across the United States, people rely on nursing homes to take care of and provide for their elderly loved ones. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are understaffed and their employees are improperly trained and this leads to sickness, abuse, and neglect of nursing home residents. In a recent case, more than one hundred residents at the Colonial Hills Nursing Center are being relocated following the nursing center losing its certification with the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services due to problems such as sexual assaults on two residents, incorrect medication being given out, and patients getting sick due to overly salted food all over the past year. Beecher Hunter, president of Life Care Centers of America, a company that operates nursing homes in several states, said they had corrected the problems when they got the termination order and will be refurbishing the facility with the goal of reopening.
In June, following an investigation of the nursing home, ninety-five pages of deficiencies were discovered and there was also the potential for harm to some residents found as well. Vincent Davis, director of health care facilities for the Tennessee Department of Health said that, “some residents on blood thinners were also given antibiotics, which could cause serious increased bleeding.” In another incident in August, an employee at the nursing home took a photo of a resident placing a diaper on their head. Then in November, one of the cooks at the facility put twenty-five pounds of salt into twelve pounds of pureed beats which were later eaten by nine residents. Of the nine residents who had eaten the beats, eight became ill and two were hospitalized.
Two days after the salty food incident, two eighty year old female residents were sexually assaulted by a male visitor who was not removed from the property and allowed to return the following day. Beecher Hunter stated that, “most of the residents have been relocated”. He said also they were hoping to finish the renovations in about 18 months. The nursing home will be permitted to reapply for certification in one hundred and eighty days.
Unfortunately, cases similar to this one occur all too frequently in nursing homes all across the United States and to other Tennessee nursing homes as well. If someone you care about lives in a nursing home and you suspect that they may have been abused or neglected then we encourage you to contact one of our experienced and compassionate Tennessee nursing home abuse attorneys immediately. We care about our clients and will work with you to make sure you get the compensation you deserve for what you have been through.
Contact us online or call us at 800.705.2121 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.
