Two nursing home abuse cases ending in death happened in California. (see: http://www.pr-usa.net /index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=59675&Itemid=9). Two lawsuits were filed on January 16, 2008 against a local nursing home and an assisted living facility for record tampering and neglect. An 82-year-old woman was found with serious and unexplained injuries and terrible bruises covering the left side of her face. The facility kept the woman for two days following her fall despite her deteriorating condition and only transferred her to the hospital after the family persisted.
The 66 year old woman was a resident of the assisted living facility. She suffered six fractured ribs akin to being in a car accident but there was no car. She was pushed. Three days after the incident she was taken by paramedics to the hospital. She was weak, dehydrated, and struggled to breathe and died as a result of her injuries.
What these nursing home abuse and wrongful death lawsuits have in common is the allegation that multiple versions of the resident charts exist. The victim's families were given one set of records and their lawyer was given another. When entries are made into record days or weeks after the fact, you have to wonder what's going on.
In 2006, a doctor was admitted to the above mentioned nursing home for a short stay to treated an infected toe ulcer. Within five days he was dead. This lawsuit alleges that the director of nursing as well as others, added entries to his chart after his death. This lawsuit is scheduled for trial in September 2008.
