Elder Law

Victims Share Their Story Following Major Nursing Home Lawsuit

By Levin & Perconti

Over the past several months on this blog we closely followed the nursing home lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare. We reported on the mammoth $677 million verdict against the conglomerate following their years of inadequate staffing and care. That award was then converted into a $63 million settlement before the appeal on the original verdict was heard. In addition, the 22 nursing homes managed by Skilled Healthcare were required to abide by the nursing staffing requirement in the future. 42,000 other patients were all part of the nursing home lawsuit against Skilled Healthcare which failed to provided the 3.2 nursing hours per patient per day as required by state law.

Yesterday the Contra Costa Times talked with residents and nurses involved in the suit to get a different perspective on the suit, including information about the lives affected by the poor care given to the vulnerable seniors at the facilities. For example, one 71-year old widow found herself at one of the facilities living in what she described as a living hell because of the chronic understaffing and poor treatment provided by the facility.

Another resident explained how the lack of sufficient nursing employees made it difficult to get even the most basic assistance. When she needed to use the bathroom she pressed a button on the side of her bed. But the nurses were always later and later to arrive. She explains, ?I went through hell every night just trying to get a bedpan. If you don?t hold it, well there goes your dignity.?

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on December 26, 2010 (boomark / email).