According to a report from CT Watchdog, an incident at Pilgrim Manor of Cromwell resulted in residents needing to be hospitalized. In one instance, a patient had experienced a broken hip, but staff initially failed to pay attention to the patient’s complaint, didn’t assess the resident’s condition and delayed medical treatment. In another, a resident was bleeding and left unattended by staff.
A similar incident occurred at Summit at Plantsville in Southington. Here, staff also waited to get a resident medical attention. Instead, the patient’s condition worsened to the point he developed sepsis, high blood sugar and pneumonia. At this same home, staff also administered a chemotherapy drug to the wrong resident.
At Woodlake at Tolland Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, a resident experienced two falls and subsequent injuries because of negligence. According to a report in the Tolland Patch, the resident attempted to use the bathroom without help. Later, staff discovered the patient had a fractured pelvic bone. At a later date, the resident fell again. This time, the injuries included a broken collarbone, elbow and hip.
According to another CT Watchdog report, incorrectly reading a patient’s file resulted in a death at Apple Rehab in Avon. When a patient was hospitalized, a nurse saw the resident’s file had a DNR code in it and misinterpreted it as “Do Not Resuscitate.” Later, staff found the patient didn’t have a heartbeat, wasn’t breathing and felt cool. The Department of Public Health determined the physician should have administered CPR for the patient’s condition.
At Countryside Manor of Bristol, 10 residents managed to sustain 47 injuries, but staff members weren’t certain about how any of the skin tears and bruises occurred. The Department of Public Health found the staff hadn’t properly investigated the causes.
At Harrington Court in Colchester, staff hadn’t checked a patient’s armband before administering OxyContin and insulin. Both drugs had been meant for another resident at the facility.
Aside from medication errors, staff at the New London Rehabilitation and Care of Waterford hadn’t spot-checked patients. As a result, a high-risk resident wearing an ankle monitor walked off the grounds. However, when this happened, no one paged the doctor to notify him of the incident.
Having a family member or loved one placed in a nursing home is a difficult decision, yet you expect your loved one to receive quality care and be safe. Negligence and abuse are the last things you want to happen when you’re putting your trust in the facility’s staff. Yet, when signs point to such an incident, Trantolo & Trantolo is here to help. If you believe your loved one is dealing with nursing home negligence or elder abuse, contact one of our locations to speak with an attorney.
