Inadequate care and nursing home neglect led to the death of an elderly patient at a care facility operated by the Community Hospital of San Bernardino in 2008, state investigators have determined. According to a news report in The San Bernardino County Sun, the nursing home faces an $80,000 fine in connection with the patient's death. California Department of Public Health investigators found that the patient died on February 2, 2008 after the tubes that connected him to a ventilator had been disconnected.
The report states that a ventilator alarm that should have alerted staff about the disconnection was not heard. The report also states that the hospital, after this tragic incident, took corrective steps by training its staff about caring for patients who rely on ventilators. The fine was issued last month and the hospital did not appeal it.
My heart goes out to the family of this nursing home resident who apparently suffocated to death because he was neglected by nursing home staff. Tragic! Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Nursing Home Statistics
According to a 2008 Government Accountability Office (GAO) 1,285 nursing homes were cited in 2007 for "actual harm or immediate jeopardy" to residents. Based on GAO's statistics, California leads all other states, by far, in the number of citations. Understaffing and lack of training are the most common factors linked to nursing home abuse and neglect.
Lack of Staffing and Training
Also, according to the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), turnover rates in nursing homes among nursing assistants in 2002 was over 80 percent in 19 states and 100 percent in 10 states. The same report also cites a 2005 analysis of nursing home staffing data, which shows that the proportion of care provided by registered nurses is on the decline despite increases in Medicare funding specifically set aside for nursing.
Holding Wrongdoers Accountable
Tragedies such as these can and should be prevented. In fact, a number of these incidents occur because nursing homes put profits ahead of the people they are supposed to serve. Families of victims who have been harmed by nursing home neglect or abuse would be well-advised to contact an experienced San Bernardino personal injury lawyer, who will ensure that the wrongdoers are held accountable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.
Seriously injured in a San Bernardino County nursing home negligence case? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a San Bernardino nursing home accident. Call 800-561-4887. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
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