In Sacramento, California, a jury awarded $23 million in punitive damages to the family of an 81-year-old woman who died because the assisted living facility operator Emeritus focused on profits over care, leading to serious nursing home abuse problems.
The verdict came on March 8th, and is the second-largest award in a nursing home abuse lawsuit in California.
The family of Joan Boice, the victim, claimed that the woman was actually beyond the care offered at the Auburn, California facility, due to advanced dementia that caused physical disability. However, the facility accepted her anyway, and Boice was then “left … at the mercy of a few unqualified, untrained, and overburdened caregivers, with predictable, and tragic, results.”
Boice lived in the memory care unit of Emeritus at Emerald Hills for three months, during which time she developed several deep, necrotic pressure wounds. Known more commonly as bed sores, these open wounds are caused by pressure against the skin that prevents adequate blood supply to flow to the skin and underlying tissue. When nursing home patients have physical disability, it is important for caregivers to check for the beginnings of sores, and turn the patient over several times a day. When bed sores appear, it is a clear sign of nursing home abuse in the form of neglect.
Joan Boice was moved to hospice care where she died 10 weeks later from infection, in February 2009.
Emeritus, based in Seattle, WA, is one of the largest nursing home chains in the country, and has been cited by several families and cities for nursing home abuse and neglect. For example, in 2010, Florida canceled Emeritus’s license for an Orlando complex after finding late-stage pressure wounds in three residents. Under Florida state law, those patients should have been moved to skilled nursing facilities for more intensive treatment.
Emeritus Denies Nursing Home Abuse Accusations
Emeritus said that they will appeal the March 8th verdict, saying that the court case painted the wrong picture of the care they offer.
They said that they kept Joan Boice at the facility only as long as the rules allowed, because her husband Myron was in the facility’s assisted living wing. Representatives from Emeritus added that the family did not complain about Boice’s treatment at the time, although they visited regularly.
They also blamed nurses who were brought in to help treat Boice, who were not part of the Emeritus facility. The family had hired skilled nurses from Kaiser Home Health.
The for-profit nursing care operation has 483 facilities nationwide, with a total market value of $1.2 billion.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help Nursing Home Abuse Cases
If you or a loved one have experienced nursing home abuse, you do not have to suffer in silence or wonder if the facility is doing the right thing. Nursing home abuse can include neglect, overmedicating patients, and physical abuse. It is important to take a stand against nursing home abuse, and the attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We offer free, confidential consultations so you can discuss your concerns about your loved one’s care with impunity. Contact us today. 803.252.4800
