Elder Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Caregiving Agency

The family of a 99-year-old man in Staten Island, NY has filed an elder abuse lawsuit against the caregiving agency and three home health aides whose negligence caused his death.

The five children of Peter Mazza, who died from injuries sustained while under the negligent care of one of his home health aides, have filed an elder abuse lawsuit against the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the parent company Partners in Care, and the three caregivers who should have assisted the elder Mr. Mazza, and instead caused his death through elder abuse.

The family put cameras in Mazza’s home, which the agency knew about, they claim. Video reveals terrifying incidents of elder abuse. In one scene, a caregiver drags Mazza across the floor, wraps him in a blanket, and puts him in bed. In another, Mazza falls and asks the female caregiver to help him up, but she refuses because her “back is sick,” and instead suggests that he should be tied to a chair to prevent such incidents. One of the worst incidents of elder abuse involves a caregiver lying on the sofa, watching Mazza struggle to reach his walker “in excess of one minute,” and then watching him fall. In that fall, Mazza fractured two ribs and sustained a concussion, which led to his hospitalization, transfer to a nursing home, and death just two months later. Rather than call 911, the aide tried to cover up the incident and lied about the fall to Mazza’s family.

“It’s very disturbing. The more I watched it, the more I can’t believe anybody would treat another person like this,” said Carol Ann Love, one of Mazza’s five children. “I get angry. He didn’t deserve this. His life ended horribly.”

“I was in disbelief with it. I couldn’t believe it was really happening. That anybody could treat another human being that way,” Steven Mazza, another of the elder Mazza’s children, said.

The family stated in their elder abuse lawsuit that they wanted the frail but otherwise healthy 99-year-old to live his final days in his home, which he shared with his late wife until her death in 2012. Mazza had difficulty walking and seeing, so the home health aides were required to help him walk, dress himself, eat, and bathe.

Instead of fulfilling their job duties, the caregivers instead neglected Mazza and refused to assist him.

Visiting Nurse Service would not comment on the elder abuse lawsuit, but said that the aide who lied about Mazza’s fall had been immediately fired, while the other two caregivers were on suspension pending an internal investigation. The company also issued the following statement: “The Visiting Nurse Service of New York and Partners in Care have zero tolerance for any staff member who violates our mission to care for this city’s vulnerable populations.”

The Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm Help Victims and the Families of Victims Affected by Elder Abuse

If your loved one has physically suffered, or died wrongfully, because an in-home caregiver or registered nurse in a nursing home has neglected the patient, you may have an elder abuse case. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm understand the sensitive nature of elder abuse cases, and will treat you with respect and compassion. It is important to fight felony elder abuse so you, your family, and others no longer suffer because of criminal behavior. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case. Contact us today for help.803.252.4800