Wrongful Death Lawyer
A wrongful death claim has been filed against an area nursing home and its parent company in Cheyenne, Wyoming, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/cheyenne-nursing-home-sued-for-wrongful-death/article_9b861169-8d95-53de-9e9d-26b19963bc54.html).
Cheyenne HealthCare Center and SavaSeniorCare, its parent company, are being sued for patient neglect that was so bad, according to court documents, that it resulted in the death of a resident. The claim was brought by Marci DeLong, the widow of 49-year-old Ronald DeLong, who died in the nursing home in February 2017.
Court documents reveal that the nursing home is being sued for numerous careless and neglectful incidents and negligent actions. Back in September 2016, DeLong came to the nursing home after suffering complications from a stroke. Just a few months later, in January 2017, the nursing home sent the 49-year-old to an area hospital. At the hospital, staff found that he had severe bleeding in his upper GI tract, acute kidney failure, a urinary tract infection, lactic acidosis, uremia, severe sepsis and a severe form of constipation. He was also struggling with a deep and labored breathing pattern, and all this allegedly occurred while he was under the nursing home’s care.
In addition to his medical problems, the hospital staff found lacerations and bruises on DeLong’s body. They called the staff at the nursing home to get more information on him, but hospital staff were told by three different nurses at the home that they had no information about his baseline health and that they did not know who he was.
Over the course of DeLong’s time in the nursing home, his weight fell a total of 24 pounds, according to court documents. His family also noticed several changes in him, including poor appetite, lethargy, and bouts of choking. None of these changes, however, were noted by the staff at the nursing home. He also had not had a bowel movement for three weeks before being sent to the hospital, fell multiple times in the nursing home, and was only bathed three times a month while he stayed there.
During the time that DeLong was at the nursing home, the county health department visited the facility and found that it may cause harm to its residents. The county found that the home was violating regulations on the federal and state levels, including issues with their medical records and the lack of recording changes to a patient’s condition. It was also part of a poorly performing facility watch list–which less than one percent of all nursing homes in the US are on–that made it subject to surprise inspections.
Unfortunately, negligence in nursing homes is a serious problem that is all too common these days. Even with some government oversight, such as in the case of the nursing home where DeLong was staying, patients can still suffer the consequences until the problems are properly addressed. If you have lost someone you cared about due to the negligence of another person or organization, contact a wrongful death lawyer in Denver, CO about your case today.
Thanks to Richard J. Banta, P.C. for their insight into personal injuries and wrongful death in nursing homes.