Case Result

Nursing Home Malpractice Settlement Confidential

$375,000

John Doe, was admitted to Woe Nursing Home for rehabilitation after placement of a pacemaker. At the time of admission, Doe had numerous pre-existing conditions including, but not limited to: sick sinus syndrome; iron deficiency and anemia; coronary artery disease; below-the-knee amputation; peripheral vascular disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; obstructive sleep apnea; morbid obesity; and diabetes. At the time of his admission to Woe Nursing Home, Doe had no pressure ulcers or skin breakdown of any kind. After approximately three weeks at Woe, Doe was transferred to Hospital due to elevations in his blood pressure and respiratory difficulties. Upon admission to Hospital, it was noted that Doe had a stage two pressure injury of the sacrum. Approximately a week and a half after Doe’s admission to Hospital, he was discharged back to the care of Woe Nursing Home. Upon readmission to Woe, a proper skin assessment was not performed. By the next day John Doe’s sacral wound had progressed to a stage three pressure injury. Later that same day, John Doe’s stage three pressure injury was deemed unstageable and it was noted that he had developed a stage two pressure injury on his amputated stump. The medical chart from both Hospital and Nursing Home demonstrated inadequate turning and repositioning of Doe as a means of limiting the growth of the pressure injuries. Family members confirmed that the staff failed to turn and reposition Doe. Plaintiff’s experts opined that both Nursing Home and Hospital failed to implement proper care procedures to address Doe’s pressure injuries and that, as a result, Doe developed sepsis which was a substantial cause of his death.