According to the Sun-Sentinel, in the wake of the Palm Beach Post’s investigation into the Council on Aging of Florida Inc. in 2009 over allegations of executive pay abuses and Florida nursing home negligence, the state’s Attorney General’s Office is still conducting its own “active investigation.”
The probe also comes following a whistleblower complaint filed by the chain’s ex-chief human resources officer. Richard Castillo says he was fired because he cooperated with the state’s probe. He is now seeking over $75,000 in damages.
The assisted living facilities under investigation include Glades Health Care Center in Pahokee, Riverfront Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Bradenton, and Gainesville Health Care Center. Also, at the Gainesville facility, maggots were found in one 76-year-old patient’s eye socket last year. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration cited the assisted living facility for not telling a doctor about problems while changing the resident’s eye dressings. Our Palm Beach nursing home abuse lawyers posted a blog about this incident last year. Gainesville Healthcare Center, which has ownership connections to Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County, has been flagged for numerous violations in the past by the state.
Nursing Home Patients, Maggots, and Negligent Nursing Care
Unfortunately, finding maggots in a nursing home patient’s wound is not as rare of an occurrence as you would like to think. Unhygienic conditions are one reason why maggots develop in wounds. Basic monitoring and nursing care can prevent such unfortunate incidents from happening. It is important in the wake of such an infestation for a wound to be cleared up immediately.
Our Miami nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers represent nursing home residents and their families throughout South Florida. Assisted living facilities can be held liable for failing to provide a patient with adequate nursing care-especially if this lead to serious injuries, infection, health complications, or death.
Other signs of possible negligent nursing care:
• Poor hygiene
• Malnutrition
• Soiled sheets that aren’t change right away
• Unclean living conditions
• Failure to clean/dress wounds in a timely manner
• Not giving patients medicines as scheduled
• Failure to monitor patient’s condition
• Failure to check patient’s sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other vitals and symptoms.
Nursing home chain target of attorney general’s inquiry, Sun-Sentinel, October 17, 2011
Maggots In Wounds
Nursing Home Watch List, Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration
More Blog Posts:
Florida Nursing Home Neglect?: Maggots Found in 76-Year-Old Patient at Assisted Living Facility with Palm Beach County Ties, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, September 14, 2010
Boynton Beach Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit Blames Assisted Living Facility for Elderly Woman’s Bedsores, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, September 30, 2011
Miami Herald Reports: Florida Nursing Home Neglect Taking Place at a Number of Assisted Living Facilities, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, May 25, 2011
Bill Seeks to Cap Florida Nursing Home Negligence Damages Over Wrongful Deaths, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, April 20, 2011
Contact our Hollywood, Florida nursing home abuse and neglect law firm to request your free case evaluation.