When people place their loved ones into the care of nursing homes and other similar facilities, they trust that their needs will be met. However, there are times when it can be believed that those needs are not met. Unfortunately, this kind of negligence can lead to lawsuits against the care facility.
A Stanford, Kentucky nursing home is facing two lawsuits alleging they failed to provide care to two of its residents.
On December 22nd, the administratix of the estate of Geneva Hammond filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Lincoln County Circuit Court alleging that Hammond died on April 4th directly as a result of neglect that she suffered while residing at Stanford’s Golden Living Center.
The lawsuit does not mention the time frame in which Hammond resided at the facility, however it does claim that while there the woman suffered “accelerated deterioration of her health and physical condition beyond that caused by the normal aging process, including skin injuries, infections, dehydration, poor hygiene, sepsis and death.”
The suit names the nursing facility, its Executive Director Kevin McCowan, corporate counterparts, and several unnamed employees as the defendants. It goes on to allege that the nursing home did not maintain staff at adequate levels to ensure patient care.
A second complaint was filed on December 23rd, citing many of the same defendants. The plaintiff in this lawsuit is Charles Johnson.
Both complaints seek compensatory and punitive damages in unspecified amounts. Additionally, the wrongful death lawsuit seeks funeral expenses and damages suffered due to grief by statutory beneficiaries.
The director of the facility, Kevin McCowan, points to a rise in the number of these types of lawsuits as a growing industry.
While he cannot comment on the specifics of these lawsuits, McCowan does state that the facility will be defended in court.
If you believe that yourself or a family member has suffered neglect at the hands of a nursing facility, contact the offices of Schenk Smith. Our attorneys specialize in this type of litigation. Contact us today.
