Residents'
Rights Protection Campaign:
Sample Cases of Abuse and Neglect in California's Nursing Homes
Case #106: Nursing Home Neglect in Orange County
February 3, 2003
Abel R., age 77, was diabetic and in the early stages of dementia. His
wife felt that he was taking too many walks, and was going to hide his
shoes. She found that two of his toes had serious gangrene and took him
to the local emergency room. He had a successful operation, and was sent
to nearby skilled nursing facility to recuperate.
His recovery was slowed by circumstances in the facility. Several hispanic
nurses could not read the "keep in bed" instructions which were written
in English on his chart; he would roll around the halls in a wheelchair,
dragging his diseased foot along the floor and causing further damage.
His wife transferred him to a facility in which she herself had experienced
good medical and post-operative care.
She describes the level of care here as even less satisfactory. When
she realized that he had developed pneumonia, she repeatedly asked the
staff to call an ambulance. They repeatedly said that they had. She missed
several appointments at the hospital while waiting for the paramedics.
Abel's breathing grew more labored, so staff injected a medication that
was counter-indicated; he was dead within an hour of a heart attack. Although
told that she had the basis for a solid negligence case, she discontinued
her efforts because she did not have the money for attorney fees.
