Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Guardian Sues Nursing Home

The guardian of a disabled 95-year-old woman says the elderly resident fell and fractured both of her hips while under the care of a Madison County nursing home.

Hazel Timmons, guardian of River Reed, filed a suit against Stearns Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on May 21 in Madison County Circuit Court.

Reed lived in the nursing home from May 25, 2007, through July 7.

According to the complaint: When Reed was admitted to the nursing home, employees were aware she suffered from Alzheimer's and dementia and was usually disoriented and confused. Nevertheless, employees allowed Reed to wander unattended in the hallway during the middle of the night on May 29, 2007. During her walk, Reed fell and fractured her left hip. On June 6, Reed was left unattended in a wheelchair and without a personal alarm. And, again, she injured herself when she fell.

Full Article and Source:
Nursing home sued over 95-year-old resident's fall

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who will see that the guardian uses the proceeds for the benefit of the ward?

Anonymous said...

The nursing home should be held accountable for neglect for sure.

But the big question is: who benefits from suing Stearns Nursing and Rehabilitation Center?
Certainly not River Reed.

But Hazel Timmons will benefit - and so will her lawyers.

wisernow said...

Hazel Timmons, the guardian and the bevy of lawyers, will benefit, profit from this lawsuit against Stearns Nursing & Rehab Center for the harm caused to River Reed.

We need to have eyes wide open because lawsuits similiar to this one might be a new trend, easy money, easy way to keep money flowing at the ward's expense.

I hope River Reed is in a top rated nursing facility; I hope and pray she is doing well. The article does not indicate where Ms. Reed is currently residing.

Anonymous said...

That's right, Anonymous 2, River Reed won't get a dime of any settlement or award. It will all got to her guardian with the lion's share going to her guardian's lawyers.

So, the guardian in this article appears to be working in the best interest of her ward, but once again is working in her own best interest instead!

Anonymous said...

I am sorry for River Reed and her family.

Anonymous said...

This article could be about me, you - anyone of us. Except if it would be about anyone of us, we wouldn't be reading about it, via the Internet would we?

I also hope River Reed is doing well.

Anonymous said...

This neglect occurs in nursing homes all over the country.

Nursing homes change records and cover up. Those who aren't vigilant don't even know that life and death events are going on all the time and vulnerable people are hurt.

Anonymous said...

If you go in to almost any nursing home across the country, you will find people about to fall out of wheelchairs and nurses or aides walking right past them.

If we don't clean up nursing homes, our future is as bleak as River Reed's.

Anonymous said...

I know the nursing homes cook their records. What I saw is not what was recorded, outright lies. But, in the end it's their word against your word and their word wins.

Anonymous said...

I was able to catch a nursing home doctoring the records.

I used to read them almost daily and saw a doctor's order "disappear" from the records (for the convenience of the nursing home). The order dealt with a special kind of wheelchair that the nursing home was to provide. And they didn't want to.

A nurse I was friendly with remembered the order -- and was kind enough to get a replacement order.

The nursing home was miffed.

Anonymous said...

Typical nursing home care.

Anonymous said...

BEWARE: Lies, lies and more lies

Anonymous said...

my grandfather was forced from his home last year by the nurses association after a fall in the house and forced to move to stearns. now six months later he is broke and the state is trying to force us to sell the house to pay for his care at stearns, over $4,200/month!