By Mike Mason and Jordan Gartner
AURORA, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) — The family of a 93-year-old man is suing a nursing home, alleging staff failed to properly supervise him and allowed him to fall three times in five days, with the final fall proving fatal.
According to a lawsuit filed Nov. 12, Roger Andrews died from a blunt impact to his head and neck after falling face-first from his wheelchair at the Avenue at Aurora Care and Rehabilitation Center in January.
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An active lifestyle cut short
Andrews was not a typical 93-year-old. His children, Bruce Andrews and Karen Langenderfer, said their father remained adventurous well into his 80s.
“He was a big sports fan,” Bruce Andrews said. “Oh yeah, a die-hard Cleveland fan for years and years.”
“He was always up for an adventure,” Langenderfer said. “He wanted to go zip lining. My daughter wanted to go parasailing. And he said, I’ll do that too.”
Andrews lived alone in his 90s until he fell in his apartment. He was hospitalized and discharged directly to the Avenue at Aurora in early January.
“He went into the nursing home to get stronger, and that didn’t happen,” Langenderfer said.
High fall risk assessment allegedly ignored
The lawsuit states that nursing home records show Aurora assessed Andrews as a high fall risk on Jan. 9 and determined a nurse or staff member needed to be with him at all times.
However, despite this designation, Andrews reportedly fell three times within five days of his arrival.
Roger’s family hired attorney Michael Hill, whose practice is solely based on nursing home abuse litigation.
Hill said the facility failed to implement proper safety measures.
“They deemed that he needed one-to-one assistance until they could transition him somewhere else, they being the nursing home,” he said. “They don’t put interventions in place; he hits his back and his neck. Sadly, he gets a brain bleed. He has a broken neck, and he passes away.”
Fatal fall details
The lawsuit claims facility staff left Andrews sitting alone in his wheelchair longer than anticipated.
He began leaning to his right and fell face-first from the chair, striking his head and causing a large, bleeding laceration.
Andrews was rushed to the hospital, where Bruce Andrews stayed by his side for days.
When Langenderfer told her brother to take a break, their father died.
“I think in my heart of hearts that dad waited for Bruce to be gone because Bruce had promised my mom that he would keep an eye on dad,” Langenderfer said. “I think dad waited to go.”
Medical examiner findings
The medical examiner determined Andrews died from a blunt impact to his head and neck. The death certificate noted the injury occurred due to a history of falls and ruled the manner of death an accident.
Lawsuit claims
Hill filed the lawsuit against Avenue at Aurora and its parent company, Progressive Quality Care, based in Parma. The suit claims medical negligence and wrongful death.
“It’s not just the nursing home’s fault. It’s the nursing home corporation’s fault,” Hill said.
No response from the facility
Avenue at Aurora declined a request to comment on the siaution. A manager also asked reporters to leave the facility.
Progressive Quality Care did not respond to calls and emails seeking comment.
The family said it continues to grieve while seeking answers about their father’s death.
“The healing process has not had a chance to finalize because every day the band-aid’s getting ripped off again,” Bruce Andrews said.
Progressive Quality Care’s website states that it owns about a dozen nursing homes, with most in northeast Ohio.
Nursing homes are available to check online along with previous inspections.
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Family sues nursing home after 93-year-old man allegedly fell to his death
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