A Veteran’s Death at a Nursing Home From Pressure Sores

22 Oct 2022 · 1 min

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In this first‑person account, attorney Jerry Taylor describes a malpractice lawsuit he handled for the family of a veteran who died in a nursing home due to infected pressure sores. The veteran was immobile and required turning every two hours, but the understaffed facility failed to do so and falsified medical records to claim otherwise. Staff also falsified medication administration records and stole the veteran’s pain medication, leaving him in severe pain. The case was settled for $5 million. Taylor uses the story to warn families about nursing home selection, urging thorough research and communication with other families, while acknowledging that not all facilities are poor.

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I once handled a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a man who died in a nursing home from infected pressure sores. He developed these infected pressure sores because he was totally immobile in bed and he was not being turned every 2 hours. The reason he was not being turned every 2 hours is because the facility was severely understaffed. The staff was fraudulently filling out medical records showing that he had been turned when in fact he had not. They were also fraudulently filling out medical records showing that he had been given medications when in fact he had not. This man was in serious pain, but I was able to show that some of the staff was stealing his pain medication. This man was a veteran. He had fought in battle for our country. Case settled for $5 million. Some of you I know are considering right now whether to put your folks in a nursing home. If there is any way you can avoid it, do that. But I know that many times it cannot be avoided. Research the nursing home thoroughly. Talk to other families who have family members there. Not all nursing homes are bad. There are many that are excellent, but I know from experience there are plenty that are terrible.