Nursing Home Negligence Leads to $1.25M Settlement

The family of a nursing home patient who choked and died after being left alone with food she could not eat properly has been awarded $1.25 million in a settlement following a nursing home negligence lawsuit.

According to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, the nursing home patient was only allowed to eat food that was soft, mechanically altered, and fed to her. However, the resident was one day left with steak fries that she attempted to eat and began choking on.

Instead of immediately performing the Heimlich maneuver on the resident, one nurse hesitated due to concerns she may aggravate a back injury the patient had sustained while another did not help because she was reading a chart to determine if the patient had a “Do Not Resuscitate” order. A suction machine was going to be used, but was found to be inoperable, before a third nurse eventually administered the Heimlich.

The aid of the third nurse was too little, too late, as the resident could not be revived by the time the blockage was finally expelled.

In the nursing home abuse lawsuit that followed, the nursing home was accused of negligence that led to the patient’s wrongful death by choking. It also accused the nursing home of sacrificing quality care in the name of profits. A settlement was reached before the nursing home negligence case went to trial.

If you or a loved one has been victimized by nursing home abuse or negligence, call Sokolove Law today to learn more about possibly pursuing a nursing home abuse lawsuit. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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