In early 2008, a resident was admitted to the Los Angeles nursing home in order to rehabilitate a fractured hip. The 84 year old resident died following the misplacement of a feeding tube. At the time the resident was admitted to the nursing home, he was noted as having no swallowing or chewing problems. After some weight loss, his doctor ordered feedings via nasogastric tube.
In what turned out to be a fatal mistake, staff inserted the tube through the residents nose, and it placed in the residents lung instead of stomach. Once feedings began, the lungs filled with the feeding materials that were meant to go to the stomach, making him sick at once. He succumbed to aspiration pneumonia three days later.
Hancock Park Rehabilitation, the facility where the incident took place, did not follow established protocols for inserting the tube, and did not check to make certain it was properly placed in the stomach, according to the report from the Department of Public Health. When the 84 year old patient was rushed to a hospital emergency room, it was revealed by a chest x-ray that the tube extended in to the lungs instead of the abdomen.
This isn't the first time Hancock Park Rehabilitation Center has received violations. The facility has a history of prior incidents, and in 2006 and 2008 received multiple violations related to improper care of patients.
We look to nursing homes and elderly care facilities to care for our elderly loved ones and make certain they are getting the proper attention. All too often, abuse or neglect occurs. We realize that a shortage of staff members often contributes to neglect, but it is still no excuse. If you suspect that your loved one is not being properly cared for, contact Steven Peck's Premier Legal toll free at 1.866.999.9085 and visit us on-line at www.premierlegal.org.
