California State regulators have imposed an $80,000 fine on a Carmichael nursing home in the death of an elderly woman in 2008 says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck.
The California Department of Public Health this week issued a Class AA citation, the most severe penalty possible, against Walnut Whitney Care Center for violations that investigators said contributed to the death of an 86-year-old patient.
The unidentified woman went to the facility in March 2008 after suffering a fall and fracturing a vertebra in her back, the department's report says. Five weeks later, she was admitted to a hospital emergency room in septic shock and died during the night.
Regulators said the woman's caretakers at Walnut Whitney failed to properly monitor her for a urinary tract infection and dehydration, and to provide her with necessary fluids.
Walnut Whitney is owned by Horizon West Healthcare of Rocklin, which a Sacramento jury in March found guilty of elder abuse in the death of a former resident of Colonial Healthcare in Auburn. Jurors awarded $29.1 million in damages in that case.
Dan Niccum, a spokesman for Walnut Whitney, said the facility has conducted an internal investigation and intends to challenge the state's findings in court.
In the meantime, he said, the facility has launched programs to improve training and communication between caregivers and patients.
And if your loved one has suffered at the hands of a nursing home, assisted living, board and care or any long term care facility, contact The Peck Law Group www.thepecklawgroup.com and call us toll free at 866.999.9085 for a free case consultation.
