Pennsylvania Nursing Home Causes Serious Harm to Multiple Residents due to Severe Deficiency:
A nursing home malpractice lawsuit filed in December of last year against a Pennsylvania nursing home is indicative of a long pattern of harm committed by that facility, says an article on standardspeaker.com. Kingston Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located in Luzerne County, has a history of serious nursing home malpractice incidents that have drawn the attention of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and private lawsuits alike.
The recent lawsuit in question concerns the matter of Sharon Ogborn, a 70 year-old resident of Kingston, who died after developing severe pressure ulcers. After a wrongful death attorney was contacted, a lawsuit against Kingston was filed on behalf of Ogborn’s niece, who is the executor of her estate. The nursing home malpractice lawsuit claims that Kingston staff neglected to properly evaluate and treat the bed sores Ogborn sustained in their care, and therefore failed to report the problem in time to save her life. According to the article, Ogborn’s bedsores, which covered her hips and buttocks, became badly infected, and were so severe they were considered unstageable.
Beyond Ogborn’s alleged wrongful death, the article states that at least a dozen other Kingston residents were victims of nursing home malpractice at the facility over a 14-month period in 2020 and 2021, according to state records. The article details the situation for three of these residents as follows:
- Fractured Bone: A resident whose care plan dictated a mechanical lift was necessary to move her sustained a fractured thigh when two Kingston nurses’ aides attempted to move her from her bed to a wheelchair without the apparatus. Beyond the obvious negligence of improperly moving a patient, Kingston further demonstrated nursing home malpractice by not correcting a well-known computer problem at the nursing home that prevented the aides from accessing the care plan.
- Neglected Medical Condition: Kingston nursing staff neglected to monitor and assess a resident with a tendency to develop blood clots and failed to inform a doctor of her deteriorating status. The resident was only transferred to the hospital emergency room after family members complained of her symptoms.
- Resident-on-Resident Sexual Abuse: Despite documentation that a male resident had previously demonstrated dangerous inappropriate behavior, no evidence exists that staff took the right precautionary measures to prevent the sexual assault by the man of his roommate. The victim suffered bodily harm, including bone fractures and heavy bruising.
Between 2019 and 2022 Kingston received 148 citations for deficiencies following state inspections, a number which is five times higher than the state average. The facility subsequently ranked as the second worst nursing home in the state.
According to the article, Kingston Rehabilitation’s homepage on Medicare’s Nursing Home Care Compare website reveals the home has been included as a Special Focus Facility, which indicates a history of serious deficiencies in quality and safety.
Protecting Your Loved against Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death
As a resident of a Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing home, your loved one is ensured by federal law to have his or her dignity, health, and freedom upheld by the nursing home in which he or she resides. If you suspect your loved one’s Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing home has violated his or her rights or subjected him or her to nursing home abuse/neglect, you need to immediately contact a qualified nursing home malpractice or wrongful death attorney. Brian P. Murphy has years of experience fighting for the health and safety of Philadelphia/PA an NJ nursing home residents. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian P. Murphy is committed to successfully resolving his clients’ cases. Contact nursing home wrongful death attorney Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.
