Riverside County Nursing Home Fined After Death of Resident
Posted by
Walton Barber, LLPDecember 03, 2007 10:58 AMOur firm represents individuals and families all over Southern California in cases involving nursing home neglect and abuse, and has seen first hand just how bad care can be in certain nursing homes. But I still get shocked at some of the carelessness that occurs by those taking care of some of our most fragile citizens. Take this story elder neglect just up the freeway in Fontana.
Regulators from the California Department of Health Services issued a AA citation and a $100,000 fine against Citrus Nursing Center in Fontana. The citation and fine came after a 91-year-old resident was dropped on her head and died last March. The AA is the most severe citation given.
According to reports, last February a nursing assistant negligently tried to transfer the resident from her wheelchair to her bed with a portable lift. The woman fell, striking her head on the floor. She died nine days later of blunt force trauma to her head.
It's unclear why it took eight months for the state to complete its investigation.
Mike Connors, spokesman for the consumer watchdog group California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said Friday he doesn't understand why it took the state so long to fine Citrus Nursing Center after inspectors finished their investigation."That's totally unacceptable, especially for a death," Connors said. "The state is not working for consumers when it takes eight months to issue a citation in a death."
This wasn't the first time Citrus Nursing Center has been subject fines. In 2006, inspectors issued the nursing home two A citations and fine totaling $25,000.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Nursing Home and Elder Abuse.