A man is suing Mount Pleasant Manor, a nursing home in South Carolina, for the death of his brother who was a resident there. The wrongful death suit alleges that nursing home negligence resulted in serious injuries to the resident, ultimately causing his death.
While this is a serious claim against the nursing home, Mount Pleasant Manor has a long history of health violations and complaints. Over the past few years, victims and family members have filed several suits against the home claiming malpractice, negligence and wrongful death.
Suit Alleges Lack of Care Led to Resident Death
Isaac Gathers was a resident of Mount Pleasant Manor from February 12, 2015, until he died a year later in February of 2016. His brother has since filed a lawsuit against the home, claiming that Gathers suffered injuries due to nursing home negligence while he was living there.
The suit alleges that Gathers experienced ulcers, skin breakdowns and pressure sores because the nursing home regularly denied him basic care. These injuries delayed Gathers’ chemotherapy treatment for pineoblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumor.
Sadly, bedsores and ulcers are common signs of elder neglect in nursing homes. These types of injuries are often entirely preventable.
The wrongful death suit against Mount Pleasant Manor claims that Gathers died from lack of proper care. Mount Pleasant Manor is accused of subjecting Gathers to dangerous conditions and repeated neglect.
Nursing Home Implicated in Several Suits and Violations
The Mount Pleasant nursing home has a long history of complaints and allegations over nursing home negligence. Over the last few years, people have filed several lawsuits against the facility. At least 17 formal complaints have been issued against Mount Pleasant Manor since 2014. Many other nursing homes in the region have faced similar lawsuits.
Public Medicare records also reveal problems with the facility. Each year, Medicare and Medicaid facilities are inspected by health care professionals looking for health and safety violations. Medicare then assigns star ratings to nursing homes based on these health inspections, citations and any complaints against the home.
Medicare has given Mount Pleasant Manor an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars, indicating that the facility presents some health risks to residents. The nursing home received only 2 stars for staffing—this is below the national average.
Understaffing Contributes to Low Standard of Care
Although Mount Pleasant Manor cares for an above average number of residents, the home seems to be understaffed. Compared to the national average, Mount Pleasant Manor has significantly fewer staffing hours per resident. Improper staffing often leads to conditions of nursing home negligence when overworked employees struggle to provide the quality of care that residents need.
During the home’s 2018 inspection, Mount Pleasant Manor received a whopping 13 health citations. Among these, five health deficiencies were related to the quality of life and care.
Inspectors determined that the home failed to provide appropriate treatment and care to meet the needs of their residents.
The home also received two health citations during this year’s health inspection. One problem occurred in the kitchen where inspectors found that the facility did not meet proper sanitization standards. This could have potentially led to the outbreak of a foodborne illness, which is often life-threatening to seniors.
Protecting Elders From Abuse and Neglect
Filing complaints and pursuing legal action is the only way that we can hold nursing homes accountable for abuse and negligence. It’s essential that victims and family members report any incidents to authorities to stop neglect in its tracks. Since the nursing home abuse victims are often unable to speak up on their own, loved ones must step in to end to this vicious cycle.
If you’ve been involved in a nursing home incident, or a loved one has suffered a wrongful death due to inadequate nursing home care, take action immediately. Contact Nursing Home Abuse Justice for a free legal case review.
