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This is the first offense towards the attacker but police were not hesitant in notifying the proper agencies. The other staff members in the facility told police that the nursing aid had been trying to dress the patient when she became frustrated. The nursing aide then grabbed the woman’s arms and tried to force her on the toilet with her hand on the elderly woman’s chest. The woman later complained of chest pain and had bruising on her arms. After questioning the attacker about the incident, the nursing home put the employee on administrative leave and was later fired.

While the nursing home took the right measures in firing the employee, it does leave some questions unanswered. For example, in most cases of abuse there is usually a pattern of abuse or a previous incident. Did the nursing home fail to properly background check their employees? Or did they disregard previous complaints? All of these things should be evaluated by a professional when an employee of a nursing home has seriously injured you or a loved one.
 

The Arizona Daily Star reports that the settlement was reached with Kathleen Havens, whose mother, Irma Smith, died at Devon Gables in 2006.  The settlement was reached shortly before Havens was set to testify.  Though Smith was a hospice patient, Havens and her attorney argued that Smith's death was hastened by the staff members at Devon Gables because she developed sepsis from a pressure sore.

Pressure sores, also called bed sores or pressure ulcers, are one of the most pervasive and serious symptoms of nursing home neglect.  Pressure sores develop from a lack of blood to a certain area of the body, caused by persistent pressure on that area.  The elderly and physically disabled are prone to bed sores because they cannot move and reposition themselves when lying in bed. 

Nursing home staff are required to move residents at certain intervals throughout the day.  If the resident's care plan is being followed, there should be no reason for pressure sores to develop.  However, unfortunately, 23% of long-term care residents will develop pressure sores at some point and 8% of nursing home deaths are caused by bed sores.

For more information on bed sores, you can read this MedlinePlus report.  If you have a loved one in a nursing home and are afraid neglect is leading to bed sores, you should contact an experienced Arizona nursing home abuse attorney.

For additional information on bed sores and pressure ulcers, visit the Nursing Home Advocates Bed Sores information page.