Elderly Woman with Broken Bones Ignored by Staff, says Lawsuit

All too often, we hear stories of seniors and elder generations being the victims of abuse and neglect at nursing homes. These stories are tragic and saddening, especially since they are supposed to be in a place where they will be cared for and treated well. Sometimes, families and the seniors themselves must take action to receive compensation.

In a lawsuit filed against a Torrence, California nursing home, a Fresno woman and her family are alleging that nursing home staff abused the woman and withheld care she needed. As a result of this negligence, they allege, she fell out of her wheelchair and suffered breaks to bones in her hips and shoulder.

The lawsuit states that caregivers at Torrence Care Center ignored the woman’s cries about being hurt. They placed her back into her wheelchair and later, into bed. They also failed to notify her doctor or her family of the incident until the next day.

Lola McIntyre, 69, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. Her attorney, Stephen Garcia, alleges that McIntyre fell on December 7th, approximately three months after entering the facility. She had been admitted with several health conditions including a recent heart attack, dementia, a stroke, and psychological issues as well as severe arthritis.

The medical facility was made aware of McIntyre’s health status and promised family members that she would be assigned a “sitter” to giver he one-on-one attention. The family alleges that this never happened and McIntyre was regularly left unsupervised.

This lack of supervision led to McIntyre breaking things in her room, wandering the facility, and nearly starting a fire.

The lawsuit alleges fraud, elder abuse, negligence, and negligence in hiring.

If you or a family member have been the victim of abuse or neglect at the hands of a nursing home, care facility, or care provider, contact the law offices of Schenk Smith. Our attorneys specialize in cases of nursing home neglect and abuse. Contact us today.