Her Wander Guard Bracelet Was No Where to Be Found
Posted by Patti on June 18th, 2007 / Print This Post
What are the implications of this?
Julia McCauley , a resident at Life Care Center in Acton since 1996, tended to roam the nursing home in her wheelchair. Worried about her safety, doctors fitted her with a tan plastic bracelet that set off an alarm and locked the doors if she got too close to the exits.But one morning in April 2004 the woman described as a “loved and welcomed resident” at the home by her family and care providers was found dead at the bottom of the center’s front stairs. The 74-year-old had a 3-inch gash in her forehead, her wheelchair overturned. McCauley’s bracelet was nowhere to be found, and several nurses and aides told state investigators they did not know she was supposed to wear it at all times.
Yesterday, a Middlesex grand jury indicted the Tennessee-based Life Care Centers of America Inc. on charges of manslaughter and abuse and neglect of a long-term facility resident. It is the first time in Massachusetts that a national corporation has faced criminal manslaughter charges, said Attorney General Martha Coakley .
Good. I hate lawsuits. But when we have for profit facilities not ensuring that good care is given, we have a problem. Resident safety should come before profits and I have heard many horror stories about Life Care Centers all over the country. Further in this article there are some examples.
July 3rd, 2007 at 4:27 pm
yes, further in the site there are articles about LifeCare. But when you reply as an employee of a LifeCare home, you get accused of being paid to say its a good place to work. Yes, the woman should have had the bracelet on. The corporation shouldnt be sued though…. the nurses that were documenting that she had it on every shift ought to be the ones in trouble, losing their liscences.(sp). Again, I defend the LifeCare that I work at. ( which isnt this home in question)
July 3rd, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Robin, this stuff happens at many nursing homes. A total lack of coordination and supervision causes these things to happen. LifeCare is a chain and therefore has more than it’s fair share of problems. As with all the for profit chains, they are targeted for more oversight, by resident advocates and others. When we chose to work for these chains, we must accept the good with the bad. I find more bad articles than good about LC…as with other chains too.