Sava Senior Care
Nursing home negligence is a growing problem throughout the United States, and it is a situation that is causing significant alarm among those who need to consider these facilities for their loved ones’ care. Even though most nursing home facilities are overseen by the government due to their acceptance of Medicare and Medicaid patients, there are numerous neglect and abuse lawsuits filed each year – and many of them are against the largest providers in the country.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect can encompass a variety of issues, but there are four major types that are seen most often.
- Personal Hygiene – This type of neglect results when patients don’t receive the assistance they need with bathing, dressing, cleaning up and other forms of hygiene.
- Emotional – Occurs when the senior is often ignored, left alone, or yelled at by nursing home staff
- Medical – Medical neglect occurs when necessary and required treatment isn’t provided to treat medical conditions, or prevent new problems from occurring.
- Basic Needs – This type of neglect occurs when a patient doesn’t receive adequate hydration and nutrition, or the facility fails to provide a safe, clean environment for the resident.
These types of neglect have been seen repeatedly at some of the major nursing home companies, one of which is Sava Senior Care.
Sava Senior Care
Sava Senior Care is the fifth largest provider in the country, with 200 facilities in 22 states. However, like many of the largest nursing home companies, they don’t necessarily meet the needs of all of their patients. Additionally, they also provide different names for different locations, making it difficult for some to realize where they are leaving their loved ones. Even with this, there have been significant neglect and abuse lawsuits brought against this industry giant recently.
- In 2008, a resident in a Sava Senior Care facility died when he choked on a meatball. The patient had problems swallowing, which were noted in his files, but was still given the large food item to eat. After the meatball went down his trachea, the resident suffered from reduced to no airflow for approximately 30 minutes, as the nurse on duty did not know how to perform the Heimlich maneuver. After that, a fellow nurse tried to force air into the patient, making the problem even worse. The resident choked for a full 12 minutes before 911 was called, and he died around four hours later. The family was awarded $2.35 million for his death.
- An 82-year-old resident’s family sued Sava Senior Care facility in Colorado for four counts of negligence. The resident, who suffered from dementia and retardation, suffered from urinary tract infections, several bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration, abrasions and skin tears, E. Coli and several other infections, and hyperkalemia. Also included in the lawsuit was alleged emotional distress to the patient due to not providing enough staff in an effort to increase profits, and violation of the Consumer Protection Act by using a “massive marketing campaign designed to lure actual and prospective consumers,” even while knowing the facility could not provide the care that the residents required. The jury in the lawsuit awarded the resident and his family $3.3 million.
- A Sava Senior Care chain known as the Brian Centers were mentioned in a news story where residents’ families were coming forward about neglect. As a part of the story, a review of Medicare records showed numerous cases of neglect in other Brian Centers, and a previous CNA came forward and admitted that she resigned from her position due to the lack of care in the Brian Center in which she worked.
Sava Senior Care may be one of the largest nursing home chains, but it also seems to have serious issues that need to be addressed before more patients suffer needlessly.
Sources:
http://www.mcknights.com/jury-hands-down-33-million-verdict-against-co-nursing-home-in-negligence-case/article/348898/
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/special-reports/9-investigates-families-accuse-local-nursing-facil/nc8gd/
