Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center received an overall “much below average” rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Now, a 10-page wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against the 180-bed nursing home.
The victim’s family is seeking a jury trial and compensation for alleged incidents of neglect that could have led to the harm of their loved one.
Attorney Brett Williams with the Brown and Crouppen Law Firm filed the wrongful death lawsuit Thursday, Oct. 12 in Platte County Circuit Court.
According to the lawsuit, Phillip Ward was admitted on Sept. 11, 2018 at the Riverside Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, so he could receive 24-hour nursing care. The suit alleges Ward was susceptible to developing pressure sores and needed a trained staff to shift his body every two hours to relieve pressure.
The nursing staff, the suit says, did not reposition Ward as frequently as necessary and failed to place him on an “appropriate pressure relieving device.”
As a result of this alleged inaction, Ward developed pressure sores on his hips and tailbone that worsened over time, the suit says.
Ward allegedly required medical treatment for these pressure sore, but eventually the bed sores “ultimately caused and/or contributed” to his death on Nov. 8, 2018, states court documents.
The lawsuit also contends, the nursing care facility did not provide Ward with “an adequate number of staff members knowledgeable of his condition.”
Nursing home quality Nursing Home Compare website shows the long-term skilled nursing care facility received a “below average” staffing rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The website provides information about nursing homes to empower residents and families to make informed choices regarding nursing home care.
A recent health inspection linked on the site shows the nursing home received 17 health citations in 2018, which is almost twice the average in Missouri.
To find out if your loved one’s nursing home has been cited for incidents of neglect or abuse, visit www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html?