Switch to ADA Accessible Website
Orlando Criminal Lawyer

Florida Assisted Living Facility Punished After Wrongful Death & Other Atrocities—But Is It Enough?

shutterstock_356019131

In mid-January, a South Florida assisted living facility (New Era Community Health Center) was charged with improper care that led to wrongful death as well as serious injury and attempted suicide involving several of the facility’s residents.

According to the Agency for Health Care Administration, these tragedies were the result of staff at the facility failing to provide adequate care to a number of residents between 2017 and 2018; tragedies that included residents dying after going into seizures and falling into unsurvivable comas; falls that resulted in forehead contusions, fractured humerus, necks, noses, skulls, ribs, and hematomas prior to death; and a number of residents who ran away from the facility and suffered significant harm as a result.  After suffering from a number of addiction and mental health issues, one resident even attempted suicide by jumping off a balcony and obtaining a number of injuries as a result, reportedly after she had obtained drugs off the streets. Residents who were found did not even have identification bracelets to ensure basic safety precautions.

What Florida Law Dictates

Under Florida laws and regulations, assisted living facilities must provide a certain amount of personal supervision for each resident, including:

  • Monitoring the quality and quantity of their diets;
  • Observing their emotional and physical well-being every day;
  • Maintaining an awareness of residents’ whereabouts;
  • Contacting the proper individuals if resident “exhibits a significant change” is discharged, or moves out; and
  • Maintaining written records of illnesses, medication administration, etc.

In addition, the law dictates that:

  • The owner or administrator of the facility is responsible for determining the appropriateness of admitting the resident into the facility; and
  • The facility must notify a licensed physician when a resident exhibits specific physiological conditions, such as cognitive impairment, dementia, etc.

Did This Go Far Enough?

According to the statistics, one out of 11 assisted living facilities in Florida have been cited for not meeting basic rules and regulations designed to prevent residents from wandering. In this case, a number of resident advocates are concerned that the penalties enforced against the facility ($16,500 in fines) do not do justice to the serious violations that occurred here, and that these penalties do not do enough to deter the facility and others in Florida from committing this same negligence in the future.

Contact Our Florida Wrongful Death Attorneys

If you have lost a loved one due to blatant negligence like this in a Florida assisted living facility, contact our Orlando wrongful death attorneys at the Baez Law Firm today to find out how we can help you fight for justice. Nothing can make you and your family whole again, however, Florida law allows you to obtain some justice for your tragedy.

Resources:

huffingtonpost.com/entry/assisted-living-dementia-injuries_us_5c1d6f88e4b04aa0a171b895

miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article224436815.html

https://www.baezlawfirm.com/wrongful-death-at-florida-psychiatric-hospital-leaves-too-many-questions-unanswered/

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Miami

Miami Office

1200 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1410
Miami, FL 33131
Office: 305-999-5100
Fax: 305-999-5111
Orlando

Orlando Office

250 N Orange Ave, Suite 750
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 407-705-2626
Fax: 407-705-2625

Email Us

Fields Marked * Are required

DISCLAIMER: Completing and submitting this form or otherwise merely contacting The Baez Law Firm or any individual at the firm will not establish an attorney/client relationship. Our firm cannot represent you until we determine that there would be no conflict of interest and that we are otherwise able to accept representation of your case. Please do not send any information or documents until a formal attorney/client relationship has been established through an interview with an attorney and you have been given authorization in the form of an engagement letter with The Baez Law Firm. Any information or documents sent via this form or otherwise prior to your receipt of an engagement letter will not be treated as confidences, secrets, or protected information of any nature. Submitting information regarding your potential case will not bar The Baez Law Firm from representing or continuing to represent a person or entity whose interest are adverse to your in condition with your case.

protected by reCAPTCHA Privacy - Terms
Please review the highlighted fields. They are required.
DISCLAIMER: This website contains information about The Baez Law Firm that includes testimonial statements from persons who are familiar with the firm's services. The testimonials shown are not necessarily representative of every person's experience with us. Testimonials from every client are not provided. As no two situations or persons are identical, the facts and circumstances of your situation may differ from those for which testimonials are shown. This website also includes information about some of the past results that we have obtained for our clients. Not all results are provided, and the results shown are not necessarily representative of all results obtained by us. No two situation are exactly alike; every person's situation is unique and the outcome for each person depends on the individual facts.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
MileMark Media - Practice Growth Solutions

© 2015 - 2024 Baez Law Firm. All rights reserved.
This law firm website and legal marketing are managed by MileMark Media.

Contact Form Tab Contact Form Tab