A Florida nursing home is currently under investigation for potential negligence after 8 residents died following a power outage during Hurricane Irma. While many areas of the state lost power during the hurricane’s wild wind storms and heavy rains, officials wonder why the nursing home residents were not provided with assistance before they experienced such deadly living conditions.
Police responded to a 911 call from The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills regarding a heart attack. Upon their arrival at the nursing home and long-term care facility, officials found 3 residents already dead and many more in critical condition. Police called the local hospital, which was down the street from the nursing home, and successfully evacuated 158 patients. After being transported, 5 more nursing home patients died, all of which were between 77 and 99 years old.
The facility is being accused of negligence of its patients for not addressing their needs, failing to call for help sooner, and failing to properly prepare for the incoming hurricane. The Rehabilitation Center allegedly had a generator, which they used to cook meals, but lost power for air conditioning. The area experienced extreme heat, reaching a peak of 99 degrees Fahrenheit. The chief of police, Tomas Sanchez, says the responding officers found the temperatures “extremely hot” in the building, especially on the second floor.
Most of the patients evacuated from the nursing home were, in fact, treated for respiratory distress, dehydration, and heat-related illnesses. Florida Senator Bill Nelson commented on the issue, saying: “People are just absolutely shocked that someone in the staff would not know enough that a frail, elderly person is dying of heat exhaustion and would at least know to dial 911 … this is what is inexcusable.”
Upon further investigation, authorities say the nursing home facility is currently facing a negligence lawsuit, and the manager of the facility, Jack Michel, has faced legal trouble of his own. Michel was involved in a Medicare fraud scheme at a Miami hospital he formerly owned, and since he has taken over The Rehabilitation Center, Medicare inspectors have given the facility a below-average rating.
In response to this incident, Senator Nelson stated “These kinds of facilities should be regulated with a strong, tight rein… and it hasn’t happened.” Sen. Nelson encouraged the secretary of Health and Human Services to open an investigation, and assures all of those concerned that they will determine what happened.
If you or someone you love experienced nursing home abuse, our firm can help. This type of mistreatment can appear in many forms, be it negligence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, or financial abuse. Don’t let your love one suffer, reach out to our personal injury attorney today.
For more about the 8 nursing home deaths at The Rehabilitation Center, visit CBS News online.
Contact Jordan Law Center to discuss your case with a Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer.
A Florida nursing home is currently under investigation for potential negligence after 8 residents died following a power outage during Hurricane Irma. While many areas of the state lost power during the hurricane’s wild wind storms and heavy rains, officials wonder why the nursing home residents were not provided with assistance before they experienced such deadly living conditions.
Police responded to a 911 call from The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills regarding a heart attack. Upon their arrival at the nursing home and long-term care facility, officials found 3 residents already dead and many more in critical condition. Police called the local hospital, which was down the street from the nursing home, and successfully evacuated 158 patients. After being transported, 5 more nursing home patients died, all of which were between 77 and 99 years old.
The facility is being accused of negligence of its patients for not addressing their needs, failing to call for help sooner, and failing to properly prepare for the incoming hurricane. The Rehabilitation Center allegedly had a generator, which they used to cook meals, but lost power for air conditioning. The area experienced extreme heat, reaching a peak of 99 degrees Fahrenheit. The chief of police, Tomas Sanchez, says the responding officers found the temperatures “extremely hot” in the building, especially on the second floor.
Most of the patients evacuated from the nursing home were, in fact, treated for respiratory distress, dehydration, and heat-related illnesses. Florida Senator Bill Nelson commented on the issue, saying: “People are just absolutely shocked that someone in the staff would not know enough that a frail, elderly person is dying of heat exhaustion and would at least know to dial 911 … this is what is inexcusable.”
Upon further investigation, authorities say the nursing home facility is currently facing a negligence lawsuit, and the manager of the facility, Jack Michel, has faced legal trouble of his own. Michel was involved in a Medicare fraud scheme at a Miami hospital he formerly owned, and since he has taken over The Rehabilitation Center, Medicare inspectors have given the facility a below-average rating.
In response to this incident, Senator Nelson stated “These kinds of facilities should be regulated with a strong, tight rein… and it hasn’t happened.” Sen. Nelson encouraged the secretary of Health and Human Services to open an investigation, and assures all of those concerned that they will determine what happened.
If you or someone you love experienced nursing home abuse, our firm can help. This type of mistreatment can appear in many forms, be it negligence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, or financial abuse. Don’t let your love one suffer, reach out to our personal injury attorney today.
For more about the 8 nursing home deaths at The Rehabilitation Center, visit CBS News online.
Contact Jordan Law Center to discuss your case with a Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer.
