Iowa nursing home faces consequences after leaving an elderly woman to die

An incident of nursing home neglect was so severe that it caused the victim’s daughter to travel from Iowa to Washington D.C. to speak with the Senate Finance Committee.

Elderly woman dies in Iowa home after being neglected for days

The woman lives in Shell Rock, Iowa, and her mother was living at the Timely Mission Nursing Home in Buffalo Center for approximately fifteen years. She told members of the committee that she thought her mother was receiving high quality care, but the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death showed that she was wrong.

When the woman’s mother was found dead in early 2018, a preliminary investigation showed that she was dehydrated, in constant pain, and may not have received any food or liquids for days before she died. The home never notified her of any problems, or identified these issues in the weeks leading up to her mother’s death. This is in stark contrast to an earlier time, when the home was in contact with the daughter on a regular basis regarding medications and other events. When her mother’s health started to deteriorate, none of the staff members of the home notified her even though several of them knew that she had not been eating and was very ill.

This victim’s daughter, along with three others, spoke with Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and his committee about poor conditions in nursing homes around the country. This is an ongoing national issue, and similar cases have been reported by various news outlets. The committee was considering possible legislative measures to help remedy these kinds of widespread problems. The Senator believes that putting in a ranking system that is tied to medicaid funding would notify homes of problems and encourage them to correct issues before they became worse. Facilities that become repeat offenders could lose their funding from federal programs such as medicare and medicaid, which would cause them to cease operations.

Consistent nursing home problems

Nursing home neglect and abuse is serious because the vulnerable people in these facilities can easily see their health deteriorate or even die if they are not cared for properly. When a family member suspects this kind of mistreatment is occurring, it is best to notify the home, and get assistance from a legal professional who can file a civil case. The home may be forced to pay for medical treatment, funeral expenses, or any other losses caused by their improper handling of patients.

Lawyers in your area protect victims of nursing home abuse

If you have been neglected or mistreated in a nursing home, or you have a family member who is possibly being abused, there are attorneys who can assist you with a civil lawsuit. To get immediate help, contact:

Eells and Tronvold Law Offices

1921 51st Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-2400

319-393-1020