KOKOMO, IN– The family of a former patient of Aperion Care Kokomo has filed a complaint alleging neglect against the facility alleging the patient fell and suffered a severe femur fracture during a shower.
According to the complaint, the patient was allowed to fall on at least sixteen (16) separate occasions while under the care of the nursing home. The complaint alleges that on March 1, 2017, the patient, who was an amputee, was taken to the shower room by Aperion staff and left standing on her sole leg without proper assistance, causing the patient to suffer a traumatic fall.
The complaint states that the Aperion staff called 911 and admitted to the operator that it was an unwitnessed fall stating: “It was an unwitnessed. She was in the shower room. She is alert and oriented, but we do not know if she hit her head.”
According to the complaint, although the facility staff admitted that the fall was “unwitnessed” to the 911 operator, the facility attempted to “conceal the truth and cover up their neglect” when the nursing staff later falsely documented the nursing records to suggest that the patient’s fall was in fact witnessed and that the fall was caused by the patient letting go of a wheelchair.
The complaint further alleges that after the fall, the Aperion staff decided to “move [the patient] without stabilizing the fracture, lifting [the patient] and placing [the patient] into bed prior to calling an ambulance.”
The patient was transported to Howard Community Emergency Room where she was diagnosed with a displaced spiral fracture of the femur shaft and two days later underwent surgery, according to the complaint. The fracture, according to the complaint, was so painful the patient rated her pain at “20” on a scale of 1-10. According to the complaint, the patient then developed painful pressure ulcers on the buttocks and a blister on the heel as a result of being immobilized after the fall. According to the complaint, the patient suffered in a debilitated state through the next several months until her death in June 2017.
The complaint alleges Aperion Care Kokomo nursing staff failed “to provide sufficient nurse and support staffing to meet the needs and ensure the safety of patients under their care,“ and failed “to properly train and supervise employees to care for geriatric patients.”
In support of its allegations, the complaint states that in January of 2015, the Aperion Care Kokomo facility was investigated by the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) for care violations. According to the complaint, the ISDH cited Aperion Care Kokomo for failing to comply with multiple state and federal quality of care regulations. The complaint alleges the ISDH findings evidences “a callous disregard for the rights, safety, welfare and dignity of its patient population.”
ISDH reports can be publically searched through this website.
According to the complaint, Aperion Kokomo has refused to accept responsibility for the patient’s harm.
The complaint is a public record on file with the Indiana Department of Insurance and the Howard Superior Court.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Our investigation into these matters is continuing. If you are a former employee of an Aperion nursing home, or have information related to the subject matter of this claim, please contact us at 877-769-5377.