A 100-year-old nursing home patient was dropped in her bathroom by a CNA, who was reportedly assisting her to toilet. The nursing home’s care plan required two care providers to be present with the patient during transfers and toileting. Only one care provider was present when the patient was dropped.
As a result of the fall, the patient sustained a fracture of the left femoral shaft with extreme rotation, leg shortening, and pain with movement. The fracture required removal of an internal 
fixation device used to repair an earlier left hip fracture and installation of a stabilizing rod and screws. The patient remained hospitalized for ten days, after which she was returned to the nursing home. The fracture and surgery prevented her from bearing full weight on her legs for over three months and permitted more extensive weight bearing thereafter only as tolerated.
When she returned to the nursing home, she did not receive any anti-coagulants (blood thinners) to prevent blood clots. Within several weeks, she developed a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clot, in her thigh and was returned back to the hospital for another four days. She was released from the hospital and returned back to the nursing home, where she remains today. The patient recently turned 101 years old.
The case settled for six figures well before trial.
________________________________________________________________
Robert W. Carter, Jr. is a Virginia attorney whose law practice is dedicated to protecting the rights of the victims of nursing home and assisted living neglect and abuse in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, Lynchburg, Danville, Charlottesville, and across Virginia
