Assisted living facilities (known as "Adult Care Homes" in North Carolina) are supposed to be an ideal place to grow old. Residents still have their freedom, can be self-reliant, yet can still get needed care. It's a concept that many have grown to look towards for their own futures, or the futures of their loved ones. However, this concept is just not a reality in a lot of cases. Assisted living facilities sometimes focus too much on independence for residents, and neglect to provide the appropriate medical care, which can be dangerous for residents.
For example, one 90-year old woman with dementia who resided in an assisted living facility did not get the proper monitoring that she required. She was able to wander out of the home one night undetected, and they found her body 8 hours later in a nearby pond after an alligator had attacked her.
An 83-year-old retired veteran in another assisted living case was left by himself outside for hours in high temperatures, with no way of getting back inside the facility. He suffered from heatstroke and died a few days later.
Facilities sometimes assure round-the-clock monitoring and care, yet fail to deliver on that promise. Many families don't realize that these types of facilities are not designed or staffed to provide more than minimal help and monitoring. Another common allegation in assisted living lawsuits is that the facility accepts a resident who is totally unsuited to the lower level of care in these facilities. Some cases have shown that assisted living facilities do this to keep their resident population high and increase profits, especially since assisted living facilities generally are "private pay" and do not take lower Medicaid/Medicare reimbursements.
Contact Daniel, Holoman & Associates LLP if you or a loved one has experienced neglect or injuries at the hands of an assisted living facility or nursing home. We have extensive experience prosecuting nursing home, assisted living, and other medical negligence and wrongful death cases. There is no cost to speak to someone about your case. We have attorneys licensed in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.