The family of Thomas Ward Sr. recently decided to file a lawsuit against the Oasis Center for Rehabilitation and Healing nursing home over allegations of neglect and wrongful death. Ward is a former resident of the nursing home “for less than two months in 2018,” and during that short time he “developed an infestation of maggots between his nasal passages and throat, along with severe bedsores and other health complications.” Unfortunately, those complications led to his death.

Gavel; image by Rawpixel, via Unsplash.com.

The lawsuit was filed in filed the civil complaint Thursday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court by attorneys Richard Bush and Ryan Harrell on behalf of Ward’s estate. The suit argues the nursing home neglected Ward, causing his wrongful death, and is seeking unspecified damages as a result. In addition the nursing home, the suit also names a variety of unidentified nursing home workers and their employers as defendants “for their alleged negligence in Ward’s assessment and wound prevention care.”How did the incident happen, though? It all began back in August 2018 when Ward was admitted to the facility “to receive nursing care and rehabilitation following a stroke.” According to the suit, it wasn’t long before Ward began developing the “most severe level of bedsores, which are categorized as affecting deep tissue and or having visible signs of infection.” Additionally, shortly after being admitted he also “developed an infestation of maggots in his oral cavity and oropharynx, along with a urinary tract infection and other health problems and infections that ultimately led to sepsis and septic shock.”Not even two months after being admitted, Ward was discharged and sent to two different hospitals for treatment. In the end, he “began receiving palliative care from a hospice provider” in October and died on Oct. 13, 2018.It’s important to note that prior to this lawsuit, Oasis had been cited “by state inspectors for 58 health and safety deficiencies since December 2016 and fined more than $114,000.” On Medicare.gov, the facility has a ‘below average’ rating of just two stars, and “has been a candidate for the state’s Special Focus Facilities list for six months," according to a list released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This list spotlights facilities “with the most health and safety citations, or which indicate a pattern of noncompliance with particular state standards.”This isn’t the first time a Youngstown nursing home has been accused of wrongful death and neglect, though. In fact, Ward’s case is the third to be filed against a Youngstown nursing home in recent months.

Sources:

Lawsuit: Nursing home neglect led to deathMedicare.gov