Choking Death of Philadelphia Nursing Home Resident leads to Pennsylvania Attorney General Taking over DNA Testing

A hair discovered on a paper wipe found lodged in the throat of Cheryl Yewdall, a 50 year-old Philadelphia nursing home resident with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities, was recently ordered by a judge to be sent out for private DNA testing as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the woman’s mysterious choking death in 2022. Before evidence could be sent to the lab, the Pennsylvania AG’s office stepped in to take control of the testing.

The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office has involved itself in the DNA testing of a hair discovered on a wipe removed from the trachea of a Philadelphia nursing home resident who later died, says an article in U.S. News & World Report.

Stuck to a wipe pulled from the windpipe of 50 year-old Philadelphia nursing home resident Cheryl Yewdall prior to her death, the hair was discovered by a pathologist for Yewdall’s family after having apparently been missed by Philadelphia investigators. The wrongful death attorney for the family requested a judge order DNA testing of the hair, which could potentially shed light on whether Yewdall’s death was an accident or a homicide.

According to the article, the state attorney general’s office originally appeared unwilling to get involved with the DNA testing; however, after Philadelphia was subpoenaed to turn over the evidence to a laboratory of the family’s choosing, the AG’s office took control of the evidence and will see the testing performed as ordered. The family’s wrongful death attorney subsequently withdrew his demand for private DNA testing, citing “pending criminal investigation” as the reason.

The investigation began nearly three years ago after Yewdall, a resident of the Merakey Woodhaven facility in Philadelphia, died five days after she was discovered lying face down on the floor of the facility, lips blue, lying in a pool of urine. At the hospital a 7-by-10-inch wipe was pulled from her airway; the medical examiner could not determine how the wipe appeared in Yewdall’s throat. Yewdall’s mother, convinced an extreme incident of nursing home malpractice had occurred, subsequently secured a wrongful death attorney and filed a $15 million lawsuit against Merakey Woodhaven. Charges have yet to be filed.

Merakey has denied all allegations of nursing home malpractice related to Yewdall’s death. In response to the wrongful death attorney’s claim that a Merakey employee forced the wipe into Yewdall’s throat, Merakey argued that the type of wipe discovered is not used at Woodhaven and instead was likely inserted into the victim’s throat after leaving the facility, perhaps by the EMTs who rushed Yewdall to the hospital. The wrongful death attorney in turn said that an expert will testify that the wipe was present when EMTs arrived on the scene.

The wrongful death attorney has previously contended that Yewdall, whose gag reflex functioned normally despite her cerebal palsy, could not have inserted the wipe into her own throat; moreover, the wrongful death attorney contended, the strand of black hair on the wipe could not have come from Yewdall, as a recent photograph of the victim showed her with mostly gray hair.

Certain incidents previously discovered by the family implicate Merakey Woodhaven as having subjected Yewdall to nursing home malpractice, such as allowing her broken leg to go undiagnosed for weeks and also including an alleged falling event that left Yewdall with a black eye and swollen cheek. Most damning is an audio recording of Yewdall saying, “Listen to me, a———. Settle down baby. I’m going to kill you if you don’t settle down. I’m going to kill you, a———.” According to the wrongful death attorney, Yewdall, who suffered from a condition called echolalia that caused her to repeat things she overheard, heard these threats at Marakey Woodhaven.

A trial has been set for next year.

Battling Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy is committed to combating nursing home malpractice in Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing homes. No Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing home resident should suffer abuse or negligence or live in fear of nursing home wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy has years of experience as a Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney. He is committed to bringing his clients’ nursing home malpractice cases to successful resolutions. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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DNA Testing Could Give Answers in Mysterious Wrongful Death of Philadelphia Nursing Home Resident Found with a Disinfectant Wipe Lodged in Her Throat

In January 2022, Cheryl Yewdall, a 50 year-old Philadelphia nursing home resident with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities, died after a paper towel or disinfecting wipe was discovered lodged in her trachea. The woman’s mother secured a wrongful death attorney and filed a lawsuit against Merakey Woodhaven, where her daughter lived since she was ten. New DNA evidence could shed new light on the case.

The family of a Philadelphia nursing home resident who died after choking on a paper towel or disinfecting wipe has requested DNA testing on a hair stuck to the wipe, says a Bowling Green Daily News article. A single black hair, apparently missed by homicide investigators who were unable determine if the death was a homicide or an accident, has been discovered via magnification of police evidence photos by a pathologist for the victim’s family; the family subsequently contacted a judge to request DNA testing of the hair.

In January 2022, workers at Philadelphia’s Merakey Woodhaven found 50 year-old resident Cheryl Yewdall face down on the floor, in a pool of urine, her lips blue—circumstances indicative of nursing home malpractice. A 7-by-10-inch paper towel or cleaning wipe was discovered blocking her airway. Following an investigation, the question of how the wipe got into her throat remains a mystery. After contacting a wrongful death attorney, Yewdall’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the home.

According to the news article, the wrongful death attorney and a second lawyer filed a motion on June 21 that included a photograph of Yewdall with mostly gray hair. The black hair on the wipe—and even the wipe itself—might contain DNA not belonging to Yewdall, contends the wrongful death attorney. The article says that, thus far, no indication of a willingness to conduct DNA testing has been shown.

The nursing home has denied any responsibility for Yewdall’s death. The suit filed by the wrongful death attorney for Yewdall’s family accuses a staff member at Marakey Woodhaven of jamming the paper towel/cleaning wipe down her throat. While Yewdall suffered from cerebral palsy, her medical records indicated a normal functioning of her gag reflex, suggestive of the fact that Yewdall could not have inserted the wad of paper into her own windpipe; furthermore, previous incidents indicative of nursing home malpractice support the lawsuit’s accusations:

• In early 2021, Yewdall suffered an undiagnosed broken leg for weeks. When it was finally discovered, the physician-ordered leg immobilizer went unimplemented.
• Later that year, Yewdall suffered a black eye and swollen cheek, which the facility claimed was the result of a fall.
• Most significantly, an audio recording of Yewdall—who has a condition known as echolalia, which involves the repeating of other people’s words and phrases—reveals her saying, “Listen to me, a———. Settle down baby. I’m going to kill you if you don’t settle down. I’m going to kill you, a———.” According to the lawsuit, these words were overheard by Yewdall at Marakey Woodhaven.

Taking Nursing Homes to Task for Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy is committed to fighting against nursing home malpractice in Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing homes. No Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing home resident should be subjected to the abusive and negligent acts that amount to nursing home malpractice, and no one should live in fear of nursing home wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy has years of experience coming up against Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing homes in matters of nursing home malpractice and as a wrongful death attorney. He is dedicated to successfully resolving his clients’ cases. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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Missing Elderly Woman Who Wandered from Pennsylvania Nursing Home Found Dead 

An elderly woman who wandered from her Pennsylvania nursing home last month was found dead the day after she was reported missing, says an NBC Philadelphia article. On Monday, July 8, 84-year-old Nadine Beech was reported missing from the Waverly Heights retirement community in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, after staff members discovered she hadn’t shown up for lunch. Her body was found the following afternoon in Bryn Mawr.

Due to the dangerous heat that Monday, the woman’s unfamiliarity with the area, and her possible confused mental state, police initiated a search for Beech and asked hospitals and local residents to check areas of their property in an effort to find her. The police search for Beech, who apparently wasn’t carrying her cellphone or any money, involved drones, choppers, ATVs and K9s making a large-scale search of the area.

Beech, who had moved to Waverly Heights on June 29, had been assessed as someone not at risk of wandering off and was “free to come and go,” according to Waverly Heights president Tom Garvin. According the article, officials could not determine why Beech had walked out of the facility, other than that she “wasn’t thrilled” about having been admitted. Garvin said that Waverly Heights implemented a missing resident protocol once Beech was discovered missing.

Elopement, the term for when a resident at risk of wandering leaves his or her nursing home undetected, is a surprisingly common type of nursing home malpractice that unfortunately often results in death, requiring the involvement of a wrongful death attorney. A recent investigation shows that a startling number of American nursing home elopements occur, often with tragic results, as was the case with Nadine Beech.

Many times nursing home elopement is the result of low staff-to-resident ratios. Elopement sometimes goes undetected when staff engages in such neglectful instances of nursing home malpractice as ignoring door alarms, skipping bed checks, or sleeping on the job.

If your loved one living at a nursing home has been determined to be at risk for wandering and staff does not prevent him or her from elopement, nursing home malpractice has occurred and a nursing home malpractice lawyer should be immediately contacted, particularly if injury has occurred. In the tragic situation of a death occurring as a result of elopement, a wrongful death attorney needs to be contacted.

Protecting Your Loved Ones from Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy represents victims of abuse and neglect in Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing homes. As an accomplished nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian Murphy holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for substandard care and incidents of abuse, particularly staff negligence that leads to elopement or any type of nursing home malpractice that results in wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy is convinced that no resident of a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home should need to live in fear of elder abuse, neglect, or any kind of nursing home malpractice. He is ready to discuss your legal options. If you or your loved one needs to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, call Brian Murphy today.

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New Jersey Nursing Home Residents Sue for Negligence, Hardship, and Wrongful Death after Home Closes without Notice

For months before the sudden shutdown, red flags about Princeton Care Center were apparent, including staffing shortages, unpaid bills, and poor ratings related to nursing home malpractice,

Eleven lawsuits have been brought against a New Jersey nursing home, all of which claim it illegally closed without proper notice, a NJ.com article reports. The lawsuits, brought by residents or their families, claim that the precipitous shuttering of doors at Princeton Care Center caused hardship and wrongful death, necessitating the securing of wrongful death attorneys and constituting a blatant act of nursing home malpractice.

In the state of New Jersey, the law dictates that a nursing home intending to close must submit a closure plan and give 60 days’ notice to residents. According to the article, the 72 residents of Princeton Care were given just hours of notice when Princeton Care announced it was closing last September. After the closure, says the article, the majority of the residents were placed in other nursing homes, where they promptly suffered mental deterioration trying to acclimate to new surroundings. Two of the residents died shortly after being relocated, unfortunately requiring their families to secure a wrongful death attorney.

The nursing home malpractice lawsuits against the home charge the facility’s owner, administrators, and health care providers with the following:

• Negligence
• Failure to safeguard residents
• Deviating from accepted standards of long-term care
• Failure to comply with federal and state regulations
• Failure to return funds held in residents’ personal needs accounts

Regarding Princeton Care’s sudden shutdown, New Jersey Health Department officials say the move was the legal consequence of emergency circumstances stemming from the collapse of a license transfer deal that would have rescued the financially struggling home; however, court documents and other records indicate the home was in serious financial and operating straits long before the shutdown, a perfect storm of conditions that create circumstances under which nursing home malpractice occurs and vulnerable residents suffer. The red flags were enumerated by the article as the following:

• Consistent poor ratings
• Hundreds of thousands in unpaid bills
• Millions in mounting losses
• Chronic staffing shortages
• Alleged breach of contract concerning lease payments not made for months

According to the Office of the State Comptroller, Princeton Care’s owner, Gail Bogner, has been made to renounce her stake in two other facilities earlier this year rather than risk the forfeiture of millions of dollars in federal funding necessary to keep those sites open. Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh said Bogner’s actions regarding Princeton Care were characterized by “recklessness, neglect, and incredibly poor judgment [that] caused serious harm and trauma to the residents of Princeton Care Center. It presents too serious of a risk to allow them to have influence over any other Medicaid-funded nursing homes.”

Fighting Against Nursing Home Neglect, Abuse, and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy has dedicated his practice to upholding the safety and preserving the rights of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home residents. Your loved one should not fear that the facility he or she is comfortable in will close without notice, leaving him or her reeling. As a seasoned nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian Murphy endeavors to hold accountable those Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes responsible for negligence and abuse and every kind of nursing home malpractice. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or if you need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today.

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Pennsylvania Nurse Charged with Multiple Nursing Home Murders Gets Life in Prison

The Pennsylvania nurse who gave high—and in many cases, lethal—doses of insulin to several of her patients has pled guilty to three counts of murder as well as other charges and received a life sentence in prison, says an NBC Philadelphia article.

Initially charged with the deaths of two nursing home patients while injuring a third, former nurse Heather Pressdee, 41, was ultimately found to be involved in the deaths of at least 17 patients ranging from 43 to 104 years of age in nursing homes across four Pennsylvania counties between 2020 and 2023, said prosecutors. Following the original charges against her, subsequent investigations resulted in multiple other charges being brought against her by wrongful death attorneys.

A recent lawsuit brought by a wrongful death attorney was filed in April against Armstrong Rehabilitation and Nursing Facility in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, and its parent company, Armstrong SNF Operator LLC. The suit charged the home with nine counts of nursing home malpractice for neglecting to prevent the hiring of Pressdee in spite of her dismissals from other homes, for failing to prevent the death of a 90 year-old woman who’d been given an overdose of insulin administered by Pressdee, and for neglecting to report or act on reports related to suspected abuse.

At her hearing in Butler County, Pressdee pled guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and 19 counts of attempted murder, and received three consecutive life sentences, as well as another consecutive term of 380-760 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Pressdee allegedly administered the high doses of insulin to her patients—including those who were not diabetic—during quiet, low-staffed overnight shifts, in order to avoid the swift hospitalization of her victims. The NBC Philadelphia article said Pressdee’s coworkers had frequently taken issue with the former nurse’s professional conduct and witnessed her showing contempt for her patients and saying disparaging things about them.

Fighting Against Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy dedicates his practice to upholding the safety and rights of residents in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing homes. Your loved one should never have to endure nursing home negligence or abuse that results in injury, illness, or especially wrongful death. Brian Murphy is experienced in taking to task negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, he holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for all types of nursing home malpractice. If you need to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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Ninth Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Connection with Pennsylvania Nurse Charged with Killing Two Nursing Home Residents and Attempted Murder of a Third

The latest lawsuit involving Heather Pressdee, the former registered nurse charged with homicide and attempted murder, claims that her being fired or forced to resign from multiple nursing homes was a red flag indicating a history of nursing home malpractice.

A new wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against a Pennsylvania nursing home in connection with former nurse Heather Pressdee, says a Trib Live article, marking the ninth wrongful death lawsuit against a nursing home where Pressdee worked.

Pressdee is criminally charged with killing two nursing home residents and attempting to murder a third by giving them lethal doses of insulin at Quality Life Services, a skilled nursing facility near Pittsburgh. This act of nursing home malpractice was called “deliberate and intentional” by the Pennsylvania attorney general. According to the Trib Live article, Pressdee has been connected by state prosecutors to the deaths of at least 17 patients, and the mistreatment of five more, at nursing homes across four Pennsylvania counties between 2020 and 2023. She is being held in the Butler County jail.

The latest suit brought by a wrongful death attorney has been filed against Armstrong Rehabilitation and Nursing Facility in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, and its parent company, Armstrong SNF Operator LLC, on behalf of patient Louise Skinner, 90, who died in December 2022. The suit claims Skinner, like Pressdee’s other alleged victims, died from an overdose of insulin administered by Pressdee and that Armstrong Rehabilitation is liable; it accuses the facility of nursing home malpractice in the form of negligence due to the fact that the home hired Pressdee in November 2022 despite her string of dismissals and resignations from other nursing homes.

The suit furthermore accuses Armstrong Rehabilitation staff of nursing home malpractice in the form of negligence in that it failed to prevent Pressdee from giving unnecessary insulin to Skinner, and in that it neglected to report or act on reports regarding suspected abuse. In total the lawsuit brought by the wrongful death attorney contains nine counts, including negligence and vicarious liability.

According to the article, the eight other wrongful death lawsuits connected with Pressdee make similar claims of liability against two other Pennsylvania nursing homes and their owners. They have been brought against Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Lower Burrell and Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Butler.

Fighting Against Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy dedicates his practice to upholding the safety and rights of residents in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing homes. Your loved one should never be subject to nursing home negligence that results in injury or illness or especially wrongful death. Brian Murphy is experienced in taking to task negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, he holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for all types of nursing home malpractice. If you need to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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Wrongful Bedsore Death of a Massachusetts Nursing Home Resident : Massachusetts’s Hathorne Hill in Danvers has been cited for other recent incidents of nursing home malpractice related to substandard care and conditions that jeopardized the health and safety of the residents.

A Massachusetts nursing home is accused of nursing home malpractice in the form of neglect related to the wrongful bedsore death of a patient, a CBS News Boston article reports. According to the article, a pressure ulcer sustained by Luciano Guiseppe Sforza at Hathorne Hill in Danvers deteriorated, became infected, and led to his death just months after being admitted to the facility for rehabilitation.

Sforza, who needed the rehab for walking, was admitted to Hathorne Hill in March of 2022 and quickly developed a bedsore. By July he was hospitalized for the infected wound and was placed in intensive care, dying weeks later from sepsis.

Bed sores are a far too common result of nursing home malpractice. Although certain factors such as a resident’s age, weight, medical conditions, or mobility put residents at a greater risk for developing bed sores, none of these are the primary cause of the ailment. Bedsores are the result of the skin’s prolonged exposure to pressure. Not relieving pressure for residents at risk for bedsores (e.g. ensuring a patient is regularly moved from or turned in his or her bed or wheelchair) is negligence on the part of the nursing home and a nursing home malpractice lawyer should be consulted. In the event of a bedsore that has seriously deteriorated to the point of causing infection and death, a wrongful death attorney will unfortunately need to be called.

“It should have never happened,” said Sforza’s wife, Lori, about his death. “It was neglect of the highest order, neglect.”

Lori went on to say she intends to sue for nursing home malpractice and has hired a wrongful death attorney.

According to the article, Hathorne hill has recently been cited for other incidents of nursing home malpractice. The incidents are as follows:

• Medication Errors: a nurse gave morphine to the wrong patient; the nurse failed to report the mistake.
• Nursing Home Abuse: a nursing assistant forced a resident to change their own ostomy bag; this incident also went unreported.

Fighting Against Neglectful Care, Elder Abuse, and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy strives to uphold the safety and rights of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home residents. Your loved one living in a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home should never be subjected to any sort of nursing home malpractice, including any neglect that causes, or leads to the worsening of, bedsores. As an experienced nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian Murphy holds accountable those Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes responsible for negligence and abuse of every kind. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or if you need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today.

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Resident Died from Sepsis: Pennsylvania Nursing Home Charged with Wrongful Death and Alleged Severe Neglect 

The Old Orchard Health Care Center in Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem Township has been accused of nursing home malpractice in the form of extreme negligence after a resident died from sepsis who was  afflicted with multiple infected bedsores and other affliction in late 2021.

A Pennsylvania nursing home has been accused of nursing home negligence after a resident died in a septic state at a local emergency room, says a WFMZ 69 News article.

According to the suit brought by the administrator of the estate of the deceased and filed by her wrongful death attorney, Linda Loyko alleges that Myron Loyko suffered extreme physical pain, mental anguish, and humiliation as a result of negligence on the part of Old Orchard Health Care Center in Bethlehem Twp. This act of nursing home malpractice, Linda Loyko claims, ultimately led to Myron Loyko’s death on Dec. 13, 2021.

According to the article, court records indicate that during the month of his death Myron Loyko suffered the following afflictions:

• Distended Abdomen
• Testicular Pain
• Shortness of Breath
• Confusion
• Difficulty speaking

Nine days before his death, Myron Loyko was treated at the emergency department at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus and was found to have the following conditions:

• Urinary tract infection
• Acute kidney injury
• Fournier’s gangrene
• Sepsis
• Pressure ulcers on his buttocks and scrotum

The article cites court records as alleging that Myron Loyko died from nursing home negligence and careless acts of nursing home malpractice.

As alleged by the suit brought by the estate’s wrongful death attorney, the Old Orchard Health Care Center failed on a number of fronts to properly care for Myron Loyko and thus by negligence contributed to his wrongful death. Among these acts of failure are the following:

• Inadequate staffing levels
• Failure to ensure proper nutritional intake
• Lack of training/supervision of employees in the proper care of disabled residents
• Depriving Myron Loyko of an evaluation by a specialist
• Neglecting to inform family of Myron Loyko’s condition
• Failure to implement and enforce proper policies and procedures
• Lack of sufficient safety equipment

Nursing home neglect is a type of nursing home malpractice in which facilities fail to provide residents with any type of care required to maintain physical, mental, and psycho/social health. Certain typical conditions under which neglect occurs include low nursing staff levels and incompetent health providers, and common signs of neglect include malnutrition and dehydration, bed sores, infections, and unexpected death.  If someone’s loved one living in a nursing home has suffered an injury or death and nursing home neglect is suspected, it is imperative that a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney is immediately contacted.

Your Advocate against Nursing Home Neglect and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy is dedicated to protecting the safety and preserving the rights of residents in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing homes. Your loved one should not fear that nursing home negligence will result in illness, bed sores, humiliation, or especially wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy is experienced in taking to task negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, he holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for all types of nursing home malpractice. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or if you need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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Nursing Home Fined for Regulatory Violations after a Falling Incident Leads to a Resident’s Death

Three deaths in three years have resulted in state citations against Iowa’s Northridge Village, indicative of the occurrence of nursing home malpractice as well as circumstances that merit the involvement of a wrongful death attorney.

An Iowa nursing home fined for a regulatory violation in connection with a resident’s falling death, says an Iowa Capital Dispatch article. Northridge Village, a care complex comprised of a state-licensed assisted living center and nursing home fined $6,000 for the incident of nursing home malpractice.

According to the article, a female assisted living resident who had been equipped with a 24-hour emergency response pendant was discovered on the floor of her apartment on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, injured after a fall. The woman, who had gone on a shopping trip the previous Friday, had reportedly been unreachable by phone all weekend; when a family member checked on her, the apartment was locked and staff was required to get inside. At the hospital the woman was determined to have seven cracked ribs and to be suffering from dehydration and atrial fibrillation. Transferred to a hospice unit, the woman died days later.

While the inspectors’ report did not indicate when the woman fell or how long she lay on the floor before being discovered, it did say that the woman’s emergency response pendant had at some point been mistakenly deactivated. As a functioning pendant is a regulatory requirement for Iowa assisted living facilities, the incident is a clear occurrence of nursing home malpractice, one that would understandably warrant the contacting of a wrongful death attorney.

According to the article, Northridge Village has been cited twice in recent years for wrongful deaths in its skilled nursing facility:

• In November 2021, a resident died after being dropped to the floor during an improper bed transfer.
• In November 2022, a resident died following an untreated urinary tract infection.

When any nursing home, including Philadelphia/Pennsylvania and New Jersey nursing homes, engages in nursing home malpractice that directly causes the death of a resident, a wrongful death has occurred. If your loved one has died from injuries caused by the neglectful or abusive behavior of a facility, including a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home, it is important to immediately contact a wrongful death attorney.

Fighting Nursing Home Malpractice and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy has dedicated his practice to protecting the safety and rights of residents in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey nursing homes. Your loved one should not fear that nursing home negligence will result in illness or injury, especially to the extent of causing wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy is experienced in fighting negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, he holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for all types of nursing home malpractice. Should you need to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or if you need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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Nurse Criminally Charged in Nursing Home Resident’s Respiratory Death

The licensed practical nurse, a temp working at Fonda Specialty Care nursing home in Iowa, has been accused of nursing home malpractice in the form of felony wanton neglect after failing to assist a tracheostomy patient despite his gestures that he could not breathe. The man died soon afterward, an occurrence justifying the involvement of a wrongful death attorney.

An Iowa nurse has been criminally charged in the man’s wrongful death, as she allegedly neglected to clear the airway of a nursing home patient in her care, says a recent KCCI News article.

According to the article, licensed practical nurse Becky Sue Manning, 69, is accused of engaging in nursing home malpractice by ignoring repeated requests to help a patient who was struggling to breathe. The alleged incident took place in February 2023 at the Fonda Specialty Care nursing home where Manning was assigned as a temporary nurse through a medical staffing agency.

The deceased, Marvin “Pete” Jacobs, 87, had recently undergone a tracheostomy, a procedure in which a breathing tube is inserted in the windpipe to better facilitate breathing. To address the clogging of his airway that tended to occur after the procedure, a suctioning machine was positioned by staff beside his bed.

As per state inspection records, on the afternoon of Feb. 19, a nursing home employee discovered Jacobs in distress—gesturing at his throat, gasping for air, and mouthing he was unable to breathe. Prosecutors allege that the nurse summoned to help Jacobs was Manning. Despite Jacobs’s medical condition, his behavior, and that he allegedly turned shades of purple and blue, Manning did not use the suctioning machine to attempt to clear his airway. Instead the nurse took his vitals, declared Jacobs was having a heart attack, and left the room to determine if Jacobs had DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders, allegedly ignoring at least four aides’ suggestions that she suction him. When she returned to the room, Jacobs showed no signs of life, and Manning pronounced him deceased.

According to the article, Manning acknowledged to inspectors that various staff members said Jacobs’s airway needed clearing. “I told the staff no,” said Manning. “I was told that I would not have to do anything with the tracheostomy.” Manning allegedly also told inspectors that despite her coworkers’ input, it never occurred to her to use the suctioning machine on Jacobs’ airway.

Prosecutors also accuse Manning of preventing staff from calling 911 when Jacobs was showing signs of respiratory distress.

This alleged incident of nursing home malpractice, which warrants the securing of a wrongful death attorney, amounts to a failure to provide physician-ordered care; consequently, Manning has been charged with felony wanton neglect of a health care facility resident.

Medical professionals working at nursing homes, including those in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are required to provide their patients with all necessary medical care. Failing to do so is nursing home malpractice consistent with neglect. If your loved one living in a nursing home, including a Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing home, is injured or dies as a result of neglect, do not wait to contact a nursing home malpractice lawyer or wrongful death attorney.

According to the article, the $10,000 fine initially levied against Fonda Specialty Care for Jacobs’s death by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals was reduced to $6,500 as a result of the lack of an appeal in the case. Manning, arrested and later released on a $10,000 bond, has yet to enter a plea.

Battling Nursing Home Neglect and Wrongful Death

Attorney Brian P. Murphy endeavors to uphold the safety and rights of residents in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, or New Jersey nursing homes. Your loved one should never be subject to nursing home negligence that results in injury or illness or especially wrongful death. Attorney Brian Murphy is experienced in taking to task negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, he holds Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing homes accountable for all types of nursing home malpractice. If you need to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, or need guidance in choosing a nursing home, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.

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