Douglasville Nursing and Rehabilitation complaint alleges fatal pressure ulcers and trauma wounds
The complaint alleges that Douglasville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center neglected a paralyzed, bed-bound stroke patient over a nine-month admission, allowing pressure ulcers to advance to Stage 4, permitting additional pressure or trauma wound sites to develop, and contributing to chronic osteomyelitis and respiratory decline. It also names unidentified nursing staff sued as Jane and/or John Does.
Overview
This page concerns a public wrongful-death medical-malpractice complaint alleging that Douglasville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center neglected a paralyzed, bed-bound resident, allowing pressure ulcers and trauma wounds to develop or worsen during a nine-month admission.
Chronology
The complaint alleges as follows:
- The resident was admitted to Douglasville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on January 17, 2024 after a 2023 thalamic intracerebral hemorrhage left him obtunded, paralyzed, bed-bound, and dependent on a tracheostomy and PEG tube.
- The resident was admitted with an unstageable sacral ulcer and a Stage 3 right medial heel ulcer.
- A consulting wound-care physician ordered a Group-2 powered-air or alternating-pressure mattress on January 22, 2024 and renewed that order at roughly biweekly visits.
- The facility did not provide a Group-2 mattress until sometime between July 8 and August 19, 2024.
- The sacral wound progressed to Stage 4 and reached approximately 81 square centimeters by October 7, 2024.
Alleged failures
The complaint alleges the following failures:
- Pressure ulcers advanced from Stage 3 to Stage 4 during the admission.
- Ten additional pressure or trauma wound sites developed.
- The facility failed to timely provide a Group-2 pressure-reduction mattress despite repeated orders.
- Two trauma wounds or floor events could only have been caused by staff dropping or mishandling the resident.
- Chronic osteomyelitis and respiratory decline contributed to the resident’s death.