Life happens in circular motion. We are born into this world helpless. Then, our parents nourish and protect us until we are old enough to live on our own. Before a child is able to form words, their mother and father ensure that he or she is provided for in every way imaginable. Without that tender, loving care, an infant child would never be able to survive.
Decades later, life often comes full circle. Those same loving parents become older and unable to take care of themselves. Years of wear and tear on the body and mind have taken their toll. Then, the child may become the parent. They may become the caregivers, if they have the time and inclination to do so. But realistically, not every person can provide timely, adequate care to their elderly parents. That is why many people choose to place their loved ones in nursing homes. These are medical facilities that specialize in providing quality care for elderly people who cannot care for themselves. The trust that is placed in the staff of a nursing home is great, but not all workers rise to such a standard. In fact, some completely neglect the patients assigned to their care.
In the summer of 2013, Mrs. Edith Cook was admitted to the Sunbridge Dunbar Health Care nursing home in Charleston, West Virginia. Several months after being admitted, Mrs. Cook was visited by her adult son, Earl. He was devastated to find that his mother’s health had deteriorated during her stay at the nursing home. He had brought her there with the hope that her health would improve. The last thing he expected was to find out that it had gotten much worse.
Mr. Cook filed a lawsuit against the nursing home on behalf of his mother. In his complaint, he alleged that the staff of the nursing home had failed to provide timely care to his mother while she had stayed there, and that the infrequent check-ups had led to her becoming very ill, as well as developing several bed sores. According to Mr. Cook, his mother had been left alone on multiple occasions for hours at a time.
Mr. Cook is seeking an unspecified amount of damages in the lawsuit. Ryan H. Duty is his lawyer. The trial is set to commence sometime during the spring of 2015.
