Staffing Shortage May Have Been Responsible for Boy’s Death at Maryland Group Home

A true tragedy unfolded earlier this month in a group home charged with caring for severely disabled foster children. According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, a 10-year-old boy died at the care facility because there were not enough caretakers to provided the required one-on-one care that the boy needed.

Evidently, as a young baby, the boy suffered a severe case of shaken baby syndrome. So severe, in fact, that his mother was sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence for her involvement. A group home was charged with his care and was provided funding for such care by the State. However, on July 2nd, the boy died when there was only one nurse on staff to care for all the home’s patients.

The staffing shortage came to light when an on-duty nurse came forward, telling all who would listen that she has complained to the staffing company several times without success. Their response, she said, was always, “We know, we know, we’ll fix it.” Now it is too late to fix anything.

The care facility’s license is in the process of being revoked, and the residents of the home are being moved out to other facilities. In fact, the center had been cited in the past for staffing shortages but somehow maintained its license. As it turns out, a few months ago, the facility offered to surrender its license, explaining that there was no way it could provide the needed care with the amount of state funds it was being given. While several of the children had been removed from the home, others remained until the State could find them adequate care.

Providing Adequate Care in Nursing Facilities

The reason most residents are admitted into an advanced care facility is that they do not have anyone in their lives to provide them with the care they need to survive. However, time and time again we read about nursing-home or care-facility deaths caused by a lack of care. It’s quite obvious that, when nursing homes and other care facilities try to cut corners on staffing to save money, they jeopardize their patients’ health and safety. In these cases, the loved ones of the deceased may wish to seek justice from the negligent nursing home.

Have You Lost a Loved One in a Maryland Nursing Home?

If you have recently lost a loved one due to what you believe was the negligence of the nursing home that was charged with his or her care, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for your loss. The Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has a team of dedicated lawyers who are familiar with nursing home negligence suits and are prepared to meet with you about your case. With an attorney’s assistance, you will be able to better understand the applicable law in your case and will be able to make an informed decision about what is best for your family. Click here, or call 410-54-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation with a dedicated nursing home attorney.

See More Blog Posts:

North Carolina Cites Nursing Home for Inadequate Care and Abuse, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published July 14, 2014.

Male Nurse Pleads Not Guilty to Mistreating a Patient, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published June 24, 2014.

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