Many Massachusetts residents look to nursing homes as places of refuge and supporting care. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes deliver on this promise. The Sweet Brook Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Williamstown, Massachusetts has recently been cited by both former patients and government regulatory officials as failing to provide adequate care to residents.
One former patient accused the nursing home of allowing him to sleep under urine-soaked blankets without making any effort to supply fresh bedding. Another ex-patient said that he was not bathed even once during his one-month stay in the home. Both men said they still suffer from disabilities that were caused by the nursing home’s negligence. One of the men is diabetic, but he says that he never received food that was appropriate for his illness.
The nursing home is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to operate 186 beds. Unfortunately, the nursing home is rated as being in the lowest one percent of all nursing homes in the state. The home has been assessed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for an assortment of violations, including medication errors and instances of abuse and neglect. The home’s administrator claims that the home is pursuing a corrective plan that it filed with the state. A state representative, whose district includes the nursing home’s location, has called for more vigorous enforcement of state and federal regulations.
Any person who winds up in a care facility that fails to provide proper care may have a claim for damages against the facility and its staff for medical negligence and other violations of their duties. A lawyer who is experienced in handling medical negligence cases may be able to offer helpful advice on whether the improper treatment will support a claim for damages.
