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In a January 2021 press release, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office arrested a former assisted living facility resident aide shift supervisor for neglect of a resident because she failed to report the fall of a 98-year-old, wheelchair-bound dementia resident, resulting in excruciating injuries. When Big Bend Hospice nurses returned to work following a weekend off, they found the injured victim suffered a broken hip. It was determined the fall resulted from an employee dropping the resident. The employee reported the fall to her direct supervisor. However, the supervisor neglected to contact family members, medical staff, facility supervisors, ambulatory care services, or a hospital to have the resident evaluated. The delay in getting proper care and treatment lasted upwards of two days. The supervisor did not make an incident report, a violation of Florida law.

Unfortunately, assisted living facility and/or nursing home accidents are common in Florida. Most Florida abuse/neglect lawsuits arise from 7 common accidents:

1. Repeated falls
2. Undocumented ‘mystery’ broken bones
3. Patient wandering out of a facility
4. Dehydration
5. Starvation
6. Medicine errors
7. Wrongful death

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) Elder Abuse Prevention Program supports "services to protect elders from abuse in all its forms – physical, emotional, financial and more. The program is designed to increase awareness of the problem of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The program includes training and dissemination of elder abuse prevention materials and funds special projects to provide training and prevention activities.”

Families of abused/neglected residents should report any abuse to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) after seeking the assistance of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. This can help prevent facilities from repeatedly abusing and/or neglecting residents.

To report online- go to the DCF website https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/abuse-hotline/report-online.shtml.

To report by phone - call Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873). Press 2 to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. This toll-free number is available 24/7. TTY (Telephone Device for the Deaf): 1-800-955-8771.

“Spivey Law Firm Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. protects the rights of assisted living abuse and negligence victims. Please call our firm immediately at (888) 477-4839 if your loved one is abused in any way while in the care of an assisted living or nursing home facility. We have the compassion and expertise to achieve the best possible settlement or verdict for you. We commit to utilizing our expert team and legal discovery to prove cases of elder mistreatment. Our Fort Myers nursing home abuse attorneys are available to assist you 24/7, and there are no costs or fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you,” said Attorney Spivey.

Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Attorney  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact  Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.