Investigations are underway as to why eight residents of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, Florida died in the days after Hurricane Irma swept through the state. The nursing home had prepared for the hurricane by stocking enough food and water for seven days and making sure the power generator was working, but until it becomes clear why so many residents died, Governor Rick Scott has ordered an emergency moratorium preventing new patients from being admitted there.
Whether or not this is a case of hospital negligence will be determined by the three separate investigations that have been launched as well as a criminal investigation.
Under federal law, the temperature at nursing homes must be kept between 71 and 81 degrees. They must also have an emergency backup power source to ensure that temperatures for residents and their provisions remain in a safe range. Thus far in the investigation, it is known that the nursing home’s air conditioning system was not fully functioning and that portable units were being used, but according to a statement by the city of Hollywood, the temperature at the facility was excessively hot. The city is now determining whether cause of death in any of the eight cases was heat-related.
Patients in Critical Need of Care
On September 12, the nursing home notified the Broward County Emergency Operations Center that it had lost power. That same day, one patient was found dead and taken to a funeral home and no authorities were alerted. The next day in the early morning hours, staff called 911 for a patient in cardiac arrest. The patient was delivered to Memorial Regional Hospital. Another 911 call was made within the next hour about a patient with breathing problems.
At this point enough concern had been raised about the facility that the Department of Children and Families was notified. Yet a third 911 call had to be made shortly after the second. The fire department was sent over to investigate what was happening there. They found several patients in distress and another three that were already deceased.
At five that morning, the chief nurse at Memorial Regional Hospital noticed that many of the patients arriving had extraordinarily high temperatures so she walked over to the nursing home herself. After finding more patients in distress and realizing the heat had reached unbearable levels, she triggered the hospital’s mass-casualty alert, concerned that the temperature inside was too high for anybody, not just the elderly.
There ensued a rush to evacuate the home, but four more patients died later in hospitals. A woman who had been to the home on Tuesday to visit a friend reported the patients were being kept in the hallways with fans after the air conditioning failed. Her friend was having difficulty breathing, but there was no ice available and she claims she felt ignored by the staff that day. On Wednesday, her friend was still alive but unresponsive. Tragically, later that day she passed away.
South Jersey Medical Negligence Lawyers at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. Fight for Victims of Medical Malpractice
If you or someone you love has suffered from negligent care while hospitalized, you may be eligible for compensation. Call 856-354-9444 today to speak to a South Jersey medical negligence lawyer at Folkman Law Offices, P.C. and schedule your free consultation. You can also contact us online. With offices in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, we represent clients throughout Camden County and Burlington County, as well as those in Philadelphia, and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
