WEST VIRGINIA RECORD

WINFIELD -- The son of a woman has filed suit against two Putnam County nursing homes over the treatment he says his mother received.

Zeb Lee Taylor Sr., power of attorney for Rosa Taylor, filed the complaint last month in Putnam Circuit Court against several business entities that do business as Sunbridge Care & Rehabilitation for Putnam and Teays Valley Center.

The suit, filed by attorney Erin L. Winter of the Charleston law firm of Bell & Bands, alleges Rosa Taylor did not receive adequate treatment and care during her time at the facilities.

Taylor was a resident of Sunbridge from Nov. 29, 2005, to Dec. 11, 2005. While there, she suffered serious injuries "from a pattern of poor care, neglect and abuse." That included dehydration and falls.

The suit says the negligence and abuse caused significant destruction of her physical and mental condition during her stay there.

Staff also "failed to develop and implement a care plan to prevent dehydration, and failed to provide adequate fluids to maintain adequate hydration" as well as "failed to adequately and appropriately monitor Mrs. Taylor's fluid intake and report her poor intake to a physician."

Also, the facility "failed to monitor Mrs. Taylor for her response to multiple medications, including whether Mrs. Taylor was suffering from side effects of those medications," according to the complaint.

She fell on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, resulting in injuries that include a hip fracture. She was taken to Thomas Memorial Hospital and had hip replacement surgery.

After she was discharged from the hospital, Taylor was admitted to Teays Valley Center.

There, the suit alleges, she suffered more injuries because of poor care, neglect and abuse. Those injuries included severe dehydration resulting in renal failure, respiratory failure and infections.

The three-count complaint says Teays Valley Center did not keep Taylor's family fully informed of her status and did not provide proper staffing and nursing care to her. It also says Sunbridge was guilty of essentially the same thing. It also accuses both facilities of negligence.

Taylor seeks compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees and other relief.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge O.C. "Hobby" Spaulding.

Putnam Circuit Court case number: 08-C-16