San Luis Obispo

Nursing home death spurs lawsuit

Son says the facility’s actions led to death of mother, 97; attorney denies all accusations

By Leslie Parrilla

A man whose mother died in a San Luis Obispo nursing home filed a lawsuit against the facility saying it caused his mother’s death by reducing staff to save money.

Jay Cameron filed the lawsuit against Compass Health, a local corporation that owns six local nursing homes, including Mission View Health Center at 1425 Woodside Drive in San Luis Obispo. The case was filed Dec. 12 and is scheduled to return to court April 14, according to court officials.

Cameron alleges the home committed elder abuse, fraud, wrongful death, negligence and violated patient rights. He is asking for an undetermined amount of money and reimbursement for attorneys’ fees.

A lawsuit represents only one side of the case.

San Luis Obispo attorney Mark B. Connely is representing the nursing home and denies all of the accusations.

“I’m not aware of anything to support the accusations they’re making,” Connely said Thursday. “We don’t think we did anything wrong and we’re prepared to defend ourselves.”

Cameron’s mother, Margaret Williams, 97, was a resident at Mission View from May 26, 2006, to June 26 before being transferred to French Hospital Medical Center where she died July 7, 2006.Williams fell three times at the facility, suffered a hip fracture and developed pneumonia, according to the lawsuit.

Compass Health and administrators at Mission View are being accused of trying to increase profits by reducing staff and employing people who were not properly trained or qualified, leading to Williams’ death.

Connely said such accusations are not uncommon against nursing homes and that it is unclear why Williams fell.

“This lady was 97 years old and it’s not even clear whether she fell and broke her hip or had a weak hip from being 97 years old … and she collapsed and fell,” Connely said. “We don’t think we’re responsible for it in any sense. … When you’re 97 years old there is no way to guarantee that people don’t fall, if that’s what did happen.”

Attorneys for Cameron, Greg Coates and Michael Thamer, argued in the lawsuit that the skilled nursing facility took short cuts in care that resulted in unsanitary and hazardous living conditions and left residents unsuper vised. They also said there was an increase in accidents and injuries suffered by residents and nursing staff and other signs of inadequate care, according to the lawsuit.

“I’m not aware of any of these things,” Connely said.

State records for 2006-07 show the state Department of Public Health issued three citations against the home in 2006 for patient care and fined the facility $2,800, spokeswoman Lea Brooks said. The violations were considered to be minor, she said.

In April 2007, during a recertification survey, state investigators found deficiencies at the home, Brooks said. Details were not immediately available.