A serious case of senior care facility abuse has come to light after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a Brius Healthcare Services nursing home in Eureka.

According to the wrongful death lawsuit, the senior care facility neglect was so severe that the elderly victim had a massive buildup of fecal matter in her digestive tract that eventually resulted in her death.

This is the fourth wrongful death lawsuit the Brius Healthcare Services nursing home is facing, as other cases of senior care facility abuse had similar results.  For this case, the neglect was so prevalent that the mass was reportedly the size and shape of an “eight month pregnant uterus” when it was removed in April 2017.

The law firm filing this wrongful death lawsuit had also filed legal action on behalf of two other victims who allegedly died from senior care facility abuse in November 2016 and March 2017. The wrongful death lawsuits alleged two different Eureka nursing homes were severely understaffed, causing the elderly residents to be without proper care and supervision.

This neglect allegedly resulted in the deaths of two residents after they allegedly developed ulcers. The third wrongful death lawsuit was filed against Eureka Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, alleging staff members had abandoned a resident at a Eureka hotel without notifying his family. The resident was blind and mentally ill, and could not care for himself on his own. This wrongful death case was settled in July 2017.

Overview of Senior Care Facility Abuse Allegations

According to court documents, the fecal matter had breached the colon and bled into her abdominal cavity. Due to the large amount removed, the elderly woman died soon after the surgery; the wrongful death lawsuit was filed soon after.

The lawsuit alleges multiple counts of senior care facility abuse, in which the Granada Rehabilitation and Wellness Center nursing home had failed to monitor the woman’s bowel movements. This was reportedly in direct contradiction of her healthcare plan: the nursing home was supposed to monitor her bowel movements and contact her physician if she was not regularly having them.

The wrongful death lawsuit stated that the fecal matter build up was not discovered until April 3, 2017. While it was removed the next day, Sharp ultimately died due to the trauma of the ordeal. Sharp had been a resident at Granada since November 2010, where the nursing care facility is supposed to provide care and supervision to dementia patients.

The wrongful death lawsuit further alleged that Sharp had to have been in pain, but the senior care facility did not do anything to relieve her or check on the state of her health. Along with the Granada Rehabilitation and Wellness Center, the nursing home administrator and other Brius healthcare associated companies are being named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The Granada representatives state that there were no instances of senior care facility abuse or neglect and that they “strive to provide a safe and comfortable environment for each and every one of our residents.” This was allegedly not the case for Sharp, whose family is filing legal action on her behalf.

Sharp’s children are seeking an unspecified financial amount in compensatory damage, and ultimately allege her death was caused by severe senior care facility abuse.