Kenneth D. St. Pé established liability against a long-term care facility following severe neglect that resulted in a resident suffering four stage IV decubitus ulcers (severe, full-thickness pressure sores extending to deep tissue and bone) and profound malnutrition involving a 28-pound weight loss over an eight-month period. The action demonstrated systemic operational failures, including a total lack of resident repositioning, unaddressed weight loss, improper wound staging, and altered care plan documentation. Representation was provided to hold the facility accountable before the Louisiana Patients’ Compensation Fund.
Case Profile
The Claimant: A long-term care resident suffering from rapid weight loss, physical decline, and impaired mobility.
The Defendant: Corporate Long-Term Care Facility / Nursing Home Operator in Louisiana.
Incident Dynamics: Failure by facility staff to execute mandatory turning schedules; unaddressed rapid weight loss (28 lbs over 8 months); widespread missed wound treatments, improper staging of emerging pressure sores, and failure to perform daily skin assessments; post-incident alteration of nursing records and listing resident health problems out of order to mask clinical neglect.
Injuries & Medical Taxonomy
- Stage IV Decubitus Ulcers: Advanced pressure sores (bedsores) involving full-thickness tissue loss with exposed muscle, tendon, or bone.
- Malnutrition & Rapid Cachemia: Severe muscle wasting and weight reduction (28 lbs over 8 months) caused by inadequate nutritional care planning.
Jurisdictional Basis: Medical malpractice panel proceedings under the Louisiana Patients’ Compensation Fund (PCF).
Regulatory Breaches & Standard of Care Violations
- 1. Pressure Sore Prevention & Treatment (42 CFR § 483.25(d)): The facility failed to ensure that a resident entering without pressure sores avoided developing them, and failed to provide necessary treatment and services to promote healing and prevent new ulcers from forming.
- 2. Nutritional Status Maintenance (42 CFR § 483.25(g)): Frontline staff failed to maintain acceptable parameters of nutritional status, ignoring an unaddressed 28-pound weight loss over eight months.
- 3. Comprehensive Person-Centered Care Planning (42 CFR § 483.21): Staff failed to develop, execute, and continuously adjust a comprehensive care plan addressing skin integrity and dietary needs, while actively altering care plan records out of sequence to conceal negligence.
If your loved one has suffered from severe pressure sores, unaddressed weight loss, or care plan neglect in a nursing home, hold the facility accountable. Kenneth D. St. Pé is an AV Preeminent, board-certified medical malpractice attorney dedicated to litigating complex elder abuse and long-term care neglect cases across Louisiana.
Kenneth D. St. Pé, APLC
700 St. John Street, Suite 401Lafayette, LA 70501
Phone: 337-534-4043
Web: https://stpelaw.com