South Carolina Lawyer Blog
A Pickens County nursing home is back in the news again – and not in a good way.
Thirty-six elderly patients at Majesty Health and Rehab in Easley were forced from their rooms in the middle of the night because of a gas leak.
Each year there are more than 20,000 complaints of elder care abuse in South Carolina retirement homes.
Individuals who are injured as a result of South Carolina nursing home negligence – and surviving family members if they are killed – may have a right to bring a lawsuit seeking financial compensation.
Following is a news report on the gas leak evacuation:
The Easley fire chief said the department responded to the Majesty Health and Rehab on Ann Drive after someone smelled gas.
News 4 was told that 36 patients were evacuated to another part of the building, but they did not have to go outside.
The chief said firefighters found a couple of leaks in the kitchen, and at that point, the gas was cut off and the area was ventilated.
The nursing home called a private contractor to test all the lines and make necessary repairs, according to the chief.
Last summer, Majesty Health and Rehab made headlines after an 84-year-old woman died when the facility’s air conditioning system broke down.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control investigated and found “substandard quality of care and/or immediate jeopardy.” The cause of death was over-medication and overheating. DHEC cited Majesty Health and Rehab for “failure of facility to take action to ensure residents were provided a comfortable and safe environment..
The victim’s family has hired an attorney and is in the process of filing a South Carolina nursing home negligence lawsuit against Majesty Health and Rehab.
People who have a loved one in a nursing or retirement home should be alert for signs of potential nursing home abuse, including sudden swings in patient health, complaints from other patients of mistreatment, emotional agitation, or a refusal of staff to allow you to be alone with your loved one.
Source: WYFF-TV News 4 Greenville http://www.wyff4.com/news/local-news/oconee-pickens-news/Gas-leak-forces-nursing-home-evacuation/-/9654906/17668562/-/13okbss/-/index.html#ixzz2EHOZJnQt