Man Transported to SNF But Dropped Off at Wrong Location Found Alive Three Days Later

Among the inherent risks of institutional care is transport error.  An object lesson comes in the recent story of an Illinois man  who was dropped off at an intersection nearly ten 10 miles from the nursing home where he was supposed to be admitted.  He was found nearby in a ditch in a three days after.

Michael Bennett, 66, was in the process of being transferred from the Chicago Behavioral Hospital in Des Plaines, IL, to Westwood Nursing Home in Chicago. He was left at an intersection in Des Plaines approximately 10 miles away from the nursing home, according to authorities.  Illinois State Police issued a missing and endangered alert for Bennett. After seeing the alert, a citizen spotted Bennett curled up in a ditch three days later. Bennett was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

The behavioral hospital is responsible for transporting discharged patients,  An administrator at Westwood told local reporters he was “mystified” that the driver didn't attempt to escort Bennett inside the nursing home, or notice that the facility was not located at the intersection.

The hospital had no comment on the incident.

To read other articles regarding the risks of transport, go here and here.

Patient Discharged to Nursing Home 300 Miles Away

McKnight's has reported that a Georgia hospital discharged and transported a patient to a nursing home 300 miles away, resulting in a lawsuit filed by the patient's sister. 

Johnny Lee Bryant was admitted to Doctors Hospital in Augusta, GA, in early January 2015 from  a nearby long-term care facility. He was treated at the hospital for sepsis and pneumonia for less than two weeks before he was discharged.

Instead of returning to the nearby facility, Bryant was transported by Gold Cross EMS to a nursing home nearly 300 miles away. Once there, the nursing home refused to admit Bryant.   Bryant was eventually taken back to Augusta and admitted to a different hospital, where he died in February 2015.

The lawsuit, filed by Bryant's sister accuses the hospital, the ambulance company and Hetal Thakore, M.D., of negligence, wrongful death and causing emotional distress.

For more information, go here. 

Ambulance Driver Charged with Homicide in Death of Nursing Home Resident

McKnight's reports that the New York Attorney's General office has indicted a former medical transport driver for criminally negligent homicide related to the death of a nursing home resident.  

Driver Juan Garcia was working for Maeleen Ambulette Transport Inc. while transporting an elderly nursing home resident back to the facility from a dialysis appointment, when he came to an abrupt stop. The resident apparently was thrown from her wheelchair in the August 2010 incident. Garcia, 49, has admitted he had not buckled the resident's seatbelt, according to the attorney general's office.

Even though a certified nursing assistant in the ambulette asked Garcia to take the resident to the hospital, he proceeded to drive to the Gold Crest Care Center, the charges state. The resident subsequently underwent surgery for a fractured hip and died about a month later from complications.

“Had [Garcia] taken the most basic safety precautions, this vulnerable nursing home resident would not have died in this horrific way,” Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman stated.  Garcia was arraigned in Bronx County Supreme Court and released on his own recognizance, according to Schneiderman's office. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.