Tennessee Nursing Home Faces Abuse Allegation - UPDATE
We discussed Pauline Pennington and the injuries she suffered while a resident at Signature HealthCARE of Columbia in a previous blog. The 93 year-old woman's family discovered that she was severely bruised during a recent visit.
The Disability Law and Advocacy Center of Tennessee (DLACTN) has launched its own investigation into Ms. Pennington's injuries. The investigation will take between three to six months.
Signature HealthCARE replied to the family's allegations through an email statement saying, "The family was notified of the bruising on March 21, 2009...The patient had a history of multiple blood clots on her right leg. The attending physician immediately placed the resident on two different blood thinners...This put Ms. Pennington at a much greater risk of spontaneous bruising, which is a common side affect of blood thinners." The nursing home has determined that Ms. Pennington is not a victim of abuse, but did not ify the Tennessee Department of Health."
The investigation continues...
