With more assisted living centers across the country offering their services to residents who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s, families are often expecting a higher level of care and supervision for their loved ones than assisted living has offered in the past. However, that’s not often the case with these privately-owned facilities, which don’t face the same level of scrutiny as federally-funded nursing homes. If and when accidents do occur that lead to the injury or death of a loved one in an assisted living center in Atlanta, one may wonder if there is legal recourse if the center is thought to be responsible.
A recent case involving the death of a former NFL player while at an assisted living center might give hope to people in this situation. The family of George McAfee, an NFL Hall of Fame running back, recently settled a lawsuit out of court with the company that runs the Atlanta assisted living center where McAfee, who suffered from dementia, was a resident. The family alleges that his level of care declined after the center came under the direction of the current owners. It came to came to a tragic conclusion when McAfee was left unsupervised and gained access to a cleaning room where he drank cleaning detergent, which lead to his painful death a few days later. The center’s owners ultimately claimed responsibility for the accident.
If a loved one is injured while under the care of another, compensation may be due to the family if negligence is proven. Families facing such a problem may want to retain a lawyer with experience in medical malpractice cases to represent them.
Source: ABC News, “Dad Dies After Drinking Poison in Assisted Living” Susan Donaldson James, July 30, 2013
