Death in a West Virginia Nursing Home

Dan Frith

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The family of a man who was hit and killed by a train last month after he wandered off from a Kanawha City (WV) nursing home filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the facility. The lawsuit, filed by the family in Kanawha Circuit Court, alleges that Heartland of Charleston, a subsidiary of Health Care and Retirement Corp. of America, LLC, failed to properly monitor the 73-year-old resident.

King suffered from dementia and required daily assistance. He could not care for himself or be allowed to walk outside the facility and the staff of the facility at Heartland of Charleston was aware of this fact, according to the lawsuit.

Workers at the home reported King missing on Oct. 25. Police later found his body near the train tracks that run through Kanawha City.

My Take: This is a preventable tragedy. Where were the door alarms? Where were the chair and bed alarms? Where were the staff members who had responsibility for Mr.King?