Florida Nursing Home Shuts Down After Multiple Reports of Abuse

The nursing home where this incident took place, Good Samaritan Retirement Home in Williston, has also received several other complaints and reports of abuse but remained open until recently. In an interview with police one of the facility administrators, Nenita Alfonso Sudeall tearfully admitted that she was “overwhelmed” and that the facility staff was shorthanded and poorly trained. History shows that Good Samaritan Retirement Home has received 17 sanctions by the state Agency for Health Care Administration, resulting in more than $73,750 in fines, all over a short 5 year period.

In the case of the beaten resident, many wonder why the nursing home was even allowed to continue running at the time of the incident. The 86-year-old man was struck by a younger, 52-year-old resident more than 50 times in a 2 minute period. While the older man laid tucked into the fetal position, few residents attempted to help, and no nurses were in the area to watch over the residents. Nearly 30 seconds after the beating ended, staff appeared and the injured man was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for bruising and swelling in his face, as well as hip pain.

The other man who did the beating had recently suffered a traumatic brain injury and was deemed incapable of understanding the gravity of his actions and was then released back to the Good Samaritan home. Nursing home staff claimed he was then monitored constantly by a staff member, though whether or not those staff members were qualified to handle his behavior is unknown.

Only one month later, a 72-year-old resident fell and hit her head in the parking lot, and was later found unresponsive in her bed. Sudeall, the facility administrator, said the woman was responsive after the fall, her wound was not actively bleeding, and she refused to go to the hospital. The woman’s daughter was not called or otherwise informed of her mother’s fall. Six hours after falling, the woman was found unresponsive in bed when staff finally called 911. Police say when the found the woman she was gasping for air with her face turned into her pillow and dried blood on her head and hands. Unfortunately, the woman died while receiving hospital treatment.

The Good Samaritan nursing home facility was finally shut down December of this year, but not before two more incidents of elderly abuse and resident neglect led to the arrest of two nursing home administrators.

According to one medical study, 1 in every 5 residents suffers mistreatment in a nursing home at the hands of another resident. Another study found that roughly 44% of nursing home residents are abused and 95% suffer some type of neglect. If you suspect someone you love is being abused or neglected in their nursing home facility, act immediately to defend their safety. Our attorneys can help defend your loved ones’ rights and seek compensation for their suffering.