Nursing home fall sparks inquiry

Published 10:17 pm Monday, July 13, 2009

The state Department of Social and Health Services is investigating the case of a 93-year-old Bothell nursing home patient who slipped and fell last month as she was getting out of bed, taken to a hospital and later died.

The woman was treated June 30 at Evergreen Hospital and Medical Center in Kirkland and then sent to hospice care where she died, said Kathy Spears, a DSHS spokeswoman.

The nursing home patient was treated at the hospital for a cut to her head and a skin tear to her arm, said Roberta Crawford, a field manager for the state agency.

DSHS is investigating whether there was neglect of the patient and if the nursing home failed to provide adequate supervision, Crawford said.

The woman was being cared for at the Life Care Center of Bothell. An employee at the nursing home declined to comment on the case, saying any statement would have to come from its corporate headquarters in Tennessee.

Anytime a significant injury occurs that may have resulted from abuse or neglect, health care providers are required to report it, she said.

Four reports were filed with a DSHS hot line about the patient’s care, triggering the investigation, Crawford said.

Reports were made by the nursing home’s director of nursing, the hospital, a relative of the patient and the state’s department of Adult Protective Services, part of DSHS, Crawford said.

The case also is being investigated by Bothell police.

Life Care Center of Bothell has operated since 1999 and is licensed to care for 99 patients, Crawford said.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.