Nursing Home Lawsuit Filed Over Malnutrition, Dehydration and Infection

A lawsuit has been filed against a California nursing home home and a home health care service provider for allegedly allowing an elderly woman to suffer malnutrition, dehydration, infection and injuries from a fall. 

The nursing home lawsuit was filed by Billie Walter against Petaluma Health and Rehabilitation and Accentcare Home Health of California, Inc. on behalf of her mother, Elizabeth Walter. The complaint also names Petaluma’s owners and operators; EHC Management, LLC and Evergreen at Petaluma LLC.

According to allegations raised by the family, Elizabeth Walter suffered severe injuries as a result of negligent care in the nursing home and during home nursing care.

Walter was injured in a fall that occurred at home while under the care of Accentcare on February 15, causing her to be transferred to Petaluma for nursing care. The lawsuit alleges that the fall occurred because Accentcare caretakers left her unattended, knowing that she suffered dementia and increased fall risks.

While she was at Petaluma, Walter additionally suffered malnutrition, dehydration and contracted serious infections due to a lack of appropriate nursing home care, the lawsuit claims.

She was subsequently hospitalized on March 12 due to her deteriorating health and health care professionals informed the state that they suspected she had been abused while in the nursing home.

The lawsuit also claims that Petaluma employees told Walter’s daughter that she would receive care from specialists that were supposedly on-staff, but whom she claims to have later discovered did not actually exist.

The complaint charges Petaluma and Accentcare with nursing home abuse, fraud, neglect and negligence.