The family of an elderly man is suing Hollywood Premier Healthcare Center in California.
Eighty-four-year-old Vincent Martin allegedly died from COVID-19 on April 4.
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His wife Emma Martin and daughters Kathryn Sessinghaus and Elizabeth Gagliano are alleging that the nursing home mishandled the coronavirus outbreak and this led to Martin’s death.
The facility, which was previously known as Serrano North Convalescent Hospital, is one of the nursing homes most affected by COVID-19. At least 72 residents and 37 staff members contracted the virus while at least 16 residents died as a result.
Sessinghaus said she was informed that the facility would not be accepting visitors from the first week of March.
In the lawsuit, she said she last saw Martin on February 29 and staff were not wearing personal protective equipment. She said she continued to drop off care packages and the staff members who met her at the door weren’t wearing masks.
The family is also alleging that it wasn’t notified that Martin was sick until April 1.
The suit said a nurse told the family the elderly man had a low fever and a slight breathing problem, and he wasn’t eating or drinking.
Sessinghaus claims that she then asked if the nursing home had any positive COVID-19 cases, and a nurse hesitantly revealed that there was one case before admitting that there were four.
The lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the State of California is accusing the facility of wrongful death, negligence, fraudulent concealment, fraudulent misrepresentation, and violations of the Elder and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act.
The complaint also claims that the home had a history of understaffing and “skirting safety and infection controls.”
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