Two separate lawsuits were filed at the San Mateo County Superior Court by families of two clients who fell on February 6th, 2017 and October 13th, 2017 in the Foster City Senior Facility arguing that it was not properly staffed. They claim lack of adequate trained staff at the facility led to the death of their relatives namely, Eleanor Abrahams, 96 and Dorothy Fraser, 88.
Kathryn A. Stebner, the attorney who is representing both families in the lawsuit, said, “These cases are indicative of the problems in assisted living facilities in California where there is inadequate staff to meet the needs of the residence.”
She further states that it is unusual for her firm to file two cases against the same institution at once.
“I don’t know that it ever happened,” she stated.
Stebner continues to comment that an administrator at the home told Fraser’s daughters the institution was understaffed.
Stebner said, “Staffing is the most expensive line item in any budget so that where the long-term care facilities make the budget cut and that’s why people die in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.”
In an email, Mike Mejia, Atria Senior Living Vice President for the West Operations, said ensuring the safety and health of the residents is a top priority. Atria Foster has assisted living homes in 27 states around the country and operates 37 senior living homes which serve over 4000 families in California alone. He further insisted on the commitment of the foster home to look into the allegations raised by the two families.
Foster and Abrams were taken into Atria with the knowledge that they had a history of falling and were at a very high risk of falling and would require high monitoring and urgent attention.
The suit filed by Fraser family states that Dorothy fell for the first time in 14th September 2017 after having lunch and the second time while she was having a shower in the bathroom and was left unattended. While Abraham’s family claim that Eleanor fell multiple times and the fourth time which was on January 23rd, 2017 where she was diagnosed with a left femoral neck fracture is when she succumbed to her injuries.
