Human Resources Perspective – Punitive Damages:
Policy/Procedure: Policies and procedures need to be up-to-date and meet current guidelines. Staffing should be at the appropriate levels to meet resident acuity and supervision needs.
Implementation: Facility management will be educated on appropriate staffing levels and required supervision of residents.
Audit: Census and staffing should be reviewed daily by facility management and senior management to ensure appropriate levels of qualified caregivers and resident supervision are provided.
An Arapahoe County jury this week awarded $3.6 million to a 76-year-old retired school teacher suffering from dementia after he was bitten and assaulted by another resident in an Aurora senior living center, and the director allegedly tried to cover it up. A jury ordered Peregrine Senior Living at Aurora to pay Robert Fisher and his wife Bonnie $3 million in punitive damages alone. The other $600,000 covered medical costs and damages. “Peregrine made the decision to favor its financial well-being over Bob’s safety, resulting in a situation where sometimes 26 dementia residents were cared for by a single caregiver,” Jerome Reinan, Fisher’s Denver attorney, said following the jury decision Tuesday. “Due to lack of staffing, Bob was violently assaulted by another resident, and Peregrine tried to cover it up.” A message left with the senior living center seeking comment Thursday was not immediately returned.
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/10/11/peregrine-senior-living-aurora-patient-bitten/
