When someone receives care at a hospital or nursing home, loved ones assume that they will receive a certain level of care. When that level is a less than an acceptable standard either the patient or his or her family may decide to file a medical malpractice lawsuit alleging something along the lines of hospital negligence.

One Pennsylvania man recently did just that when he filed a lawsuit against both Cambria Care Center as well as the company that owns it, Grane Healthcare. In the lawsuit he claims that the facility was negligent in its care of a Croyle Township woman who moved there after a fall that broke her hip. She was a resident of the facility for a few months in late summer and fall of 2010. She has since died and the lawsuit was filed by her son.

The lawsuit alleges a variety of failures on the part of the care center. In addition to not receiving basic needs such as proper hydration, treatment and medicine, it also claims that the facility allowed the woman to fall at least 11 times by not taking the proper steps to prevent the falls. These falls reportedly resulted in infections and injuries including spine fractures and a pressure sore.

The man's claims may be bolstered by the results of an inspection that was conducted at the facility the second month the woman was there by the state Department of Health. The care center reportedly received citations due to its failure to among other things, take steps to make sure pressure ulcers did not occur and not create a care plan.

What, if any, impact the inspection will have on the outcome of the case remains to be seen.

Source: The Tribune-Democrat, "Former patient's family sues nursing home," Sandra K. Reabuck, March 24, 2012