A Pico Rivera nursing home has been issued a $100,000 fine and an AA citation for the death of one of its residents in December. The California Department of Public Health announced that the citation was given to Riviera Healthcare Center on Telegraph Road after a 64-year-old man lit himself on fire while trying to light a cigarette.
According to reports, the resident, who was confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, was left unattended in the dining room. When he caught fire, staff was alerted, but panicked, and failed to use a fire extinguisher and fire blanket that was just six feet a way.
The man was rushed to the nearby hospital with third-degree burns to his legs, groin, butt and hand. Skin grafts were attempted, but failed to take and the man died 18 days later.
This is Riviera Healthcare Center’s first fine this year. Earlier it was issued a $20,000 find for an administrative violation.
The Los Angeles nursing home malpractice lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP provide free consultations to individuals and families who believe a loved one has been abuse or neglected in the nursing home or assisted living setting.