Garcia & Artigliere Files Suit Against Plum Healthcare Group, LLC for Alleged Neglect and Abuse Leading to Stage IV Pressure Sore

When a partially paralyzed 72-year-old woman was admitted to the Trellis Chino facility for care and rehabilitation, its staff allegedly left her in bed while she deteriorated physically and neurologically.

In June of 2019, at the age of 72, a woman lost her ability to feel and move her legs. She was then treated at Chino Valley Hospital and discharged to a 59-bed, 24-hour skilled nursing facility called Trellis Chino. Hereby known as “the facility,” Trellis Chino was at all times owned and operated by Plum Healthcare Group, LLC, its managers, and an alleged group of shell companies functioning as a single entity.

While management allegedly moved funds, such as a $27,817 payment of “support” services and $3,000,000 for “literally nothing of value,” to improperly enrich themselves, the facility suffered from 4 business practices designed to increase revenue and cut costs. These practices included understaffing, relentless marketing and sales, utilizing underqualified and untrained employees, and increasing resident census without an ability to handle the amount of care required. Due to this alleged scheme, which resulted in the facility receiving 11 DPH (Department of Public Health) survey violations – more than double the average for 2019 – all residents were put in unnecessary danger.

The suit’s plaintiff, represented by Garcia & Artigliere, is one such resident. Due to her inability to move independently, advanced age, and other conditions, the facility, its management, and its staff should have understood her increased risk for developing a decubitus ulcer or pressure sore. As a patient, the plaintiff required assistance with turning and repositioning her body, transferring in and out of bed, and with hydration, nutrition, grooming, bathing, hygiene, toileting, and medication.

Instead, the patient was allegedly left in bed without care, physician-imposed rehabilitative services, or follow-up with her primary care providers. Unsurprisingly, she began to deteriorate both neurologically and physically. The facility allegedly ignored her needs, along with several requests for radiology scans and neurological consultations made by the plaintiff’s family. After an entire month of ignored requests, the patient lost feeling and use of her hands and developed severe skin breakdown and pressure sores, which the facility also allegedly disregarded and concealed from her family, physician, and legal representatives.

By the time the plaintiff’s pressure sore had consumed her lower back and escalated to stage IV, exposing skin, muscle, and bone, she was improperly moved to Arrowhead Healthcare. The complaint alleges the facility completed this inappropriate action without notifying family members or other relevant parties. At the time of filing the patient had not returned to the facility, but had endured needless pain and suffering as a result of her entirely avoidable injury.

The plaintiff did not have any co-morbidity or pre-existing conditions and the complaint claims her injury was caused by inadequate sanitary care, hydration, and nutrition, as well as other ignored needs and withheld care. Allegedly, the facility, its management, and its unnamed employees violated countless laws and broke written promises made to the plaintiff and her family. Meanwhile, they continued holding themselves out to the public using brochures, digital marketing materials, admissions agreements, and other mechanisms.

As a result of this alleged and egregious behavior, Garcia & Artigliere has requested general, special, punitive, and exemplary damages on behalf of the plaintiff, as well as costs of suit and attorney, and all other relief deemed fit by the Superior Court of the State of California County of San Bernardino.

If you have any information relevant to this case or would like to serve as a witness, please contact Garcia & Artigliere immediately at 800-281-8515. If you have a similar claim against another facility, please call or request a free consultation online at lawgarcia.com.