Recently, a Monroe, Walton County GA man was arrested on charges of felony murder and cruelty to an elderly person over the age of 65. Steven Easton is the man facing charges, who operated an elder care facility out of his home. Thomas Watkins is the elderly man who lost his life last July, the case is being reviewed for nursing home abuse.
It was apparent that Watkins had been neglected, as his daughters said he was hardly recognizable due to the numerous ulcers and extreme bedsores he had. In fact, some of the ulcers were so infected that bones and tendons were visible through the mans skin. Ultimately, these sores became infected and progressed to sepsis, followed by organ failure.
In July, Easton dropped the elderly man off at Walton Regional Medical Center, informing the staff that Watkins was a homeless man with no family. Watkins was stabilized at the hospital, when it was realized by staff members that he was in dire need of additional care. He was then transferred to Atlanta Regional Medical Center, where he lost his life ten days later.
Officials believe that all of this could have been prevented, and that the extreme downturn of Watkins health was most likely due to months of neglect. One of his daughters also believed that Easton had taken what money her father had remaining, and reported this to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation along with possible Medicaid fraud.
Upon further investigation, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office found that Easton had no license whatsoever for the facility he ran (in his home) where he had been supposedly “caring” for Watkins. The GBI and WCSO worked together and soon determined that Watkins had been severely neglected. A bench warrant was issued on March 19th for Easton’s arrest, and he remained incarcerated waiting for formal indictment on April 5th. Law enforcement investigations that have taken place have made it extremely clear that this tragedy is in fact a case of wrongful death because of the extreme negligence involved.
While this situation is tragic, it doesn’t begin to explain the tragedy of what takes place in nursing homes and elder care facilities today. It is essential that we take a stand against those who continue to prey on and abuse our elderly loved ones today. If you have suspicions that neglect or abuse is taking place where your loved one is supposedly being taken care of, do not hesitate to notify nursing home authorities. If you get no response or satisfaction, contact a nursing home abuse attorney in New York at once.
Brown Chiari is a team of personal injury attorneys in New York helping those injured in nursing home neglect or food poisoning cases.
