Multnomah Jury Sides With Family in Death of Dementia Patient

Three years after Ruby Larson wandered away from the assisted care home in which she was living, a Multnomah County jury this week awarded her family $875,000 in damages, finding Oregon negligence in the way the facility cared for her.

According to a report in The Oregonian, Larson’s family contended that the retirement community and its parent corporation were guilty of Oregon nursing home abuse and neglect, contending that the facility “failed to provide adequate care for Larson and prevent her from repeatedly wandering off.” The defendants replied that Larson was “a fiery, spirited and sometimes stubborn woman” who, in the words of the company’s attorney, “lived the life she wanted to live.” Apparently, that included regularly wandering away from the facility – including three times in the month before her final disappearance.

Though she disappeared in 2007, Larson’s body was not found until May of this year. According to the newspaper, a 4 year old searching for a lost cat discovered her skeleton, still clothed except for her shoes, in some bushes only a quarter-mile from the retirement facility.

Such cases of Oregon nursing home neglect cry out for justice. It is not sufficient for management to claim that dealing with elderly patients suffering from dementia is difficult – if they accept responsibility for our loved ones then they also assume obligations for their safety and well-being.

If you believe a loved one has suffered because of negligent Oregon nursing home care, it is important to make contact with a Portland personal injury attorney with specialized knowledge of Oregon nursing home abuse, neglect and wrongful death law. When you entrust the care of an elderly relative to a retirement or assisted living facility you have every right to expect that your loved one will receive the respect and professional treatment they deserve. When the unthinkable happens and our seniors are not treated properly an Oregon eldercare abuse and neglect lawyer can help you decide on your best course of action.

The Oregonian: Jury awards $821,000 to family of 74-year-old who wandered away from Molalla care facility and died

50 SW Pine St 3rd Floor Portland, OR 97204 Telephone: (503) 226-3844 Fax: (503) 943-6670 Email: matthew@mdkaplanlaw.com
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