NEW YORK — A Dutchess County man says the house well being aides he employed to take care of his ailing father did extra hurt than good.
CBS2’s Ali Bauman investigates the claims and has recommendation for households searching for care for his or her getting old family.
“I began seeing, like this lack of care,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
In 2020, he took his aged father in to his Dutchess County house. However as 93-year-old Henry Zahn’s dementia progressed, Thomas Zahn couldn’t take care of him alone.
“He would stand up late or early within the morning and type of wander,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
By way of his father’s medical insurance firm, Fidelis Care, Thomas Zahn discovered Genesa House and Companionship Company within the fall of 2020.
“These aides rotated 24-hour schedule, in the future individual, one evening individual,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
Thomas Zahn had beforehand put in surveillance cameras in his father’s dwelling house. He claims they have been in plain sight and the aides have been made conscious.
Thomas Zahn mentioned he solely began listening to the recordings when he observed unexplained bruises on his dad.
“I took him to pressing care. We had the X-rays performed. I had gotten this prognosis that 4 ribs have been fractured,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
Henry Zahn had fallen three days prior. His son mentioned the aides picked him up and by no means reported it.
Debbie Drelich is an professional in elder care.
“In choosing up the individual, should you’re probably not, actually educated effectively, you cannot solely damage your self however damage them extra,” Drelich mentioned.
Steven Schwartzman can also be an professional within the care of getting old folks.
“What the aide usually does is that they take an image of the bruise,” Schwartzman mentioned.
“The expectation is that they’re presupposed to notify their company of the autumn and in lots of circumstances name EMS,” Drelich added.
Disturbed by the incident, Thomas Zahn mentioned he checked previous recordings for extra. That is when he says he realized at evening, the in a single day aide tied one finish of his father’s catheter to his mattress.
“It was nearly like his tether, like his leash, so he would not go strolling round. And that did not cease him. It simply made it a lot worse,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
When Henry Zahn wandered at evening, the catheter stretched and ripped out of him, inflicting him to fall.
“I’ve heard some nasty issues. That one you shocked me on,” Drelich mentioned. “An individual who’s so overwhelmed and actually simply not correctly ready to care for somebody on this state of affairs.”
“The insurance coverage firm really admitted to my consumer, Mr. Zahn, that this company that they employed wasn’t even correctly licensed,” lawyer Dana Stricker mentioned.
Thomas Zahn claims Fidelis Care advised him due to his location in Dutchess County, it couldn’t present an alternate company.
His father acquired an an infection after the catheter ripped out. Thomas Zahn believes it finally contributed to his father’s loss of life, a declare Genesa denies.
“The infections result in the antibiotics not working anymore and that is how he ended up dying of sepsis,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
Neither Genesa nor Fidelis Care have answered any of CBS2’s questions in regards to the allegations for this story, although Genesa denied the allegations of negligence in court docket filings.
In a press release, Fidelis Care advised CBS2, “The well being and well-being of our members is at all times our high precedence. Nevertheless, as a matter of coverage, Fidelis Care doesn’t touch upon pending litigation.”
Thomas Zahn is now suing the company and insurer, alleging negligence and wrongful loss of life.
“Why did you need to file this lawsuit and convey consideration to what occurred?” Bauman requested.
“I can not be the one one that is occurring to,” Thomas Zahn mentioned.
Specialists say there are methods to vet house well being care aides.
“Interview them, ask them for references,” Drelich mentioned. “Do your due diligence. There’s a nurses aide registry within the state that one can test to see if there are any allegations.”
Specialists advised CBS2 if a household suspects abuse they need to contact the state Division of Well being, and purchasers at all times have the proper to ask an company for a unique house well being aide.
