Charleston – An illegal death lawsuit is expected to be filed against two skilled nursing homes with a history of medical malpractice complaints.
Samuel Scott Harrison intends to suing Riverside Health, Rehabilitation and White Oak Manor Charleston after Edna Harrison's death, according to a notice filed in Charleston County Circuit Court.
Edna Harrison required skilled nursing care to protect and promote her quality of life. Instead, she experienced “conscious pain and suffering” before her death, the April 28 notification states.
It argues that both nursing homes were unable to provide the necessary care, including conducting appropriate skin measurements, assessing the risk of developing pressure injuries, treating pressure pain, and developing a care plan for worsening injuries.
These “negligence, recklessness, intentional and careless” behaviors contributed to her death, the notice alleges.
The notice of intent in the suit shows a series of events that Harrison was granted to Riverside on November 16, 2022 and was granted to Riverside on September 26, 2023 for her death. Her wound issues persisted after being transported to White Oak Manor on January 17, 2023, resulting in another infection and a hospitalization that lasted several months before her death, the notification states.
The notice does not include information about Harrison's other medical history.
According to the site of Riverside.gov, a 160-bed, skilled nursing facility providing short-term and long-term care, it has a one-star rating of “below average” according to the Medicare.gov site, which regularly updates information from health and safety inspections.
The same site gave White Oak Manor Charleston, a 176-bed facility, 4-star, or above-average rating.
In 2019, Riverside was one of six nursing homes in South Carolina. The federal government has consistently identified poor performance. However, as of April 2024, neither did White Oak Manor Charleston either.
Records show that both nursing homes have been appointed defendants in at least a dozen pending medical malpractice cases in Charleston County.
Riverside did not respond to requests for comment on the notice prior to its publication. However, a spokesman told the Post and Courier in March, “I want to reassure you that the safety and happiness of our residents, their families and our residents is our number one priority.”
A White Oak Manor Charleston spokesman said the company had not commented on the pending lawsuit.
