LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The widow and two adult sons of an 81-year-old Alzheimer's patient who died of COVID-19 complications are suing a Burbank nursing home where he allegedly acquired the virus.
Vernon R. Robinson Sr. died March 26, 2020, at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he was taken after becoming ill at Alameda Care Center, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed by his widow, Willa, and sons, Vernon Jr. and Raymond.
The suit alleges wrongful death, elder abuse and neglect, concealment and violation of the residents' bills of rights. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the suit filed Friday.
A woman who said she handles media inquires for the Alameda Care Center said she expects the case to be referred to an arbitrator.
Robinson suffered from Alzheimer's disease and was dependent on Alameda Care Center for all of his basic needs, including mobility, nutrition, hydration, hygiene and personal care, the suit states. In mid-March 2020, the facility was closed to visitors because of the coronavirus, and during that period, he was transferred to Glendale Adventist Medical Center because he was having extreme difficulty breathing, according to the suit.
At the hospital, Robinson tested positive for the coronavirus, which his family alleges was contracted at the Alameda Care Center. His condition deteriorated rapidly and his death certificate showed he died of acute respiratory arrest and pneumonia due to COVID-19, the suit states.
Those in charge of caring for Robinson at the Alameda Care Center had a duty to accurately monitor and record his condition and report changes to his doctor and family and also maintain accurate records of his condition and treatment, according to the suit.
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