Employees at The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills called 911 eight times to report residents experiencing cardiac arrest, respiratory failure and hyperthermia between Sept. 11 and Sept. 13.
The first call occurred Sept. 11, when a staff member reported an 81-year-old patient with a respiratory issue. The second call came the next day, when a staff member called 911 about an unresponsive 93-year-old patient with a fever who was not alert and had trouble breathing.
By early morning Sept. 13, the calls grew more frequent and panicked. The 911 call center received five calls from the nursing home in three and a half-hour time span.
“There’s a patient who’s in cardiac arrest,” an employee said in one 911 call, according to CNN. “We don’t have any air condition(ing), so I saw her slouch over. I realized that she’s not breathing, so I checked her. She’s just barely breathing … and her fingers started to change color — slightly blue.”
Fourteen patients have died since the nursing home lost power in September. Officials have not released the exact causes of the death, which are part of an ongoing criminal investigation led by the Hollywood Police Department.
More articles on post-acute care:
Potential court battle looms over nursing home chain’s unpaid rent
Beaumont contract termination prompts rehab provider to lay off 113 employees
Texas’ largest nursing home operator in hot water for Hurricane Harvey response
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.