California Nursing Home Fined in Heat Death Case

Enter Source, Jul 10, 2007

A nursing home located in Stockton has been fined $120,000 for the failure to properly care for 3 patients, including one 79 year old who died during 2006's heat wave.

An AA citation, the most severe under state law, has been issued by The Department of Public Health.  The AA citation is requiring the nursing home to pay $80,000 for the woman's death.

In addition to the AA citation, 2 A citations were also imposed each requiring the nursing home to pay another $40,000 for the failure to adequately care for the two other patients who were involved.

The woman's death was casued by unsuitable living conditions due to the extreme heat and failing to follow its emergency plan when the air conditioning malfunctioned during the stretch of days that reached over 100 degrees.

Though the woman was transferred to the hospital, she was pronounced dead when she arrived, suffering from "hyperthermia due to high environmental temperatures."