By Garret DeReus

When nursing homes fail to properly document, investigate, and care for injuries, residents can suffer serious harm. An inspection of St. Joseph of Harahan nursing home in Harahan, Louisiana, as documented in a report based on a survey in March of 2024, revealed concerning deficiencies in resident care, injury reporting, and basic medical documentation. This nursing home serves residents of Jefferson Parish and other nearby parishes.

Unexplained Fracture Goes Uninvestigated

One of the more troubling findings involved Resident #69, who suffered a wrist fracture that the facility failed to properly document or investigate. While the resident reported falling and hurting his wrist, the nursing home had no record of any fall incident. The Director of Nursing confirmed they were “unaware how Resident #69’s fracture occurred.” Perhaps most concerning is that despite a resident suffering a broken bone – an injury that typically requires immediate investigation in a healthcare setting – no investigation was conducted to determine the cause or implement preventive measures. According to the report “S1Administrator confirmed an investigation was not done and should
have been.”

Falls in nursing homes can have devastating consequences for elderly residents, often leading to broken bones, head injuries, and decreased mobility. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults. Nursing homes must maintain comprehensive fall prevention programs, including proper staffing levels, environmental safety measures, and regular resident assessments. When falls occur, thorough investigations are essential to identify root causes and prevent future incidents.

Failure to Address Resident’s Severe Pain

The inspection revealed that the facility failed to develop any pain management plan for Resident #165, who reported knee pain levels of 10 out of 10. This severe pain prevented the resident from participating in physical therapy sessions. Despite clear documentation that pain was interfering with necessary rehabilitation, the facility had “no documented evidence of measurable goals or interventions for the management of Resident #165’s pain” and no established timeframes or approaches for monitoring pain control effectiveness.

While this deficiency was identified in examining just one resident’s care, it raises serious concerns about broader pain management practices within the facility. If such a fundamental care planning failure was found in the single case reviewed, how many other residents might be suffering from inadequately managed pain?

Nursing home residents rely on facility staff to be their advocates in healthcare decisions. When staff fail to properly document and communicate residents’ pain levels to physicians and specialists, it creates barriers to proper treatment. This breakdown in communication can lead to prolonged suffering and deteriorating health conditions that could have been prevented with proper pain management interventions.

Basic Catheter Care Left Undocumented

For Resident #69, who required an indwelling urinary catheter, the facility failed to document that proper catheter care was being provided during each shift as required. The facility “was unable to present any documented evidence Resident #69 was provided urinary catheter care every shift.” This lack of documentation raises serious concerns about whether this basic but critical care was actually being performed.

Regular catheter care is not just a matter of comfort – it is essential for preventing serious urinary tract infections that can lead to sepsis in vulnerable nursing home residents. Additionally, proper catheter maintenance preserves resident dignity and quality of life. Unfortunately, all to often nursing home residents are neglected or abused through provision of inadequate quantity of care, or through the outright failure to provide necessary care.

Protecting Your Loved One’s Rights

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries or neglect at a Louisiana nursing home, contact the attorneys at Bizer & DeReus. Located at 3319 St. Claude Ave in New Orleans, our firm has extensive experience litigating cases in both the 19th Judicial District Court and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. We fight to hold negligent parties accountable and obtain justice for our clients.

Call 504-619-9999 or email us today for a free consultation. Our attorneys have the experience and resources to investigate nursing home negligence and aggressively pursue compensation for victims of substandard care.

Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.