Caregiver Arrested After Emaciated Man Found Infected With Bedsores
Our medical malpractice lawyers have learned of an incident where two women in Flint, Missouri are facing felony charges after authorities say an elderly man in their care was found emaciated and in septic shock due to infected bed sores.
Michigan Live reports:
Melissa Ann Bardoni, 36, and Alice Bitters, 61, each face charges of first- and second-degree vulnerable adult abuse after Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said the man had bedsores so severe that they went all the way to the bone.
Pickell said the man, 67, weighed just 53 pounds when he arrived at Hurley Medical Center earlier this month.
“He’s in real bad shape,” Pickell said of the victim.
The two women were arrested and charged after Adult Protective Services contacted the sheriff’s department July 14 after the man placed on life support, Pickell said.
Pickell said the victim was initially living in Saginaw but was brought to live in Flint by his girlfriend, Bitters.
The man was hospitalized in April due to ongoing health problems, the sheriff said. At that time, the man weighed nearly 100 pounds and had two minor bedsores.
However, Pickell the man lost nearly 50 pounds and had 11 severe bedsores when he was brought back to the hospital in July.
What Do The Police Have To Say?
Pickell said the victim, who had ongoing health problems, relied on the women for food, medication and wound care.
But, the sheriff alleges the women neglected the man and used his Social Security debit card for their own personal purchases.
“You wonder how one human being can do this to another human being,” Pickell said.
The victim is still in the hospital.
If you have any questions about a caregiver’s negligence, please feel free to contact the Law Offices of Michael S. Lamonsoff, PLLC. Our attorneys are here to help you.
Contact us by e-mail or call one of our lawyers at 212-962-1020 (toll-free at 877-MSL-4LAW or 877-675-4529) to schedule a free initial consultation.