Nursing Home Housekeeper Focus of Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Among the facilities affected by the coronavirus pandemic, nursing homes and long-term care centers have been among the hardest hit. Not only have nursing home residents been affected, but staff as well.

The family of a woman who worked as a housekeeper at a Pennsylvania long-term care center filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility and her employer alleging that improper infection control caused the spread of coronavirus at the center which led to the employee’s death, CNN reports.

The housekeeper, Elizabeth Wiles, was a longtime employee at Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit alleges she died of COVID-19 after exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus while working at the facility. The plaintiffs allege the facility allowed the virus to “spread through the Brighton unchecked, infecting and killing numerous residents and workers.” They also said that Wiles did not receive appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep her safe while working in the facility.

Wiles was an employee of Healthcare Services Group, which is also a defendant in the lawsuit, but was assigned to work at Brighton. Her employer did not comment on the charges. Representatives from the long-term care center said that Wiles was not an employee of the facility, so they did not supervise her or set her schedule. They maintained they cannot be sure she contracted COVID-19 while at work. However, as of July 7, the facility reported 332 resident cases of COVID-19, 111 staff cases, and 73 deaths among residents, according to data from the state health department.

Brighton has faced scrutiny from state authorities during the coronavirus pandemic and in previous years. In May, the state health department appointed an independent, temporary manager at the facility to assist with safe operations and provide information directly to the department regarding the health of residents and the needs of patients and staff. The Pennsylvania National Guard assisted with patient care for a week and a civil support team visited the facility to train and assist employees in sterilizing the facility.

Additionally, the facility has been issued more than 30 public health citations in the last five years. Some of the citations include lack of infection control and nonsufficient food sanitation.