Pinellas long-term care facility where 100+ died from COVID-19 now faces 7 lawsuits
The total number of lawsuits against the Freedom Square nursing home, assisted living and rehabilitation facility in Seminole has grown to seven, with the most recent filed July 23.
Families of seven residents within the community’s various facilities seek wrongful death compensation from the owners after documented failures to safeguard the facility led to a massive COVID-19 outbreak among staff and residents last spring.
The 15-acre campus faced major backlash last spring and into the summer after more than 100 residents and a few staff died after contracting COVID-19 at the facility. In partnership with the Tampa Bay Times, an extensive investigation by PBS Frontline found sweeping missteps that led to one of the worst long-term care facility outbreaks in the state.
Employees described a lack of access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). That included a shortage of safety gowns and N95 masks. Some employees reported having to reuse masks and make inferior homemade masks. The facility reportedly continued accepting hospital patients to its rehabilitation program without COVID-19 testing until April 9, 2020, weeks after red flags were raised about that practice. Even as the outbreak became pervasive, residents and staff reported unsanitary conditions and breakdowns in communication with family members.
Read more: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/446601-pinellas-long-term-care-facility-where-100-died-from-covid-19-now-faces-7-lawsuits/