A lawsuit filed earlier this year in Lewis County Superior Court alleging that a Centralia nursing home failed to monitor a patient’s health, leading to her death, is scheduled for an eight-day trial starting Nov. 1.
Attorneys for the plaintiff and defendant took part in a pre-trial hearing Thursday.
According to court documents, staff at Prestige Post-Acute & Rehabilitation Center in 2014 did not monitor patient Bessie Ritter’s bowel movements “for an extended period of time” in August 2014. She was taken to the emergency room on Sept. 1, 2014, and died after surgery. The suit also names Northwest Country Place, Inc., which owned the facility at the time.
Ritter’s daughter filed the suit, arguing that her mother was a vulnerable adult and a victim of medical negligence.
Superior Court Judge James Lawler advised the parties to attempt mediation before the trial date. Stephen Hornbuckle, representing the plaintiff, expressed hesitance, saying his client was skeptical that mediation would work, but agreed to set up a time to meet with attorneys for the defense.
