Elderly woman falls thru floor, Assisted Living home closed

[Hum]

Soma Manor Assisted Living in Boonsboro was shut down after a resident fell through the ceiling of a second-floor room to the first-floor dining room and suffered life-threatening injuries last week.

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has barred the facility from admitting any new patients, and the facility?s two other residents have been relocated to another Washington County, Md., home.

Eileen Rindone, 84, who suffers from Alzheimer?s disease, went into an unlocked room that was under renovation in Soma Manor Assisted Living around 9 a.m. last Thursday, and fell through an unfinished floor.

She suffered numerous broken ribs, several fractured vertebrae, a cracked or broken pelvis and heel, leg injuries, foot fractures and a severe head injury, according to Cpl. James Updegraff with Maryland State Police.

Rindone was initially taken to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown and then transferred to the Baltimore Shock Trauma Center with life-threatening injuries, police said.

She reportedly had surgery Tuesday and her condition had improved from critical to serious, but stable as of Thursday afternoon. However, a spokesman with the trauma center said this morning that Rindone was discharged Thursday.

Police have charged the facility?s manager/owner, Dickson O. Tabi, with two counts of abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult and one count of reckless endangerment. If convicted, he could face 25 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. He also faces a licensing investigation.

Police documents filed in the case say Tabi initially lied about Rindone?s fall, and covered the hole in the ceiling with drywall to conceal the truth. He also carried Rindone back to her bed and an ambulance was not called until 6 that evening. Updegraff said Tabi told police he had no part in the incident, but later changed his story after a polygraph test was started.

Tabi allegedly confessed on Saturday that he ?heard a crash and found Rindone lying on the first floor beneath a hole in the drywall ceiling,? The Associated Press reported this week, based on Maryland court records.

Tabi reportedly said he had ?neglected to lock the stairwell door, and also the door to the second-story room where the floor had been removed for renovations,? the AP reported.

?He said he did not place her back in bed,? Updegraff said. ?With the injuries she sustained, there was no possible way she could have walked.?

source

[Growled Member]

Shouldn't places like this be inspected periodically?

[Edrick Smith]

Wait so the place only had three people living there?

[Japlabot]

Simple mistake to leave the door unlocked, there willbe consequences but malice is out of the question, but the coverup and not calling an ambulance? Truly sickening. I hope the owner gets maximum penalty.

[Open Minded]

Wait so the place only had three people living there?

When my great-aunt was dying, she was in a home that if you drove by, you'd never know it was a care facility. It was in a nice residential area with (around) 6 bedrooms. My family and I went to visit a few times and it was a really nice place. So I imagine that this is similar.

[Memphis]

Shouldn't places like this be inspected periodically?

State survey is once a year. State is called out when events like this happen to investigate.

[nub]

Shouldn't places like this be inspected periodically?

went into an unlocked room that was under renovation in Soma Manor Assisted Living around 9 a.m. last Thursday, and fell through an unfinished floor.

The room was being worked on and was not safe and is totally expected and fine. The problem is they let her wander into the room. Given the state of the patient, the door really should have been locked when not being worked on.

[moloko]

The room was being worked on and was not safe and is totally expected and fine. The problem is they let her wander into the room. Given the state of the patient, the door really should have been locked when not being worked on.

I agree it should of been locked but who knows..maybe a contractor or manager forgot. Stuff happens. Why would they leave a hole in the floor though? I think the manager should be responsible but not jail time.

[2xSilverKnight]

I agree it should of been locked but who knows..maybe a contractor or manager forgot. Stuff happens. Why would they leave a hole in the floor though? I think the manager should be responsible but not jail time.

No he should get jailtime for covering up, not for the accident ...

[DocM]

State survey is once a year. State is called out when events like this happen to investigate.

It's not unusual for either the.city or state to do a foundation up inspection of facilities & rentals in these parts; structural, HVAC, utilities stc.