News

The case of an elderly blind man who was left alone in a hotel room after being discharged from Eureka Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in October of 2016 was settled out of court this week. The conditions of the settlement are confidential.

The case, brought on behalf of the decedent's sister, Sherri Ann McKenna, accused the owner of the facility of patient abuse and neglect. Eureka Rehabilitation and Wellness is one of four local facilities owned by Brius Healthcare, which is at the center of a state audit recently ordered on its finances. In the past, Brius and its owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, have been accused of poor patient care. The company is also facing two additional lawsuits by local law firm Janssen Malloy, LLC related to patient deaths due to infection.

The court documents indicate that the decedent, 64-year-old Alan Dewey, suffered from "seizure disorder and multiple complex medical problems, including bi-polar disorder, chronic pain, anxiety, blindness and encephalopathy due to hypertension and [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]." The complaint alleged that he was discharged from the skilled nursing facility without proper notice and left at a hotel with some food only to die alone four days later.

Attorney Timothy Needham could not give any details about the settlement, but said that it's common for such cases to settle out of court. McKenna, reached by phone this morning, also could not give additional information,saying only that she was "glad it's done and over."