The well-being and safety of older adults are paramount when moving them into an assisted living facility. These senior living communities are responsible for allowing the residents to age with dignity in a healthy and supportive environment. Unfortunately, there are many cases of negligence and abuse within these facilities.
Sometimes, abuse and negligence are systemic issues within an organization, like the multiple Windsor of Florida Assisted Living and Memory Care Facilities. Legend Senior Living owns these facilities. There’s at least one Legend Senior Living lawsuit in many facilities throughout the state.
Legend Senior Living owns the Windsor senior living residences in Florida and nationwide. There are 11 facilities throughout Florida providing assisted living, independent living, and memory care to residents.
Legend Senior Living was founded in 2011 in Wichita, Kansas. The company has senior living facilities in six states across the country. Their goal is to provide an environment that fosters a sense of community and is safe for seniors as they age.
However, over half of their facilities in Florida alone have lawsuits and serious allegations against them.
Of the six states that Legend Senior Living has facilities, 11 Windsor Assisted Living Centers are in Florida:
Despite the deficiencies at Windsor facilities throughout Florida, not all of them resulted in official lawsuits. However, the fact that lawsuits were filed at different facilities in different cities in these communities showcases a pattern of negligence and abuse within communities owned by Legend Senior Living.
This facility has two main lawsuits: Mary Duls Duckett v. The Windsor at Ortega and Mullen JoAnn v. The Windsor at Ortega.
In the case of Mary Duls Duckett, a lawsuit was filed due to negligence in 2022. It states the residents suffered several preventable falls, causing a subdural hematoma (brain bleed) and a fractured pelvic bone. She passed away in 2021 from a preventable fall that caused her brain to bleed.
JoAnn’s lawsuit was filed in 2021 based on an incident in 2020. This resident was oxygen-dependent and used a nasal cannula. Staff failed to check on her during the night like they were supposed to, and the nasal cannula became dislodged, leading to her death.
A major lawsuit against the Windsor at San Pablo was Tillman Jennings, Raymond v. The Windsor at San Pablo. The widow of this resident filed this lawsuit in 2019.
After only 15 minutes of being inside the facility as a new admission, Mr. Jennings fell and injured his hip. The facility failed to take him to the hospital until three days later. Due to the delay in the case and the severity of the injury, he passed away.
The Windsor of Bradenton has one previous lawsuit, the case of Becker, Virginia C. v. The Windsor of Bradenton, filed in 2017.
A representative of Virginia Becker’s estate filed a lawsuit against the facility, claiming that the inadequate care led to severe physical harm and deterioration of the resident’s health. According to the lawsuit, while under the care of the staff at the Windsor of Bradenton, Ms. Becker suffered several falls.
One of these falls resulted in a broken hip and scalp laceration. Ms. Becker also suffered a stage one bed sore and a stage two bed sore on different parts of her body, an untreated UTI, and dehydration.
In 2021, a lawsuit was filed against the Windsor of Lakewood Ranch on behalf of Erna G. Antanaitis. While she was a resident in this assisted living facility, the resident suffered from numerous falls. They resulted in pubic fractures, rib contusions, and head abrasions. The facility contested the claims and attempted to demonstrate adherence to care standards.
Next to the Windsor at Lakewood Ranch is Windsor Reflections, a specialized memory care unit owned by Legend Senior Living. Two lawsuits were filed against this facility between 2018 and 2019.
The first one is Garbutt, Robert A. v. Windsor Reflections. Betty E. Casey, a representative of the resident’s estate, filed this lawsuit in May 2018, suing the facility.
During his time as a resident of Windsor Reflections, Mr. Garbutt fell multiple times, resulting in lacerations, skin tears, and a head injury. Additionally, the complaint states that he suffered psychological and physical abuse at the hands of Windsor Reflections staff.
The second lawsuit, filed by a representative of Mr. Esther’s estate, was filed in 2019: Abis, Esther v. Windsor Reflections.
The representative alleges that while the resident was at Windsor Reflections, she suffered from many infections like pneumonia and UTIs. In addition to those, she had skin tears and abrasion, significant weight loss, and bed sores. She was also physically assaulted by another resident during her time there.
There are more deficiency citations at Windsor facilities than there are lawsuits. Here are some recent deficiencies at various Windsor facilities in Florida.
There were several deficiencies noted in the January 2021 inspection of this facility, including failure to:
The state surveyed this facility in May of 2021, citing several deficiencies. They failed to:
The deficiency that the Windsor of Bradenton was cited within 2023 includes failure to:
The Windsor of Gainesville was cited for deficiencies in 2022. They failed to:
Every skilled nursing, assisted, or independent living facility resident has rights that the staff needs to uphold. When you or your loved one’s rights are violated, you have legal options. These rights include being treated with respect and dignity, proper medical care, and living in a safe and nurturing environment that promotes positive health outcomes.
As a family member of someone living in a Windsor facility, knowing what to do if you suspect abuse or neglect, knowing what to do might seem daunting. Knowing the steps to take can help you hold those responsible for their actions.
It’s important to know that you should be as detailed as possible when gathering evidence. Include dates, times, and any documentation you can to help support your case.
If you or a loved one have been harmed at any Legend Senior Living LLC involved in the lawsuit or any elderly community, reporting the neglect or abuse and contacting a nursing home abuse lawyer is beneficial.
An experienced and compassionate attorney can help you navigate these often complicated cases. Contact the Nursing Home Law Center for more information on how to seek justice and compensation for damages.