The court recalled “the legal obligation of nursing homes to ensure the dignity, integrity and safety of people holding residence contracts and the principle of their responsibility”, according to a press release.
The company was ordered to pay more than 65,000 euros in damages to the son of this resident.
“The direct link between the shortcomings of SA Orpea and the death of (the patient)” is “established”, can we read in the reasons for the judgment.
This is based on the conclusions of a legal expert according to which “a trauma suffered by (the patient) in the retirement home “Le Clos des Meuniers” (in Bagneux, Hauts-de-Seine, Ed.) origin of his double fracture of the femurs and his death”.
“Despite staff alerts about anorexia, slowing down and drowsiness of (the patient) since the end of August 2016, the coordinating doctor did not contact the treating doctor or the family”, he denounced .
The doctor also did not “practice a clinical examination of (the patient), (…) limiting himself to observing the appearance of the left knee and mobilizing it gently”, continued the expert.
Finally, “an abnormally long period of four hours elapsed between the moment the injuries were discovered and the transport of (this elderly person) to the hospital”.
He adds that the deceased was fragile “before the accidental event due to weight loss that had been evolving for at least several months, leading to severe malnutrition”.
After the publication of the book-investigation “Les Fossoyeurs” by Victor Castanet, which had revealed serious mistreatment within many nursing homes of the Orpea group, the government demanded investigations and then seized justice.
An investigation was opened in April by the Nanterre prosecutor’s office on suspicion of institutional abuse and financial offences.
In addition, several dozen complaints from families of residents have been filed in Nanterre against Orpea, in particular for “endangering others” and “manslaughter”.
