State Senator's Wife Sues Nursing Home
Sisters Sue Over Death Of 89-Year-Old Father
POSTED: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The wife of Sen. Stephen Wise and her sister are suing the West Jacksonville Health and Rehabilitation Center, claiming its neglect caused the death of their 89-year-old father.
According to the lawsuit, the neglect led to the death of Glenn Beeman in 2005.
His daughters, Kathy Wise and Pat Thomlinson, said they made the difficult decision to put him in a nursing home because he could no longer use his legs.
They said they saw their father grow very ill during his three-month stay at the West Jacksonville Health and Rehabilitation Center on Fouraker Road.
They said he had a severe case of diarrhea and dehydration period. The sisters accused staff of not doing anything to treat his illness.
The nursing home took him to a hospital, where he died.
"They wouldn't listen to me when my father became very ill. No one listened to me and they absolutely knew it," Kathy Wise said at a Tuesday morning news conference.
The lawsuit doesn't specify the amount of money the family is attempting to collect.
Channel 4's Vickie Pierre talked to the current administrator at the nursing home, who said he had only worked there for two months and could not find anyone to respond to the lawsuit. It not uncommon for companies to not comment publicly about legal proceedings.
The daughter of a current patient at the center had nothing but praise for the facility.
"I can't speak for other people, but I'm 100 percent satisfied," said Danielle Thomas. "They're kind and sweet and loving. I never have any problem."
Copyright 2008 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.