Elderly Dementia Patient Suffers Dozen Falls, Broken Ribs at NJ Nursing Home, Lawsuit Claims

It's a fear many families share: entrusting the care of a vulnerable loved one to a nursing home, only to have that trust shattered. For one New Jersey family, that nightmare, sadly, became a stark reality. They've now taken their anguish to court, filing a lawsuit against The Gardens at Lafayette, a Sussex County nursing home, following a harrowing period where their father, a patient suffering from dementia, reportedly fell a staggering twelve times in under four months. Yes, you read that right – twelve times.

Michael A. Smith, the man at the center of this distressing case, suffered far more than just a few bumps and bruises. According to court documents, these repeated tumbles led to severe, life-altering injuries. We're talking about broken ribs, a fractured eye socket, deep cuts to his face, and even internal bleeding. Imagine the pain, the confusion for someone already grappling with dementia, compounded by such preventable trauma.

The lawsuit, filed by Smith's daughter, Michelle DiBenedetto, paints a grim picture of a facility that, despite repeated incidents, allegedly failed to implement adequate safeguards. From July 2023, when Smith first arrived, through October of the same year, the falls just kept happening. Each incident, the family argues, should have been a wake-up call, prompting more stringent precautions, but instead, it seems the dangerous pattern was allowed to continue.

DiBenedetto's complaint asserts that The Gardens at Lafayette was profoundly negligent. It points to issues like chronic understaffing, a critical factor often cited in substandard care. The lawsuit claims that the facility failed to properly supervise Mr. Smith, neglected to put in place an effective fall prevention plan, and, perhaps most disturbingly, failed to adequately assess his condition and risks after each fall. This isn't just a misstep; it's a systemic failure, the family contends, that had devastating consequences.

The lawsuit details how, after one particularly severe fall in October 2023, Smith was rushed to Newton Medical Center with those broken ribs, the fractured eye socket, and facial lacerations. It was a terrifying ordeal for his family, who, understandably, reached a breaking point. Following this incident, they made the difficult but necessary decision to transfer him out of The Gardens at Lafayette. Who could blame them after such a string of alleged failures?

When contacted, a representative for The Gardens at Lafayette indicated that the facility does not comment on pending litigation. This is a fairly standard response, of course, but it offers little comfort to families seeking answers and accountability for what they believe was preventable suffering.

This case, while specific to one family's tragic experience, sadly echoes a much broader concern about the quality of care in nursing homes, particularly for patients with complex needs like dementia. It serves as a stark reminder of the immense responsibility these facilities hold and the devastating consequences when that responsibility is allegedly neglected. Families place their deepest trust in these institutions, hoping for safety, dignity, and compassionate care. When that trust is broken, the fallout can be profound and heartbreaking.

Ultimately, the lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for Mr. Smith's injuries and the emotional distress endured by the family. More than that, though, it represents a demand for justice and accountability, a plea to ensure that no other family has to endure the kind of agony and betrayal that the Smith family has allegedly faced.