A Bibb County widow has filed a lawsuit against multiple Macon healthcare facilities, claiming negligent care led to her husband’s death from cardiovascular disease in June 2023.

What We Know: Genelda Carswell filed the complaint on May 29. The lawsuit names Fountain Blue Rehab & Nursing, Pruitt Health-Eastside, Atrium Health Navicent and several related corporate entities as defendants.

According to court documents, Mack Carswell, 67, was admitted to Pruitt Health-Eastside on May 26, 2023, from Atrium Health Navicent for continued care. He had multiple medical conditions including chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, and respiratory issues requiring oxygen support.

The lawsuit alleges that on May 29, 2023, Carswell experienced confusion and declining oxygen levels, prompting his transfer to Atrium Health Navicent’s Emergency Room. He was later admitted to Fountain Blue Rehab & Nursing on June 8, 2023.

On June 14, 2023, approximately six days after his admission to Fountain Blue, Carswell was found unresponsive. Despite CPR efforts and transport to Atrium Health Navicent, he was pronounced dead at 5:41 a.m., with cardiovascular disease listed as the immediate cause of death.

The lawsuit specifically alleges the facilities failed to “properly monitor and respond to his declining oxygen levels,” “provide adequate supervision,” “implement appropriate interventions when his condition deteriorated,” and “maintain proper staffing levels to ensure adequate care.”

In Context: The lawsuit alleges multiple violations of Georgia’s Bill of Rights for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities and federal regulations governing nursing homes. The complaint includes an affidavit from Dr. Marty Schmidt supporting claims of negligence.

The lawsuit contains eight counts against the defendants, including professional negligence, corporate negligence, negligence per se, statutory violations, negligent hiring and supervision, vicarious liability, fraud, and wrongful death.

Take Action: Families with loved ones in nursing homes can research facilities through Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare website, which provides quality ratings and inspection reports. The Georgia Department of Community Health also maintains records of nursing home inspections that can be requested by the public.

If you suspect nursing home neglect or abuse, you can file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division at 800-878-6442.

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