New Orleans “Mercy Killings” Expose Dangerous Mindset in Elder Care Industry

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans last summer, one of the more glaring sides of the tragedy was the collapse of human decency, both on the streets of the overwhelmed city and within the institutions where so many came seeking refuge from the ravages of the storm. Residents who decided to remain or simply couldn’t afford to leave suddenly found themselves in desperate situations where law and order no longer applied. With evacuation and aid efforts stalled due to federal and state government bungling, the end result was the needless deaths of hundreds of Americans.

Perhaps the most shocking breakdown of morality occurred on the seventh floor of the Memorial Medical Center of New Orleans. According to reputable news sources including National Public Radio, the floor, leased by a company called LifeCare and set aside for the care of elderly and infirm patients, was the scene of numerous so-called “mercy killings” (or euthanasia), allegedly performed on several elderly patients who were too sick or frail to be moved.

Four separate witnesses recalled hearing fevered discussions among nurses and doctors where the debate was not about moving patients or which patients were in need of the most care, but whether or not to end the patients’ lives. Witnesses also claimed to see doctors preparing lethal syringes intended for patients listed under DNR status, or Do Not Resuscitate. While they did suffer, most of the DNR patients were breathing and conscious. According to court documents reviewed by NPR, the LifeCare staff members took it upon themselves to decide who would live and who would die.

Anticipating the legal fall out from the actions taken by LifeCare employees, attorneys for the company reported to the Louisiana Attorney General's office that they did in fact euthanize patients who were in conditions that were described as “too fragile to be moved.”

Were the circumstances facing LifeCare employees and their patients extraordinarily difficult? No doubt. But did these circumstances empower the LifeCare medical staff to make decisions about life and death? Absolutely not. That decision wasn’t in the contract that the families of the victims signed when they enlisted LifeCare to look after the well being of their loved ones.

Researchers estimate that by the year 2030, one in every five Americans will be over the age of 65. As America continues to age, it is vital that state and federal laws begin to reflect higher levels of respect and protections for the rights of the elderly. Currently, those laws are woefully inadequate, and based on the growing instances of abuse in nursing homes and elder care facilities nationwide, so is the perception of the rights of the elderly among those hired to care for them.

While the incident at New Orleans Memorial Hospital might be an extreme example, it reveals the ghastly potential of a troubling mindset that exists in many elder care facilities and institutions in America today – that the lives of those under their care are somehow less important.

In Virginia, the elder abuse lawyers at Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. help families that have placed their trust in nursing homes and elder care facilities, only to have that trust betrayed. If you feel that your loved ones have been abused or mistreated during their stay at a nursing home or elder care center, contact us for a free legal consultation today