A wrongful death lawsuit seeking unspecified damages in excess of $15,000 was recently filed by the family of a patient who committed suicide on March 25, 2019, in a Connecticut hospital. The family alleges that the hospital was aware that the man had been evaluated as being at risk for suicide but failed to provide adequate supervision. The complaint filed by the attorneys for the family based their allegations on reports from medical consultants who indicated that the patient told a social worker he was going to kill himself, and they felt the patient should have been placed in the inpatient psychiatric unit where he would have had heightened supervision.
When the patient was transferred from the hospital’s behavior unit in order to be treated for anemia on a general medical floor, his belt, that had been taken from him, was given back to him. Soon after that, the patient locked himself in a bathroom and hanged himself with the belt.
The police were not notified of the incident by hospital staff. They reported that they learned about it from the medical examiner’s office two days after it happened.
The incident was investigated by the Connecticut Department of Health (DOH)and inspectors found that the hospital lacked a basic policy regarding when patients with suicide ideations could have shoelaces and belts in their possession. The inspectors also noted that there were gaps in the hospital’s suicide prevention training and confusion regarding various levels of monitoring. The facility was reported as relying too much on security guards with respect to suicidal patients.
On May 10, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services stated in a notice to the hospital’s CEO that the deficiencies reported by the DOH “have been determined to be of such a serious nature as to substantially limit your hospital’s ability to render adequate care.”
Attorneys for the hospital have not yet responded.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to take precautions needed to prevent a patient/resident who has been evaluated as being at risk for suicide from self-harm may be considered provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding patients/residents who are identified to be at risk for suicide to determine if they are adequate or need updating.
- Train staff regarding methods of preventing suicide, e.g., removal of shoelaces, belts, and other items that may be used to inflict personal harm. Ensure that staff have clear understanding regarding the various levels of monitoring needed for different levels of risk associated with patients/residents.
- Periodically audit to determine if staff are following protocols for monitoring “at risk” patients/residents that meets their needs and that their care plan interventions are current.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC: SUICIDE PREVENTION IN LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS
