Judge stops eviction of resident

William C. Lhotka of the St. louis Post-dispatch wrote an article about a Judge preventing a nursing home from evicting a resident from a nursing home.  Below is an excerpt of his article:

A judge has barred an Ellisville nursing home from discharging a resident in a billing dispute because of the possible traumatic effects of transferring her to another care facility.  The judge found for the family of Barbara H. Lindsay and against Bethesda Long Term Care Inc. which operates Bethesda Meadow.  The ruling means the nursing home cannot move Lindsay to another nursing home when Bethesda alleged Lindsay’s family owed the company past due bills.

Lindsay’s son Douglas contended that the bill was erroneous and that his mother was too fragile to move.   Jacqueline Levey, attorney for the Lindsays, argued before Vincent that “any nursing facility wishing to expel an elderly or disabled resident can simply manufacture a series of grossly inaccurate billing statements.”

Bethesda lawyer James W. Erwin had contended that some billing errors by Bethesda didn’t negate the failure of the Lindsay family to make payments.  On the day before the hearing in October, the Lindsay family paid its bill in full. Nonetheless, the nursing home proceeded with the discharge, said Levey, the family’s lawyer.

Vincent cited medical testimony in his order that Barbara Lindsay “is very fragile and has very little strength.” The judge said the nursing home provided no evidence that “a safe and orderly discharge could be accomplished.”