On February 2, an elderly resident of the Primrose Villa nursing home in Dunn, North Carolina, wandered off of the premises, fell down a ravine, and died of a closed head wound. Now, her daughter, 43-year-old Serita Cheryl Evans, is suing the adult care facility in a wrongful death case.
Carrie “Christine” Evans, 85, suffered from a number of health issues including dementia, bipolar disorder, and hypertension. She was also known to have trouble sleeping and a history of leaving the property late at night. Evans’ daughter is arguing that her mother was not given her medication the night of her untimely death and that no one on staff was qualified during the shift in which her elderly mother disappeared.
The complaint filed names Millicent Boutchway Shylon in the wrongful death suit, the CEO and owner of Primrose Villa in Dunn, North Carolina. As owner, Shylon is responsible for the staff, property improvements, and safety of those in her nursing home and should have prevented the death of Evans.
Evans’ daughter is seeking around $10,000 in damages – both to pay for funeral costs and because her mother suffered pain and discomfort during her final hours.
Shylon has already been punished for Evans’ death by the Harnett County Department of Social Services, who found her responsible for the nursing home death of Evans. Four different violations ended in a number of fines exceeding $20,000. The nursing home has been visited dozens of times in the last year by state inspectors following up on multiple violations.