In a very bizarre and tragic story out of California 2 nursing home residents have died and 4 others have been hospitalized from alleged food poisoning after a caregiver placed what turned out to be poisonous wild mushrooms into a soup that was then served to residents.

As the article suggests, an initial investigation into the situation has concluded that no foul play was involved and that the caregiver didn’t know that the mushrooms were poisonous when he or she picked them and placed them in the residents’ soup.

However, even if this was just a mere lack of oversight, it still raises some troubling questions about the training and supervision of nursing home caregivers and employees that come up all too often.

When we deal with cases involving under-trained or under-supervised nursing home employees, it generally comes up in the context of a case where a resident went unattended to, a doctor’s plan of care wasn’t followed, or a staff member was forced to perform a job function above their training or capability and a resident was injured or became ill as a result.

What stories such as these remind us, however, is that when dealing with some of society’s most vulnerable members, sometimes what may seem like a basic lapse in judgment that would not have done irreparable harm to a person in good health can have grave consequences.

Unfortunately, it becomes one more thing to keep in mind the next time nursing home advocates complain about required staffing levels, requirements for skilled nurses, and the like — sometimes the little mistakes can be just as harmful as the big ones.

You can contact us here 24/7/365 (and we really mean that as we will answer our phone) if you have any questions and to learn how we may be able to help you or your loved one who has been a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect – in particular, you will find that we listen, take your phone calls and e-mails (and even text messages!). We would be honored to help you with your matters – large or small.