Bedside Betrayal: Family warns about Savannah nursing home care after loved one’s condition deteriorates

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A Savannah family is warning others about care at a local nursing home after they say their loved one’s condition deteriorated due to inadequate treatment.

James and Cynthia Fullwood placed James’ mother, Mary Fullwood, at PruittHealth Savannah after she suffered a stroke. The family chose the facility based on its reputation, but say the care Mary received was substandard.

Care concerns documented in medical records

“There are situations where she’s allowed to lay in her own filth. She hasn’t been changed adequately,” Cynthia Fullwood said. “There’s two separate occasions where family has come in in the morning and she had feces on her hands.”

The family documented multiple issues including lethargy, a urinary tract infection and problems with lab work that went unaddressed, according to Cynthia Fullwood.

Mary’s medical records show she lost weight during her stay and required emergency room treatment after a hole was found in her feeding tube.

“The things that we’re asking is literally the orders that the doctors have set in her record. To make sure that she’s changed every two to three hours. To make sure that she is repositioned every two hours to offset bed sores. To make sure that her lab work is done so that they can monitor her blood pressure medication. Monitor her thyroid medication. Monitor overall vitals to make sure that everything is working the way it should be,” Cynthia Fullwood said. “They are not doing it. And because of that, there is a significant decline in her health.”

Questions raised about pain medication administration

The records also show Mary was prescribed pain medication on several occasions, despite her cognitive condition.

“There’s no way, cognitively speaking, that she can answer a question, you can say something to her, and she can definitively answer back,” Cynthia Fullwood said.

Medical logs indicated Mary was providing pain levels to staff, which the family disputes.

The medical records show only one nurse was prescribing the pain medication to Mary repeatedly.

Staff acknowledges care plan issues

The family brought their concerns to PruittHealth staff in care meetings. Notes from those meetings show a staff member acknowledged Mary “could not have agreed to receive pain medication or explained if she was in pain.”

The notes also state Mary’s care plan was “currently not being completed as ordered” by a doctor.

Facility rating and reputation

PruittHealth Savannah is rated three stars by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, considered average and above half of other Savannah-area nursing homes.

“We talked to a lot of people about the place and even some folks in the medical field. And they stated that of the places in Savannah, as far as nursing facilities, Pruitt was probably the best you’re going to get,” James Fullwood said.

“From the administrative head on down, there are so many inconsistencies in that facility that it has to be addressed by the city and the state,” Cynthia Fullwood said. “We need to address this and we need to address it now before someone potentially loses their life or worse.”

After taping the interview with Cynthia and James, Mary Fullwood was hospitalized again, and her family decided to bring her home.

When WTOC originally reached out, PruittHealth Savannah declined to participate in the story, saying they do not have a “media relations person.” We also contacted PruittHealth’s corporate office, and received the following statement after this story was published:

“PruittHealth – Savannah is committed to providing safe, high‑quality, and compassionate care to every patient we serve. The facility is currently in full compliance with all state and federal regulations. While we cannot discuss any specific patient situation due to privacy laws, please know that we continuously monitor our practices to ensure we meet and exceed quality standards every day.”

PruittHealth

WTOC Investigates: Before you choose a nursing home

If you’re considering putting your loved one in a nursing home, there are several steps to take before you decide.

You should head to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid website and use the “Care Compare” function. There, you can see how many “stars” a facility has, and check to see whether they have a history of violations. A five-star rating is the best rating a facility can have.

Inspection reports for Georgia nursing homes are also typically available on the Georgia Department of Community Health website, although GDCH spokesperson Fiona Roberts told WTOC Investigates on Thursday the inspection records are not up to date due to “transitions taking place” on the website.

Personal injury attorney Brian Krapf, who handles nursing home abuse cases, previously told WTOC Investigates to tour the facility unannounced before picking it, to see what it’s really like.