Nursing Home Patient Dies After Botched Lift Transfer

Moving a vulnerable resident from a wheelchair to a bed or toilet isn’t optional — it’s one of the most basic responsibilities of any nursing facility. Today, most long-term care residents require full assistance with mobility. That means staff must use mechanical lift devices — like Hoyer lifts or Sit-to-Stand lifts — to safely transfer non-ambulatory patients.

But time and time again, understaffed facilities rush, cut corners, or assign untrained aides to dangerous transfers.

And when things go wrong, the consequences are lethal.

Tragic Incident at Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

A tragic incident at Jefferson Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has led to criminal charges against a former nursing assistant after a patient died during a botched lift transfer. According to state prosecutors, Diamond Johnson, a certified nursing assistant, attempted to operate a hydraulic lift alone—a violation of standard safety procedures that typically require two staff members.

During the transfer from a chair to a bed, the patient slipped out of the lift’s sling, landing on the metal base of the device and suffering blunt force injuries. The patient became unresponsive about 40 minutes later and could not be revived. An autopsy confirmed that the death resulted from complications of blunt force trauma due to the fall.

Following an investigation by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, a grand jury indicted Johnson on negligent homicide charges. Attorney General Liz Murrill emphasized the state’s duty to protect vulnerable residents, saying the case reflects clear negligence in care.

The nursing home, which publicly claims to prioritize resident dignity and quality of life, has not commented on the incident.

Read full article here.

A Preventable Death — Brushed Off as an “Accident”

Across the country, grieving families are being told the same line:

“It was just an accident. These things happen.”

No. They don’t just happen — not when proper procedures are followed.

Whether a resident is dropped from a lift, crushed by a malfunctioning sling, or suffers internal bleeding after a fall — these “botched transfers” are almost always the result of:

• One staff member attempting a two-person transfer
• Improper sling size or incorrect attachment
• Failure to lock wheelchair or bed brakes before lifting
• Faulty or poorly maintained equipment
• Rushed transfers due to short staffing
  

These are not freak occurrences — they are foreseeable dangers that nursing homes are legally obligated to prevent.

Federal Law is Clear: Nursing Homes Owe Residents Safe Transfer and Assistance

Under the Nursing Home Reform Act (42 U.S.C. § 1395i–3), facilities must provide adequate supervision and assistive devices to prevent accidents.

This means:

• If a resident needs two people for transfers, one-person lifts are unacceptable.
• If equipment is worn, broken, or overdue for maintenance, using it is negligence.
• If aides are not trained or certified to use lift devices, the facility is liable — period.

When a resident dies during a transfer, it is not a “risk of old age.” It is wrongful death caused by violations of federal care standards.

“But the Facility Wrote It Up as Natural Causes…” — Don’t Accept It

Families are frequently misled into believing:

• “She slipped out on her own.”
• “He was combative — we did our best.”
• “She just bruised — she died from something else.”

Yet autopsies often reveal:

• Internal hemorrhaging from impact
• Broken ribs or hip fractures
• Suffocation from entanglement

Even worse, some facilities don’t report transfer falls at all — logging them as “unwitnessed,” “unknown cause,” or omitting them entirely.

Unless families demand answers, request records, and pursue legal action, these deaths are quietly buried and never counted.

What Families Can Do After a Lift Transfer Injury or Death

If your loved one was injured or died during a nursing home transfer:

Ask for the full incident report — in writing.
Request maintenance logs on the lift or sling used.
Demand staffing records showing how many aides were on duty.
Preserve any photos of bruising or injuries.
Contact an attorney experienced in nursing home negligence — before signing anything.

The nursing home’s insurance company may rush in with condolences — and a release form. Don’t sign it. Once you do, the truth is buried forever.

Families Don’t Want Revenge — They Want Accountability

Most families don’t sue for money. They sue because someone has to say this was wrong.

Because if nobody holds these facilities accountable, they’ll keep doing it.

Because the next resident — maybe someone just like your mother, father, or spouse — will be lifted by one rushed, exhausted aide… and dropped.

Our Message to Nursing Homes:

Stop calling preventable deaths “accidents.”

If you choose to understaff, under train, and skip safety steps — you are choosing risk over human life.

Families deserve better.

If your loved one was injured or killed in a transfer gone wrong, you have legal rights — and you do not have to fight alone. 

Contact KBD Attorneys if your loved one has been injured in a nursing home.