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Family says nursing home neglected woman's infection for more than 6 months

Alberta Robinson, 63, is recovering after surgery to her foot, but doctors fear the infection may have already reached her bone.

ANGLETON, Texas — One grandmother may lose her foot after family say her nursing home neglected an infection over six months.

Alberta Robinson, 63, is recovering after surgery Monday, but doctors fear the infection may have already reached her bone.

Outside the UTMB Surgical Center in Angleton, we met with Robinson’s family as they waited to hear the extent of their mother’s wounds.

They say in the six months Robinson spent at the Cypress Wood Care Center, they heard of the wound once. That was back in April when nursing staff asked for permission to have a wound specialist take a closer look at their mother’s foot.

“They just made it seem like it was a pressure wound and the wound care doctor needed to look at it,” said Devon Randon, Robinson’s daughter-in-law.

Devon said family made an effort to visit Robinson at least five days a week, but it took one visit during Mother’s Day to discover what had been hiding all this time at Robinson’s feet.

Robinson is disabled and bed-ridden, so family say it’s very common to see her completely wrapped in blankets.

The odor is what caught one family member’s attention and forced them to pull back the covers where they found the infection.

“If they would have said something we would have looked at it,” said Byron Randon, Robinson’s son.

When we reached out to the care center, they responded by saying no comment.

We contacted the Harris County Area Agency on Aging who say all nursing homes are governed by the state, so there is oversight. If anyone suspects neglect, they urge family to file a report as soon as possible.

As for finding the right care facility for you, here are a few things they say to keep in mind:

  • Find a place that’s close enough for family to make regular visits.
  • It should be well-staffed, family-friendly and clean. They should take care of people like they take care of their building.
  • If you’re still not sure, Texas Health and Human Services has you covered with a website detailing reports against long term care centers.

You can also reach out to a long term care ombudsman to determine if there are any investigations currently facing the facilities you’re interested in. They can be reached at 1-800-252-2412.

According to the Texas Health and Human Services website, Cypress Woods Care Center has had no complaints in 2019, one complaint in 2018 and four complaints in 2017.

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