Troubled Ormond Beach nursing home now facing negligence lawsuits

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — Ormond Beach nursing home facility that’s already been fined by the state is facing new lawsuits from families who claim their loved ones were not properly cared for.

Avante at Ormond Beach on Old Kings Road was fined $36,000 for not reporting an alleged sexual assault least year.

The new lawsuits are seeking a minimum of $15,000 in damages for pain and suffering.

“If you have a track record of four lawsuits over the last year, there's not too much quality coming out of this particular nursing home,” said Brian Lee with Families for Better Care.

Lee pointed out the facility is on a state watch list for a good reason.

In 2012, Avante at Ormond Beach was placed on the list for not reporting an alleged sexual assault, even though police never filed charges.

The facility was still fined $36,000.

A new lawsuit claims the facility did not properly care for Diane Osterholm.

It states the staff failed to prevent injury from falls and failed to monitor signs and symptoms of infection.

A lawsuit from January on behalf of Joseph Woods makes similar claims, but alleged Woods’ death was a direct result of negligence.

“The Avante facility is just one of roughly 130 other nursing homes that are on our state’s watch list for dangerous nursing home conditions,” Lee said.

Families for Better Care issued a nursing home report cars, which shows Florida up from an “D” grade to an “A.”

Lee, however, said the grade is based on self-reported data from nursing homes and he believes the state is still far behind.

All four of the lawsuits filed in the last year are still open.

Avante did not return calls for comment.

WFTV