Nursing Home Neglected NJ Dementia Patient, Who Fell 12 Times Under Its Care, Suit Says

WARREN COUNTY, NJ — A Warren County woman is suing a Pennsylvania nursing home after her husband, a dementia patient, was neglected under its care, according to the lawsuit.

Marsha Jaremenko, of Phillipsburg, admitted her 75-year-old husband, Demetrio, into Parkland Manor Nursing Home in 2024. Demetrio suffered from Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and Marsha admitted him when she could no longer give him proper care.

It cost Jaremenko $6,500 a month to keep her husband in the Allentown-based facility, which promised to provide “skilled nursing care, medical care, supervision, assistance with activities of daily living, a safe living environment, assistance with transfers in and out of bed, and other related services,” the suit reads.

Between January 2024 and April 2024, Demetrio fell at least 12 times at Parkland Manor, court documents say. These falls resulted in broken ribs, lacerations to his face and body, hip pain, and extensive bruising, according to the suit.

Several of the incidents occurred when Demetrio fell out of his bed, the lawsuit reads. The facility had bed alarms to prevent these falls from occurring; however, the suit claims that these alarms were not maintained properly, and sometimes did not contain working batteries.

The suit says that the falls were a direct result of the nursing home’s “inadequate staffing, failure to implement appropriate fall prevention protocols, failure to properly supervise (Demetrio), and willful disregard for (Demetrio’s) safety.”

Jaremenko ended up taking Demetrio out of the facility in April 2024 due to its “dangerous conditions” and the “reckless conduct” of its staff, according to court documents.

Demetrio passed away five months later due to unrelated causes, the suit adds.

“As a direct and proximate result of Parkland’s negligence, (Demetrio) suffered severe physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and a diminished quality of life during his final months,” it reads.

Jaremenko’s suit cites counts of negligence and breach of contract. She is seeking $75,000 in damages.

Patch has reached out to Parkland Manor for comment and has not yet heard back.