SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP, OHIO — The estate of Samuel Frank Ray Sr., age 79, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Arbors at Sylvania, alleging that chronic understaffing, inadequate care, and systemic neglect led to his death from an infected stage 4 bedsore earlier this year.
The complaint, filed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, claims that Mr. Ray developed the ulcer while in the facility’s care, following weeks of inconsistent attention to his basic hygiene and mobility needs. According to the filing, the sore became infected and eventually caused a fatal case of sepsis, confirmed by the Lucas County Coroner.
Court records show that Mr. Ray was admitted to Arbors at Sylvania on August 30, 2024, following multiple hospitalizations for pneumonia and urinary infections. His family reported that he arrived alert, stable, and without any skin breakdown.
Once admitted, however, his care allegedly deteriorated. Staff are accused of ignoring his call light for extended periods, at times leaving him soiled for hours after being told to wear an adult brief instead of being assisted to the restroom.
According to the lawsuit, these actions violated his care plan, which required turning and repositioning to prevent pressure injuries. Family members later learned that he had developed a stage 4 bedsore on his lower back — an ulcer so deep that it exposed bone and tissue.
Mr. Ray was transferred to a hospital in October 2024 for wound treatment and later developed a systemic infection. Despite months of wound therapy, he died on January 17, 2025, from polymicrobial sepsis directly related to the infected ulcer.
The lawsuit names Arbors at Sylvania, its parent company Prestige Healthcare, and management affiliates Noble Healthcare Management and Ark Opco Group, among other related entities. The complaint accuses them of:
The estate, represented by Michael Hill Trial Law of Cleveland, argues that Arbors’ corporate ownership prioritized profit over patient safety, citing federal Medicare data showing the facility’s two-star (“below average”) staffing rating on Medicare.gov.
The lawsuit also draws parallels to a similar 2024 wrongful death case involving Arbors at Oregon, where the same law firm represented the family of Lucy Garcia, who died under comparable circumstances. That case was reportedly settled out of court in July 2024.
An affidavit submitted by Dr. Kapil Gulati, an internal medicine specialist, states that Arbors at Sylvania’s staff failed to meet accepted medical standards in pressure injury prevention, wound monitoring, and infection control. Dr. Gulati concluded that this failure directly contributed to Mr. Ray’s injuries and death.
Despite repeated requests, Arbors at Sylvania and its management affiliates have not commented on the case.
Bedsore-related lawsuits continue to reveal how staffing shortages and inadequate oversight create dangerous conditions in nursing homes nationwide. Federal data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) show that facilities with low staffing ratings are significantly more likely to receive citations for neglect, improper documentation, and delayed wound care.
Families are often told that “accidents happen,” but pressure injuries are preventable when facilities follow standard protocols for repositioning, toileting assistance, and skin assessment. When those protocols are ignored, the consequences can be fatal.
Warning signs families should watch for:
Families should not assume that care plans are being followed. Ask to see documentation of repositioning, inspect the skin yourself, and request wound consults at the first sign of irritation.
If a resident develops a bedsore, demand an immediate incident report, wound photo documentation, and wound care orders signed by a physician. When a death or serious injury occurs, preserving medical records and audit logs becomes essential to uncover what really happened.
Free Legal Help
If your loved one suffered a preventable bedsore, infection, or neglect-related death in a nursing home, our nationwide team can help investigate and hold responsible parties accountable. Consultations are free, and we work on a contingency basis — no recovery, no fee.
Contact Bedsore.Law for a confidential consultation. We investigate the truth, protect families, and pursue justice for victims of nursing home neglect.
Source: WTOL11
