Family accuses Clark County nursing home of negligence after woman’s death from sepsis

The daughter of a woman who died after being in the care of a Clarksville nursing home is suing the facility for negligence, saying it was understaffed and failed to properly attend to her needs as she recovered from surgery.

Wedgewood Healthcare Center gave Sarah Leonard less than 10% of the monthly pain medication she was prescribed, and staff there left her wound dressings unchanged for weeks at a time and did not provide routine hygiene and continence care, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Clark Circuit Court.

The lawsuit was filed by Leonard’s daughter, Khristy Stuart, on behalf of her estate against the Wedgewood Healthcare Center, the Adams County Memorial Hospital and other entities who run the facility.

Leonard died in November 2024 from sepsis following surgery she had earlier in 2024 to remove an infected implanted medical device. After surgery, Leonard was admitted to Wedgewood for skilled nursing care, wound care and rehabilitation, according to court documents.

“Sarah Leonard’s family entrusted Wedgewood Healthcare Center with her care while she recovered from surgery,” said plaintiff’s attorney Cameron M. Fathauer in an email to The Indiana Lawyer. “Her daughter, Khristy Stuart, brings this action as personal representative of Sarah’s estate to hold accountable every entity that operated the facility, including the out-of-state companies that staffed and managed it and the county hospital that holds its license. ”

A nursing home representative did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment from The Indiana Lawyer. An attorney representing the hospital declined to comment, noting that they haven’t been served a copy of the complaint. 

When Leonard arrived at Wedgewood in August 2024, she had a deep, slow-healing surgical wound, areas of skin breakdown and an osteomyelitis diagnosis that required daily medication, court documents state. Upon accepting Leonard as a patient, Wedgewood agreed to administer Leonard’s medications, perform routine dressing changes and assist Leonard with daily living needs, including hygiene, monitoring her condition and communicating with her doctor and family.

But her family argues in its complaint that the facility didn’t care for Leonard safely and properly. According to court documents, Leonard’s doctor prescribed approximately 180 doses per month of a pain medication, but she received only 15 to 16 doses. Her room was constantly dirty, with food and drink left to accumulate, and her bed was sometimes left without sheets, according to court documents.

The lawsuit says Wedgewood was chronically understaffed, and the defendants made budgeting, staffing and operation decisions that resulted in poor living conditions. Federal staffing data for the facility reflects an annual nursing staff turnover of approximately 50%, according to court documents.

In November 2024, Leonard was moved from Wedgewood to a hospital in Louisville, where she died from sepsis caused by bacteremia and osteomyelitis. Her family states that the facility did not deliver timely notifications to them or her doctor about her deteriorating condition.

They’re now suing for negligence and deprivation of federal rights under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act, which states that nursing facilities “must care for its residents in such a manner and in such an environment as will promote maintenance or enhancement of the quality of life of each resident,” court documents state.

The case is Khristy Stuart v. INNH EMP, LLC D/B/A Wedgewood Healthcare Center, Potters MGT. Co., LLC, Adams County Memorial Hospital D/B/A Wedgewood Healthcare Center, 10C06-2609-CT-000161.