Elderly woman’s injury prompts lawsuit over delayed care at facility.
A North Charleston nursing home is facing another delayed care lawsuit after a 94-year-old woman was left in pain for hours before getting help. Mildred Smith, a resident at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation, told staff her arm was hurting on May 28, 2022. A nurse noticed swelling and redness but didn’t immediately get her to a hospital. It took until after midnight for a nurse practitioner to order a hospital visit, and even then, she didn’t arrive until much later. By the time she got to the emergency room, doctors found her arm was broken and badly swollen. She also had anemia and a blood clot.
The lawsuit says the nursing home delayed care, waiting too long to treat her and failed to give her the care she needed. A social worker at the hospital was worried enough to call the police, reporting possible abuse and neglect. The North Charleston Police Department followed up with a report that listed the incident as possible elder abuse. The suit claims the delay in care left Smith in a dangerous condition for far too long.
This is not the first time Riverside has been named in legal action. Court records show at least 14 other lawsuits against the facility for similar concerns. In some cases, families say poor care may have led to death. One such case involves Edna Harrison, who died in September 2023. Her family is planning to file a wrongful death suit against Riverside and another nursing home where she had been treated.
Riverside has a poor record with federal regulators. The government gave it the lowest possible rating on Medicare’s website and even flagged it with a warning about possible abuse. Though not on the most recent list of the worst facilities in the country, the home has had problems. In late 2024, the staff reportedly failed to notice a missing resident, a mistake that led to a serious violation. Just a few months earlier, inspectors found that many residents had gone weeks without clean bedding. These problems were recorded in official reports.
In the case of Mildred Smith, the lawsuit was filed by Solara Frost, who was legally put in charge of handling Smith’s affairs. Smith had been living at Riverside since 2019 and had long-term health needs. The suit says staff members did not act quickly enough to protect her when her condition changed. Hospital records said the staff didn’t know how or when her injury had happened, which added to the concern.
Despite multiple attempts to reach the nursing home, no one there has responded to questions about the lawsuit. In past cases, they have declined to comment. That silence has done little to ease public concern about the way the facility treats its residents.
This delayed care lawsuit could lead to further review of how nursing homes like Riverside are managed and how patients are treated when they can’t speak up for themselves. Advocates for the elderly say strong action is needed to make sure residents are safe. Until then, families and courts will continue to look closely at what happens behind nursing home doors, especially when injuries go unanswered. The case involving Mildred Smith is just one of many still unfolding.
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