Maggot therapy? Wrongful termination lawsuit claims nursing home had a severe sanitation problem

A Florida nurse is suing her former employer, a nursing home, after she says she was terminated without cause, in retaliation for raising concerns about a patient who was living in squalor, left so unclean that maggots began to infest bed sores.

In a civil lawsuit, Nuella Joseph said she gave that unnamed 62-year-old patient a shower, only to be forced to cut off his clothes due to them being stuck to the body.

After cutting the garments off, Joseph says, she discovered the festering wounds.

That patient, who resided at Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center (BRRC), later died. The facility denies claims made in the lawsuit, telling local CBS 12 News that the claims are "unsubstantiated."

Through her lawyer, Joseph—who says she was on the job for only a month when she encountered this patient—states that she reported the incident to leadership. The alleged response was to tell her not to take photographs of the wounds.

Further, Joseph’s attorney says the facility looked to cover its bases, asking the patient if he has ever heard of “maggot therapy."

According to the lawsuit, while maggot therapy is still used to remove dead skin and encourage healing in deep wounds or burns, that treatment was not ordered by BRRC. Instead, the fly larvae was a result of severe neglect.

Furthering the allegations, Joseph accuses leadership of being more concerned with an upcoming state inspection than the health of the patient.

These claims have not been proven in court. In fact, in a statement to CBS 12, a spokesperson said the incident was reported to the state, as required by law.

“Due to resident privacy concerns, we are unable to provide any details at this time. All allegations were reported to the appropriate governmental agencies,” the spokesperson said. “Those governmental agencies conducted an on-site review of the allegations, and the claims were not verified.”

Joseph says those claims got her fired, and she was later evicted from her home as a result and has been unable to find work. She filed her lawsuit in January, though the claim was updated in mid-April, CBS 12 reports.

In the lawsuit, the nurse also alleges BRRC had a major sanitation problem that extended beyond this patient, including mold and bug-infested rooms—complaints Joseph says were ignored.

She added that the patient central to the lawsuit only deteriorated after she formally reported concerns to management. He allegedly never recovered. 

It’s unclear if the case will be dismissed or make it to trial. 

Local TV news coverage here.