Doctor's letter
YOKNAPATAWPHA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Investigating Officer(s): Det. T. Armstrong, Det. S. Murphy
Incident No.: 004745-12I-2024
Case Description: Jerry Shaw death investigation
The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department received the following letter (Evidence # 004745-13) regarding Rose Jenkins, a recent resident at the Yoknapatawpha Acres nursing home.
Family Medical Clinic
1180 Medical Park Drive
Oxford, MS 38655
662.238.XXXX
September 17, 2024
To the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department:
I examined Rose Jenkins on September 17, 2024, when her daughter, Margery Adams, brought her to my office for an independent medical examination.
The patient is an 82-year-old Caucasian female with a history of Alzheimer's disease and is a resident at Yoknapatawpha Acres nursing home, 1305 Belk Boulevard, Oxford, Mississippi.
She is 5'1 and weighs 90 pounds. She appears to be suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. She has elongated nails, her hair is unwashed, and it does not appear as if she has been showered or sponge-bathed recently. She appears to have been living in a filthy environment.
The patient wears an adult diaper for incontinence, and it is apparent that the diapers have not been changed in a timely fashion for an extended period. After any incontinent episode, urine and feces must be cleaned up almost immediately, and the patient should be washed to prevent skin burn.
Upon removal of the patient's diaper, large areas of reddened and irritated skin were noted on her buttocks and upper thighs. Closer examination of genital skin folds revealed signs of irritation and a yeast infection.
Margery Jenkins reported seeing flies and maggots in a trash pail where soiled diapers and food waste are commingled.
The patient also had several bedsores (also called pressure sores or decubitus ulcers) on her back and heels. A large decubitus ulcer on her right heel was bleeding and had signs of fly larvae developing. This myiasis appeared to be in its initial stage, as the larvae were quite small.
Preventing bedsores requires time, effort, and adequate staffing. A bedridden patient must be repositioned every two hours to relieve pressure, more often if confined to a wheelchair. Proper nutrition is also necessary to prevent skin breakdown. If any one of these procedures is overlooked, the likelihood that a patient will develop bedsores increases. An early bedsore is a reversible reddening of the skin. However, it can rapidly lead to the destruction of tissue if left untreated.
As a physician, I am required by Mississippi law to report elder abuse or suspected elder abuse. Since the patient is in an institution, this letter is directed to the local law enforcement agency.
Please contact me with any questions.
Yours truly,
//James Franklin, M.D.
