Articles

CROWLEY - A New Iberia man testified Tuesday that his terminally ill mother was mistreated in an Erath nursing home, and that a local hospital and the home were unaware that a doctor treating her was not licensed to dispense some medicines.

Testimony continues today in the 15th Judicial District Court in the civil trial of Curtis Robicheaux and his children against Dr. Carman Adly, the Pauline Faulk Centre for Behavioral Health in Rayne, which is owned by American Legion Hospital, and the Morris Lahasky Nursing Home in Erath.

The family is alleging malpractice, misdiagnosis, improper administration of medicine and misuse of chemical and physical restraints.

Kasey Robicheaux said he visited his mother - Judy Robicheaux - several times at the Morris Lahasky Nursing Home in Erath and found her lying in her own feces.

"It was on the bed, under her nails and in her hair," he testified. "You could tell it was there awhile because it was dry."

Robicheaux said the medical agencies that treated his mother, who died in 1995 at the age of 47, never informed his family that Adly, a psychiatrist who treated Judy Robicheaux for mental illness, had surrendered his DEA certificate in Massachusetts and was being investigated by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.

"I would have never let him treat my mother," said Kasey Robicheaux.

Adly, who resided in Lafayette, fled to Iran in 1996 with $1.2 million he allegedly defrauded from state Medicaid funds, according to documents related to a federal indictment.

He is wanted on a warrant but has not been extradited from Iran to face the federal charges.

Family members are seeking monetary damages.

"There is a void in my family," Kisha Robicheaux Valdetero told the jury, as she wiped tears from her eyes. "She will never know her grandchildren or anything like that."

Defense lawyers said Judy Robicheaux's death was caused by amotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neuro-muscular disease that is fatal. They said restraints were necessary because she would have hurt herself or others without them.