PruittHealth Lakehaven: Nurse Left Dying Resident Alone - GA
The licensed practical nurse, identified in inspection records only as LPN QQ, later told investigators she witnessed the resident — referred to as R1 — tripoding and turning purple on June 2, 2024. Tripoding is a sign of severe respiratory distress, where a person leans forward and props themselves on their arms to engage muscles not normally used for breathing. It means the body is running out of options.
LPN QQ did not assess the resident. She did not administer any of the respiratory medications the resident had available. She did not call the physician. She did not document the change in condition. She did not alert the more experienced nurse working the same shift. She did not stay with the resident until paramedics arrived. When emergency medical personnel walked through the facility door, she did not greet them or give them a report on the patient they were there to help.
The resident called 911 herself.
R1 was admitted to the hospital's critical care unit and placed on BiPAP, a pressurized breathing device used when a patient cannot sustain adequate oxygen levels on their own.
In a telephone interview on June 27, 2024, LPN QQ confirmed each of these failures to the state surveyor, one by one. She acknowledged she knew R1 had a documented history of respiratory distress. She acknowledged the resident had medications specifically prescribed to treat her condition. She acknowledged she could see, because R1 was of thin frame, that the resident was using her accessory muscles to breathe — visible, physical evidence of a body in crisis.
She said she did not react.
"I made too many mistakes and reacted too late," LPN QQ told the surveyor.
She also confirmed she did not contact the Department of Human Services or the facility administrator to report what had happened.
The inspection, conducted as part of a complaint investigation with a survey date of July 3, 2024, cited the facility under F600, which covers abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The citation reflects a finding that administration failed to monitor, assess, document, and effectively address R1's chronic respiratory issues — a failure that predated the June 2 incident and contributed to the crisis that sent her to intensive care.
What the record shows is a nurse who, by her own account, recognized that a resident was in serious distress, understood the resident had both a relevant medical history and available treatments, and chose not to act on any of it. The resident, unable to get help from the person responsible for her care, picked up a phone and called for an ambulance herself.
She was taken to a critical care unit. She was put on a machine to help her breathe.
LPN QQ's own words to investigators were unambiguous: too many mistakes, too late.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Pruitthealth - Lakehaven, LLC from 2024-07-03 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: July 5, 2026 · Our methodology
PRUITTHEALTH - LAKEHAVEN, LLC in VALDOSTA, GA was cited for violations during a health inspection on July 3, 2024.
It means the body is running out of options.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.