Lawsuit: Elderly Nurse Lay 6 Hours in Nursing Home Stairwell After Fall, Later Passed Away
Cover image: abc4.com
According to a lawsuit filed by the family of Ruth Ditty, a retired nurse, dementia patient, and beloved member of the Covington Senior Living community in Orem, Utah, fell down an unsecured stairwell where she was left unfound for 6 hours. During that time she missed three wellness checks. She was eventually found by another patient's visitor. Two days later, she passed away from her injuries. Her story is heartbreaking and infuriating: a caregiver who spent her life helping others suffered a devastating end that could have been prevented.
Now, her family is fighting for answers—and for accountability.
Remembering Nurse Ruth Ditty
Ruth Ditty was a nurse, a teacher, and someone who devoted her career to caring for others with grace and professionalism. Her son, Scott Ditty, remembers her as someone who left a mark everywhere she went.
“In my hometown, people wouldn’t even say ‘hi’ to me before asking, ‘How’s your mom?’” Scott shared. “She was that kind of person. Everyone loved her.”
Nurses give so much of themselves, and we hope—when it’s their turn to need help—that the system will show up for them the way they showed up for their patients. Sadly, Ruth’s experience is a painful example of how that system can fail.
What Happened at Covington Senior Living?
According to a lawsuit filed by the Ditty family, Ruth had exhibited clear signs of early-stage dementia. On January 21, 2024, she reportedly fell down a stairwell that should have been secured. The fall caused significant head and shoulder injuries.
What happened next has left her family—and many in the healthcare community—shaken.
The lawsuit alleges that Ruth lay at the bottom of those stairs for six hours before she was found—not by staff, but by a visiting family member of another resident. During those six hours, she reportedly missed three scheduled wellness checks.
Even more shocking, her family says staff didn’t call 911 or transport her to the hospital. Instead, they allegedly placed her back in bed and administered morphine—a medication Ruth was known to be allergic to.
Two days later, Ruth died from her injuries.
“They stripped her of her right to live,” Scott said. “They stripped her of her humanity.”
A Broken System, Not Just Individual Failure
Ruth’s son says he doesn’t blame the staff. He sees the deeper issue: a long-term care system stretched too thin, under-regulated, and often placing profits ahead of people.
“I kept asking, why wasn’t she taken to the hospital?” Scott said. “We were still trying to get to the bottom of things, and we just couldn’t get any answers.”
According to the family, they were discouraged from transitioning Ruth into memory care and instead asked to pay an additional $440 per month for wellness checks every two hours. But on the day of her fall, those checks reportedly didn’t happen.
The legal team representing the Ditty family, including Barry Toone from the Utah Senior Justice Project, says the case is currently in the discovery phase and was filed in November 2024.
Ruth’s Legacy: From Grief to Advocacy
Ruth’s family continues to advocate for her. But their goal goes beyond justice—they want change.
“Yes, we want justice for my mom,” Scott said, “but what my mom would want is change.”
