BOCA RATON, Fla. (CBS12) — A Boca Raton nurse is suing a local nursing home, claiming she was fired after raising concerns about unsafe and unsanitary conditions, including a patient she says was so severely neglected that he had live maggots in his wounds before later dying.
The allegations are detailed in a civil lawsuit filed by registered nurse Nuella Joseph, who was hired as a medical records coordinator at Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center in January 2025.
According to the lawsuit, about a month into her job, Joseph helped a 62-year-old patient take what she says was his first shower in weeks. She claims the man’s clothes were stuck to his body and had to be cut off.
Her attorney, Chiamaka Echebiri, said once the patient’s bare skin was exposed, that’s when Joseph made the shocking discovery in the open sores on his leg.
“There were maggot-infested wounds on his person,” Echebiri said.
Echebiri said her client immediately alerted leadership about the condition of the patient.
“[Joseph] notified leadership, but leadership staff instructed her not to take photographs,” she said.
The complaint alleges the facility’s director of nursing then turned to the patient asking him if he’d “ever heard of maggot therapy.”
According to the lawsuit, Joseph’s boss said, “Actually, the maggots are somehow doing you very good service for they have been sucking up all the necrotic dead tissues. Have you ever heard of Maggots Therapy, sir?”
Maggot Therapy is a real medical treatment where sterile larvae are used to clean wounds. But the suit argues this was not a controlled or intentional treatment to help the patient. Instead, it alleges the infestation developed due to severe neglect and poor hygiene.
Joseph claims the patient continued to suffer, complaining of pain and emitting a strong, foul odor. She says she pushed for him to be transferred to a hospital, but alleges her concerns were ignored and his declining condition was not documented.
The lawsuit also claims nursing home’s leadership was more focused on passing an upcoming state inspection than addressing patient care concerns.
Beyond the patient’s case, Joseph alleges she reported additional issues inside the facility, including mold, termite and roach infestations in patient rooms. She says those complaints were dismissed. She claims speaking up about the concerns ultimately cost her her job.
“The nursing home fired her because they categorized her voicing concerns pointing to the environmental conditions, pointing to patient welfare and other concerns that she raised, they categorize that as gossiping,” Echebiri said.
The lawsuit further claims the patient with the infected wounds died about two months after Joseph was fired.
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CBS12 News reached out to Boca Raton Rehabilitation Center for comment. While no one agreed to appear on camera, the facility’s administrator called the allegations “unsubstantiated.”
In a statement, the facility said:
“Due to Resident privacy concerns, we are unable to provide any details at this time. All allegations were reported to the appropriate governmental agencies. Those governmental agencies conducted an on-site review of the allegations, and the claims were not verified. The trained healthcare professionals at Boca Raton Health and Rehab Center strive to provide the highest quality of care and are committed to the safety and well-being of our residents. Boca Raton Health and Rehab Center have been serving the community for over 50 years.”
Nuella Joseph’s lawsuit was filed in January and was amended in mid-April. She said she is still out of work and was evicted from her home after she was fired.
The nursing home has made a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and if the judge grants that, the suit is dead in the water. If not, the case could head to trial.