A resident at the Heritage Health nursing home in Gibson City, Illinois developed a Stage IV bed sore while living at the facility. The pressure ulcer (also known as a bed sore) developed on the resident’s heel in spite of the nursing home’s policy requiring daily skin checks.
The resident was admitted to the nursing home with hypertension, chronic airway obstruction, and cerebral artery occlusion. A skin evaluation conducted by Heritage Health nursing staff confirms that there were no skin tears or other issues with the resident’s heels at the time of admission.
Every resident being admitted to an Illinois nursing home goes through a skin evaluation. There are two purposes to the evaluation. First, nursing homes determine the likelihood and risk of developing bed sore. The skin check also documents that the nursing home is not responsible for any bed sores or skin tears that exist prior to admission.
The Heritage Health Gibson City evaluation determined that the resident was a high risk for bed sores. As a result, the nursing home was to perform daily skin checks. According to nursing home records, skin checks were only performed twice.
Just two weeks after the last skin check, a Stage IV bed sore was discovered on the resident’s heel. A stage IV bed sore is the most dangerous kind of bed sore. The designation indicates a full thickness wound that extends to the bone. Stage IV bed sores can be fatal.
Facility acquired bed sores are the almost always a sign of nursing home neglect. If you have a loved one who has developed a bed sore in an Illinois nursing home, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.
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