An article in the Saratogian, the newspaper of Saratoga County in New York State, illustrates another issue that families with loved ones in nursing homes should be aware of – the insurance status of a nursing home.
Two residents living at the Maplewood Manor, a nursing home in Saratoga County, died under what is being termed “suspicious circumstances.” A third resident injured her hip in a nursing home fall.
In the first instance, a resident was found outside of the nursing home early in the morning on December 22. The article does not specifically cite exposure as the cause of death, but since no criminal charges have been brought, it seems likely that the elements played a role.
The second death occurred after a medication error. A resident was accidentally administered a dose of insulin that was intended for her roommate. The resident died 16 days after the medication error. The article alleges that court documents show the resident became severely ill after the injection of the insulin.
As a result of these incidents, the current insurer of the nursing home is refusing to continue their coverage. The new insurance company will charge the nursing home an additional $87,000 for annual coverage.
Insurance for nursing homes probably seems like a necessity. Shockingly, not all states require that nursing homes carry insurance at all. In Illinois, repeated efforts to have insurance be a part of operating a nursing home license have been defeated.
Nursing homes without insurance have been known to simply cease operations after an unfavorable judgement for nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect. When this happens, the victim frequently is never compensated for their injuries.
If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home, make certain that the home is properly insured in case your loved one is injured. At my law offices, we have the experience to manage all aspects of your nursing home neglect case.
You can speak to one of our Chicago nursing home lawyers for no cost and no obligation.