A seeming disregard for standard procedure for the care and distribution of medications earned the Swansea Rehab and Health Care nursing home in Swansea, Illinois a series of deficiencies for violations of nursing home regulations during the latest nursing home inspection at the facility.
In once instance, the nursing home never notified the family of a change in medication. The family member acting as the Power of Attorney for the resident was never notified of the change. The resident reacted badly to the change; the new drug resulted in hallucinations.
The nursing home also failed to properly stock prescriptions needed by their residents. Residents were forced to go without their medications while miscommunications between the nursing home and the pharmacy continued.
In addition, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) inspectors observed several occasions when the medication cart was left unlocked and out of the sight of the nurse in charge of administering medications. Needless to say, this is far from standard operating procedure in any health care facility.
None of the medication errors in this report resulted in a life-threatening condition, but they easily could have. Even drugs without narcotic effects can easily prove deadly. Insulin, for example, is life saving for diabetics. It can cause coma and death in non-diabetics.
These lapses indicate a failure that will ultimately lead to a dangerous medication error that will have serious consequences for the residents.
If you have a loved one who has been the victim of a medication error in an Illinois nursing home, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law offices, our Chicago nursing home lawyers have the experience and expertise to manage every aspect of your medication error nursing home case.
Other blog posts of interest:
Fatal medication error at Alden Wentworth