Resident Dies in Joliet Home, Medical Exam Could Have Saved His Life

A resident at the Rosewood Care Center in Joliet, Illinois died after a massive colonic hemorrhage caused by an infection of Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff). The resident was a 69-year-old man who had a history of C-Diff infections.

The resident had just been diagnosed with C-Diff a week prior, and when a Rosewood Care Center staff member noticed blood in the toilet, she did call the resident’s physician. The physician asked to be notified if the resident’s stool turned black. This incident took place at 8:00 AM.

When there were no further bowel movements for the rest of the day, the nursing home staff should have conducted an abdominal exam to determine whether the resident’s condition had deteriorated. Instead, they did nothing.

By the next morning, the resident was “shaking and having breathing trouble.” The staff called for an ambulance, but by the time it arrived, the resident had already passed away.

C-Diff is one of the most dangerous bacteria that live in the human digestive tract. Most of the time, it is kept in check, but when it isn’t the effects can range from mild to deadly.

Residents in nursing homes are especially susceptible to the most deadly aspects of C-Diff. Residents with a history of C-Diff infections are even more vulnerable.

These are facts that the staff at Rosewood Care Center should have been well aware of. When there were no further bowel movements after 8:00 AM, a medical examination should have been performed. It could have saved the resident’s life.

Any time the actions, or lack of actions, on the part of nursing home staff cause the death of a resident, it is said to be a wrongful death. If you have a loved one who has passed away in a Chicago area nursing home, and you think they have suffered a wrongful death, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.