A resident with an unusual medical condition was untreated when the Villa at South Holland in South Holland, Illinois failed to maintain any staff members with an awareness of her condition. While this incident ended with minimal harm, it clearly illustrates how a lack of proper training can result in nursing home neglect or, at worst, the wrongful death of a resident.
The resident in question had a condition known as Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). ITP is what’s called a “bleeding disorder.” As you can probably guess, a bleeding disorder is a condition where a person bleeds without being injured, but it’s more than just that. A person with ITP can develop nosebleeds and bleeding from the mouth, but they can also bleed into their skin, digestive tract, and even into their brains. Life-threatening consequences are not common, but very possible.
At the Villa at South Holland, there was no one present who knew the resident had the condition, or even what it was. The symptoms that appeared, a bloody nose and thick blood-filled blisters were mistaken for the results of a nursing home fall. No action was taken to treat the condition because none of the staff who were present had been informed about the condition.
Luckily, the resident didn’t suffer any long-term consequences of this nursing home neglect, but she easily could have.
It’s no surprise that nursing home residents have a variety of problems. After all, a person in perfect health doesn’t need full time skilled nursing care. Nursing homes need to be staffed so that every resident can have their individual needs attended, and when a health problem arises, competent staff who have been trained in identifying and treating the issue need to be on hand.
If you have a loved one who has been the victim of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law offices we never charge a fee unless we earn a recovery for you.