As regular readers of this blog know, sometimes there are terrible acts of nursing home neglect in Illinois nursing homes. Often these actions are willfully negligent, sometimes they are the result of a staff cutting corners. Still other times, the neglect can be a seemingly benign oversight. Here’s the important point to remember:
It makes no difference.
Nursing homes are tasked with a tremendous responsibility to care for our loved ones while they recover from medical treatment, when they can no longer care for themselves, and when we can no longer safely care for them. Nursing homes pledge to do so by providing a well trained staff and a safe environment.
When a person is injured through carelessness or oversight, the nursing home must be held accountable. Without accountability, there is no incentive for nursing homes to regularly train staff, update equipment, or provide the quality care they are being paid to provide.
In December of last year, a nursing home resident at Meadowbrook Manor in La Grange, Illinois was being transferred from his bed to a cardiac chair when the straps of the sling broke, sending the resident sprawling to the floor. The X-rays conducted at a nearby hospital revealed a broken rib cage.
In several ways, the nursing home staff reacted as they should. They called 911 immediately. They notified the man’s physician and his family members of the incident. In addition, the prescribed number of staff members were present to aid in the assist.
And yet, the strap they were utilizing to make the transfer was “already very worn and thin.” It’s a case of being penny-wise and pound-foolish. All the other factors like adequate staff and proper training mean nothing if the transfer ends with a nursing home resident on the floor with broken ribs.
Nursing home falls are some of the most dangerous injuries that can occur in nursing homes because the injuries can quickly cascade into additional problems like infections, pneumonia, bed sores, and lead to additional falls. Often, what begins as a simple fall can quickly turn into a wrongful death.
If you have a loved one who has been injured in a nursing home fall, and you feel they have been the victim of nursing home neglect, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.
Other blog posts on nursing home falls:
Resident suffers multiple fractures in fall at Chateau Nurisng & Rehab
Improper transfer at Boulevard Care Center in Chicago