Elder Law

Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit Filed Against Caseyville, Illinois Facility

By Levin & Perconti

The Madison/St. Clair Record is reporting that nursing home lawyers have filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family member of a man who died while under the home?s care. According to the article, the man suffered malnutrition, dehydration, a urinary tract infection and pressure sores in the month that he resided there. The suit alleges that the nursing home failed to provide the proper care and failed to implement a proper plan to treat his pressure ulcers. The home also failed to tell his physician when his condition changed and failed to make sure he maintained a proper body weight. As a result of these failures on behalf of the nursing home owners and staff, the victim incurred medical costs and was subject to severe pain and suffering.

Residents are susceptible to pressure sores because many people in nursing homes are immobile or completely bed-ridden. Pressure ulcers can contribute to a worsening of one?s condition and can lead to infection and even death. In the 80?s, nursing home laws such as OBRA 87 were established to create a standard of care by which all nursing home must comply. Facilities are obligated to carry out the necessary care and treatment to prevent pressure sores from forming or existing pressure sores from worsening. Despite the established standards of care, data from the National Center for Health Statistics? National Nursing Home Survey revealed that in 2004, 11% of all nursing home residents had pressure ulcers. To combat this problem, it is important for nursing homes to employ every possible tactic to prevent pressure sores from forming in the first place. To learn more about this Illinois nursing home lawsuit, follow the link.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on June 08, 2010 (boomark / email).