Nursing Home Neglect: Resident Endured Leg Amputation
In the News,Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect,Personal Injury - July 30, 2024 by Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates
Chicago Bed Sores Lawyer
Infection Leads to Leg Amputation
Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates nursing home department negotiated a favorable settlement for a client whose brief stay in a nursing home resulted in a tragic leg amputation. The client contracted bacteria in his left foot while staying in the rehabilitation department of the facility.
Nurses and CNAs responsible for our client failed to perform thorough skin and body assessments. As a result, the bacterial infection spread up his foot and into portions of his leg. The infection was severe and life-threatening. In order to survive, the client had to have his leg amputated. Had the nursing home staff caught the injury before it progressed, the client may not have had to endure the life-changing surgery. The staff members responsible for the health and well-being of our client were the direct cause of his injury.
Nursing Home Previously Cited
Prior to this incident, surveys conducted by the Illinois Department of Public Health indicated that the nursing home had been cited repeatedly for deficiencies in monitoring residents. The facility stated it would ensure the deficiencies were corrected. It submitted a plan of correction to IDPH indicating it would in-service staff members on proper assessments of residents, specifically related to decubitus ulcers and other skin-related wounds. As was evident from our client’s injury, the nursing home staff did not learn nor correct their behavior.
Is it a ‘given’ that bedsores just come with the territory for nursing home patients?
Absolutely not! Bedsores, also called pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are almost always preventable. The frequency of bedsores in nursing home patients speaks more to the diminished level of care that exists today rather than an expected or casual relationship with the aging and frail.
What are the potential reasons for Bedsores?
Nursing home patients often have mental or physical health conditions that limit their ability to stand, walk, or even turn themselves in bed. For some, it may be the physical limitations of being confined to a wheelchair. Long durations of time spent in the same position will cause tissue damage from prolonged pressure and friction on the skin. Bedridden incontinent patients are at high risk of forming bedsores and require added due diligence from staff, maintaining a clean, dry environment. The inability of a patient to reposition themselves (for whatever reason) should be addressed within a patient’s comprehensive care plan and updated as necessary with clearly written instructions. Prevention is key and requires that nursing home staff be vigilant in patient management, repositioning patients at risk every two hours and ensuring proper hygiene. Sadly, many facilities fail to provide adequate staffing numbers or training necessary for such care.
Bedsores are a warning sign, a high-flying red flag that a patient’s comprehensive care plan needs to be evaluated and changed. Special mattresses are available to help the bedridden patient, but added care to hygiene, repositioning every two hours and aggressive oversight of early ulcerations are a must.
Chicago Nursing Home Neglect Attorney
Our attorney fought on behalf of our client to ensure the facility was held responsible for not following through with its plan of care.
If you suspect a loved one is being abused or neglected in a nursing home, contact an experienced elder care attorney today at 800-985-1819.
