Elevate Care Waukegan Nursing Home Cited After Death of Resident
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect - March 11, 2025
Illinois Department of Public Health Cited Elevate Care Waukegan Nursing Home After Delay of CPR Allegedly Led to Death of Resident
WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS (March 11, 2025) – The state of Illinois has issued a citation for the Elevate Care Waukegan nursing home after a resident at the facility died.
Waukegan officials said that the incident began in September 2024. A resident was found to be in cardiac arrest at Elevate Care Waukegan. A nursing assistant at the facility allegedly did not know what to do and failed to begin CPR in a timely manner.
Sadly, the resident who went into cardiac arrest later died at the facility. Following the incident, Elevate Care Waukegan was issued an “AA” violation by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The resident who died was described as being cognitively impaired and totally dependent on staff.
Liability for Illinois Nursing Home Negligence
Serious injuries and deaths due to neglect in a nursing home setting are unfortunately all too common. According to the National Institutes of Health, “elderly [people] who live in residential settings that offer long-term supportive services are at particular risk for abuse and neglect. They are particularly vulnerable because most suffer from several chronic diseases that lead to limitations in physical and cognitive functioning and are dependent on others.” There are a number of measures that nursing homes should take in order to help keep residents safe.
- All staff at long-term care facilities should be well trained in CPR and other emergency procedures.
- Every resident should have a specialized care plan to meet their specific needs.
- Nursing homes should undergo regular audits to ensure that they are compliant with all health and safety requirements.
- Nursing homes should have an adequate staff-to-resident ratio to ensure that residents get the support that they need.
Nursing homes have a legal obligation to adequately care for all of their residents. This includes taking emergency action in the event that a resident undergoes cardiac arrest or some other major health emergency. Timely CPR can often mean the difference between a person living or dying in the event of a heart attack. When a nursing home fails to take adequate measures to protect residents from serious harm, they could be cited for violations. They could also be held liable for the incident through a civil claim. It is important that certain steps are taken after any death at a long-term care facility.
- Medical records related to the incident should be preserved.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- The actions of nursing staff leading up to the incident should be understood.
- An experienced nursing home neglect attorney should be contacted.
Deaths and injuries at nursing homes are often highly preventable. They tend to be the results of serious health and safety lapses. In particular, nursing homes can be very difficult places to work in the best of circumstances. It is common for these facilities to have a high turnover rate. What this leads to is understaffed facilities where workers are often not particularly well trained. This can be a recipe for disaster in the event that a resident needs specialized care during an emergency. The family of any person who died in a nursing home setting may be able to seek some measure of accountability through a wrongful death claim.
Investigating Illinois Nursing Home Violations
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of the woman who died at the Elevate Care Waukegan nursing home. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar incidents at this facility going forward. Nursing home residents are particularly susceptible to abuse and neglect. It is imperative that adequate steps are being taken to protect them.
Do you need more information about any incident at a Waukegan nursing home? Our team of nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that nursing homes are held accountable for their negligent actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any particular incident, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
