Elder Law

Illinois Nursing Home Violation: Lexington of Orland Park

By Levin & Perconti

The latest report of Illinois nursing homes that have violated basic resident health, care, and safety laws was recently released by state officials. Lexington of Orland Park, a nursing home in the Chicago area recently received several Type ?A? Violations from the Illinois Department of Public Health and fined $30,000. The violations resulted from the facility?s failure to properly treat pressure sores or prevent Illinois nursing home neglect.

Investigators learned the employees at the facility failed to properly monitor or treat the development of a pressure sore?leading to severe complications for a resident.

The victim was an 82 year old man suffering from dementia among other behavioral disturbances. Upon a visit to the doctor the resident reported pain in his heel. After removing the man?s shoe, the doctor found a large wound on the resident?s heel. The doctor proscribed treatment. However, it wasn?t long before staff members at the nursing home stopped following the orders. Medication application and bandage changing ceased, and the resident?s injury grew unchecked. As a result, the man?s wound deteriorated.

The wound eventually expanded to almost twice the original size. Gangrene eventually developed, spurring even more complications. As a result the man lost most of the circulation in his entire leg. The ultimate consequences of the issue were unresolved when the sanctions were issued, but doctors were debating whether amputation was required.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on March 26, 2011 (boomark / email).