Elder Law

Family Files Suit Against Lemont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Care Centers, Inc.

By Levin & Perconti

Chicago person injury attorneys Steven Levin and Margaret Battersby of Levin & Perconti have filed a nursing home abuse and neglect complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against Lemont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Lemont IL and Care Centers, Inc. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of James Nelson of Palos Heights for the wrongful death of his mother Loretta, in October of 2008. His mother died at the age of 87, two months after falling and fracturing her hip at the nursing home. Loretta was a resident at Lemont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for seven years prior to her death. The family was initially pleased with the care that her mother was receiving but noticed changes once the new owners took over. They even hired someone to go to the home to feed her lunch and dinner when we couldn?t be there to make sure she was fed and hydrated. Then in 2008 their mother suffered a fall from her bed that resulted in a bruised left thigh. After this fall, the nursing home instituted a new care plan that called for the use of a low bed, a bed alarm system and floor mats on the sides next to her bed. One month later the nursing home staff found her lying on the floor next to her bed. Once again the woman had fallen out of her bed and fractured her hip. The Illinois Department of Public Healht then cited the facility after this fall because investigators could not find any documentation that the new precautions were in place when she fell for the second time. After the second fall, the mother was taken to the hospital and released back to the nursing home. At this time her care worsened and she developed several pressure sores while at the home and became malnourished and dehydrated. She then died. Attorney Steve Levin was outraged when he heard this story saying, ?As a resident for seven years, the nursing home and its staff were familiar with Loretta?s risk for falls. After her first fall, they failed to implement precautions to prevent further falls and Loretta soon fell again, unfortunately, hip fractures are extremely serious for the elderly, and she was never able to recover from this fall. Had the nursing home taken the proper steps, Loretta?s fatal injury may have been prevented.?

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on February 14, 2009 (boomark / email).