Elder Law

Nursing Home Receives Maximum Fine After Patient Dies From Fall

By Levin & Perconti

The Los Angeles Times reported this week on tragic events surrounding the death of a local nursing home resident. A 60-year old female resident at the Eskaton Care Center died following complications of a fall that should have been prevented.

The resident had a heart condition, muscle wasting disease, and diabetes. The ailments forced her into a wheelchair and necessitated that she get help when entering and leaving her bed. However a recent state investigation into the death of the woman discovered that the negligent nursing home should have prevent the death.

Specifically, the investigation revealed that nursing home staff members failed to use the necessary mechanical lift when moving the women into her bed. Instead, a single female nurse was holding the woman and using a sling to make the move from wheelchair to bed. The sling broke during the transfer, sending the female resident crashing down, hitting her head twice on a nearby door. This particularly sling had not been checked for stability in five years, even though law required it be examined every month.

Following the fall the resident was rushed to the emergency room. She suffered from bleeding on the brain and soon after suffered a stroke. The resident ultimately passed away four days later.

The facility has been fined $100,000 following the preventable nursing home fall.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti continue to be amazed by the steps that many facilities continue to avoid taking, even though it is clear that lives will be saved. Time and again facilities continue to make risky decisions on behalf of the vulnerable residents in their care. It is important for the victims of these mistakes to continue to press for their rights so that future nursing home residents are spared the pain of these errors.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on September 30, 2010 (boomark / email).