How Could My Loved One Have Suffered a Life-Threatening Injury in a Nursing Home? 

 Posted on September 08, 2022 in Nursing Home Abuse

When you made the decision to place your loved one in the care of an Illinois nursing home, you likely had no idea that the facility would do anything other than conform to the highest standard of care. Unfortunately, many nursing homes suffer from chronic issues of understaffing and poor training that can have a severe impact on the quality of the care that residents receive. 

One of the most traumatic things that can happen to a family is receiving a call informing them that their parent, grandparent, or other loved one has been seriously injured in an accident in a nursing home. While some of these accidents are the inevitable result of aging bodies that struggle with mobility, others are the result of inadequate supervision, a dangerous environment, and even sometimes a result of abuse and neglect at the hands of nursing home staff. If you have gotten news that your loved one has been seriously injured at a nursing home, it is important to get details about the incident as soon as possible. An experienced Illinois nursing home injury attorney can help. 

How Do Nursing Home Residents Sustain Serious Injuries? 

Nursing homes are not often thought of as hotbeds of risk and danger. Residents’ lives are typically routine and relaxed, filled with enrichment programming and other activities designed for elderly people with limited mobility or intellectual faculties. However, there are many ways serious injuries can occur in a nursing home. These include, but are not limited to: 

• Slips, trips, and falls - Research suggests the most serious life-threatening injuries are suffered after a resident falls. Whether it is tripping over an extension cord or uneven rug, slipping on dangerously wet floors, or falling out of bed because of a lack of supervision, falling often results in dangerous fractures. 

• Medication errors - Sometimes medication errors are simple mistakes–staff who are undertrained, overworked, or who misread a patient’s file can accidentally administer the wrong medicine or wrong dosage. Other times, staff may deliberately give patients the wrong medicine to sedate a patient, steal medication for themselves, or save the nursing home money. Whatever the reason, even a small medication error can quickly become life-threatening. 

• Choking - Nursing homes are responsible for assessing a resident’s ability to eat independently. If a resident struggles to chew and swallow, the nursing home must provide supervision during mealtimes, as well as food that is safe for the resident to eat. Failure to do this results in residents who risk choking to death. 

• Infections - Infections can begin easily and remain undetected for some time, especially if residents are nonverbal or suffer from physical pain in other areas of their bodies. Left unnoticed, infections can quickly spread and become life-threatening. 

• Abuse - Rates of elder abuse in nursing homes are tragically high and many sources believe rates are underreported. If your loved one was injured, it is essential to rule out abuse by staff or other residents. 

Meet with a Cook County Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

If you recently discovered that your loved one was seriously injured on the premises of their nursing home, do not delay taking action. An immediate, forceful response is essential for ensuring evidence is collected, a thorough investigation is completed, and the source of your loved one’s injury is discovered. Call the offices of Schwartz Injury Law at 312-535-4625 today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Chicago nursing home injury attorneys. 

Source: 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=1225&ChapterID=21