Nursing Home Blamed For Un-checked Urinary Tract Infection
One of the more common nursing home injuries that I see commonly involves the development of a urinary tract infection during an admission to a facility. Commonly referred to as a UTI, a urinary tract infection can involve any of the part of the urinary system comprised of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Most UTI's are caused by bacteria from the colon that gets introduced to the urinary tract. However, particular patients with catheters, may develop UTI's when bacteria is introduced from other sources such as poor sanitation by staff at a skilled nursing facility. Women are significantly...
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Don't Forget The Enduring Damage Nursing Home Neglect Leaves Behind
If you ever need a reminder of the lingering impact nursing home neglect has on an individual, take a look at a a Post-Tribune article, "Woman who sued Northlake nursing home for malpractice dies". As a society, we frequently forget about how victims of nursing home neglect frequently suffer long after a lawsuit is is resolved or news story is published. The Post-Tribune article highlights how Mary Ann Jackson fought for years to live with horrible bed sore injuries she sustained during an admission Northlake Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Merrillville, IN (now closed). What started as an 'ordinary' admission...
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Two Lawsuits Filed Against Same Nursing Home. Is There A Problem?
Over the past few years, I begun to notice a trend in nursing home litigation-- more lawsuits getting filed against particular facilities. Sure, an incident can occur during a momentary lapse of judgment-- at any facility -- at any time, but is there reason to be concerned when we see multiple lawsuits piling up against particular facilities? There will always be the cynics out there who insist an influx of lawsuits involving a particular facility is really due to copycat behavior on the part of families lining up to 'cash in' when they see other's recovering from situations involving poor...
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Illinois Nursing Home With Longtime Problems Named In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the family of Doris Scharperkoetter in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The lawsuit alleges that The Lincoln Home and its owner, Weiss Management Group LLC were negligent in the care of Ms. Scharperkoetter during the time she was a patient at the Belleville, IL nursing home. The lawsuit alleges that the improper care was to blame for a variety of complications such as: Dehydration Sepsis Hypoxia The complications are further blamed for the death of Ms. Schaepperkoetter in January 2010. The lawsuit seeks damages related to medical expenses and pain incurred prior...
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Under-Staffing & Under-Funding Alleged In Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit Where Patient Developed Bed Sores
'Under-staffing' and 'under-funding' are just several of the underlying reasons alleged to contribute to the development of a patient's bed sores (or decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) during an admission to a Missouri nursing home. The nursing home negligence lawsuit, filed by my colleague Attorney David Terry, is filed on behalf of a deceased nursing home patient and alleges the nursing home (Parkwood Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center) and its various management companies operated the facility in a manner where money necessary for essential patient-care services was diverted away from the the facility to the benefit of...
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Nursing Home Spotlight: Edwardsville Terrace
On November 24, 2009 nursing home surveyors from the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) conducted an inspection of Edwardsville Terrace, a nursing home in Edwardsville, IL. The inspection of the facility found numerous violations of federal and state laws applicable to nursing home care. In particular, surveyors discovered the following alarming situations at the Southern Illinois facility: The facility failed to have written procedures regarding patient care (Section 350.620 Resident Care Policies) Edwardsville failed to provide skilled nursing services that are required to maintain each patient's health-- when the facility failed to identify signs of physical and psychological illness that...
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Untreated Urinary Tract Infections In Nursing Home Patients May Result In Urosepsis
One of the most memorable cases I worked on involved a young man who was in a nursing home following a severe injuries he sustained in a construction accident. Due to the nature of the man's injuries, a catheter was used to drain urine from his bladder. Despite doctors orders to change the catheter every 30 days, months went by without any catheter change. In fact, six months went by without a catheter change. Finally, after six months without a catheter change, a nursing home employee recognized the obvious problems: cloudy / brownish urine and testicles extremely swollen due to...
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Did Assisted Living Facilities Neglect Result In Patient's Impacted Bowel & Death?
Well, according to a Tennessee jury, the answer to the above question is a resounding 'yes'! Evidence was presented to the jury regarding the circumstances that led up to the death of a resident at Celebration Way, a Tennessee assisted living facility in 2004 due to an intestinal obstruction and sepsis. Among the claims presented by the family of the deceased was that the facility was so understaffed that they could not provide adequate care for the woman. This claim was substantiated at the trial against the facility when it was demonstrated that despite orders for 60 doses of MiraLax,...
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Nursing Home Injury Laws
In times of need, locating necessary information regarding the legal rights and resources for nursing home patients can be difficult and imposing. In this respect, we are proud to introduce a new resource for patients, families and practitioners looking for a concise compilation of information regarding nursing home laws. Nursing Home Injury Laws, provides every states': Nursing Home Laws Medical Malpractice Laws State Resources Applicable State Code Common Nursing Home Injuries Glossary Recognized Books & Journals Nursing Home FAQ Additionally, we will be posting regular updates regarding important developments relevant to nursing home care within each state. Here is a...
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The Cause Of Many Nursing Home Patients' Injuries May Be Related To An Underlying Medical Issue
Most of the time a family contacts my office, it is due to an incident involving abuse or ongoing neglect. Although perhaps less obvious, after we investigate many of the cases, the underlying problem may be a complex medical condition that may ultimately prove important in successfully prosecuting the matter. Here are some of the medical conditions we have discussed over the past year: Clostridium Difficile / C. Diff Clostridium difficile (also called C. difficile or C. diff) associated disease (“CDAD”) is a bacterial infection that can cause diarrhea and serious intestinal conditions (such as colitis - inflammation of the...
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