A nursing home in another state is in legal hot water. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario as negligent care at nursing homes results in a number of patient deaths every year in all U.S. states, including Illinois. In one case, a woman filed a suit against a nursing home after a man’s death, claiming nursing negligence and negligent supervision of employees.
The man was under the care of the nursing home from Feb. 2012 until Jan. 2014. During his stay, he allegedly received substandard care. Reports indicate that the nursing home staff did not give him enough fluids or take measures to keep him from being dehydrated. The staff also is accused of not appropriately monitoring how much medication he was taking, leading to his eventual over-medication.
According to the lawsuit, the man suffered from a variety of complications including acute kidney injury and sepsis. He also suffered from a urinary tract infection. The woman is seeking an undisclosed amount for compensation and punitive damages, as well as reimbursement of court costs and interest.
Staffing issues and budget restrictions are often contributing factors to patients receiving inappropriate standards of care. Regrettably, many patient injuries and fatalities are a result of nursing negligence. In cases similar to this one in Illinois, the courts have found that patients might have lived longer had they been monitored more closely. In such cases, when the evidence presented is to the satisfaction of the court, plaintiffs may be compensated in an amount deemed appropriate by the court.
Source: wvrecord.com, “Woman blames nursing home for man’s death”, Mark Reccek, Jan. 20, 2015