Robert, an aging pastor, who lived a life of service and put others first, was neglected by his care providers in an Illinois nursing home.
Robert was admitted into a nursing home with severe illnesses that required 24-hour care. Robert suffered from Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and dysphasia, among other medical conditions. Dysphasia causes one to have trouble swallowing food and therefore, the person must be monitored closely to ensure proper digestion. Failure to monitor this food intake can cause the person to choke or aspirate, meaning the food gets stuck in the throat or lung. Because of these risks, Robert should never be allowed to eat alone. What did the nursing home do to monitor these health concerns? Watch the video to learn more.
Just a few weeks after being admitted, a care giver at the nursing home noticed Robert was eating poorly and pocketing food. This is critical because since Robert was pocketing food, he could later eat that food while he wasn’t being watched and could suffocate as a result. The caregiver did absolutely nothing after noticing that Robert was pocketing food, like alerting the doctor or the head nurse.
After a few days, Robert was found to be lethargic with concealed food on him. He developed a cough and congestion, had labored breathing, and a fever. These symptoms worsened.
Finally, the nursing home sent Robert to a hospital. Only after going to the hospital was Robert diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. You see, Robert had likely ingested the pocketed food that became lodged in his lung, causing the aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration pneumonia happens when substances, such as gastric contents, are inhaled into the lungs. This also creates a bacterial infection in the lung, leading to aspiration pneumonia.
Robert was a total-assist resident, meaning he needed to be fed, clothed, and changed. The nursing home ignored these responsibilities even though they fully understood Robert’s physical and mental limitations when they agreed to admit him into their facility.
Robert’s wife Michelle contacted the administrators at this nursing home to get them to properly care for Robert. They all made promises, yet the same pattern of unreasonable care continued.
I want all families like Michelle’s and all nursing home residents to know that nursing homes are accountable for the promises they make to you. There are remedies when nursing homes do wrong and cause you harm.
I know you may be watching this video because you probably have questions about your own loved one in a nursing home. Contact the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW. We answer questions like yours every day.
