Nursing homes are a place where individuals can go when they need help with some or all of their daily tasks as they are no longer physically and/or mentally able to perform them on their own. When a person moves into a nursing home, they become reliant on staff members to keep them clean, healthy, and out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, many of the nursing homes located in Illinois have become understaffed and/or hire workers who aren’t properly trained to work in the field which has resulted in many facilities becoming deficient in one or more areas.
Sadly, it is the nursing home residents who are the ones who have to suffer when a facility isn’t being run properly or is failing to meet state and federal standards that have been set.
Responding to a Nursing Home Resident When They Become Ill
When a facility doesn’t have enough staff members or employs workers who are not qualified to care for aging individuals, it makes it difficult for them to respond to a resident’s illness promptly. This not only puts the residents who fall ill at risk of having their condition worsen, but it also places them at risk of dying. Take for instance a resident who develops a bedsore.
When a bedsore doesn’t receive immediate attention, chances are it will worsen and the resident could develop a serious infection that could spread through the body and “cause mental confusion, a fast heartbeat, and generalized weakness.” Bedsores, when ignored, could also lead to a resident’s death when an infection develops and causes serious complications in other areas of the body. Because many nursing home residents are frail and suffer from weakened immune systems, any illness they contract or come down with must be attended to promptly.
What legal recourse, if any, is available when a nursing home fails to respond to a resident’s illness promptly?
When nursing home staff members fail to respond to a resident’s illness promptly knowing their efforts could impact whether or not they recover from the illness or infection they are suffering from, they can be held accountable for their negligence. In fact, the family of an Illinois nursing home resident recently filed a negligence lawsuit against Bria of Geneva after their relative died of COVID-19. The lawsuit alleges that the facility “failed to follow guidance from federal and state public health officials to regularly screen residents and staff and ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment [were available].” The home was also accused of failing to “isolate residents with symptoms or enforce social distancing.”
If you believe nursing home staff were negligent in how they responded to your loved one’s illness, the Chicago, IL nursing home neglect attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. are available to determine whether or not you have the grounds to file suit against the facility.
You can reach Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. at:
221 North La Salle Drive, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 1-312-384-1920
Website: www.dinizululawgroup.com
