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CHICAGO, IL – Nurses play a critical role in reducing the risk of medical errors; however, too often you hear nurses complain of constant stress, fatigue, and being overworked.

A study from Houston showed 77% of nurses reported having irregular diet patterns and they didn’t get enough sleep. Some even reported having to take medications during the day to stay awake. This is alarming since nurses are being forced to work long hours which puts the safety of a patient or resident at risk.

Why are Nurses Burnt Out?

Nurses frequently work 12-hour shifts. Different hospitals have different rules and cultures, and some may not provide adequate breaks during a long shift. Nurses tend to pick up extra shifts and not get enough rest in between. While working overtime can be beneficial for the hospital and nurse, it could be dangerous for patients who may not be receiving the highest level of care.

Additionally, a nurse could have too many patients to care for in one day and not be able to pay enough attention to each patient as they should. Nurses can also suffer from emotional exhaustion, especially if they are working in a traumatic setting, such as a pediatric oncology wing or hospice wing.

Types of Mistakes Fatigues Nurses Can Make

Fatigue can lead to emotional, cognitive, and physical problems for nurses. Overworked nurses may not be able to focus, become irritable, headaches, drowsiness, impaired decision-making, confusion, and depression. These symptoms may lead to harmful mistakes such as:

• Administering the wrong medication
• Administering the wrong dosage of medication
• Failing to contact a doctor in an emergency
• Failing to recognize an emergency
• Not attending to a patient’s nutritional or hydration needs

While some errors may be seemingly small, they could be life-threatening to a patient. For example, if a patient mistakenly receives too much medicine, they could overdose which could lead to brain damage or even death.

Are Underpaid Nurses a Cause of Worry?

Apart from physical conditions, work conditions did not seem to motivate nursing staff. According to the survey, 75% of nurses reported they simply didn’t enjoy the authority they needed in the workplace while 89% were not able to delegate tasks efficiently due to understaffing. Other complaints among nurses included unmotivated colleagues and a complete lack of coordination and teamwork in the facility. Many nurses claimed the lack of respect and consideration by the hospital administration.

According to a survey, only 16% of nurses agreed that they are fairly paid for the work they do.

An article published by PMC, NCBI discusses the workload that causes nurses to miss changes in their patients’ conditions. Nurses are often forced to work in risky conditions, which could ultimately cause them to lose their license.

Though salaries are an issue for nurses, proper medical facilities and adequate staff for patients play a key role, the death percentage of a patient rises 40% in cases of overworked nurses.

What Can be Done to Improve the Healthcare System?

Salary does play an important role, but this is not always the case. A nurse that’s forced to work under highly stressful conditions cannot be given any amount of money that could lead them to save a patient’s life. The system as a whole needs to create an ecosystem where nurses don’t feel they are failing or being forced to do a particular job.

The quality of nurses is directly is linked to patient safety at a hospital. Everyone needs a break at some point. At a place where vulnerable lives are at stake, a short break becomes necessary.

Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Chicago, Illinois

No one should suffer at the hands of a negligent medical healthcare provider. The experienced medical malpractice attorneys of Dinizulu Law Group uphold justice for victims of serious medical mistakes. Our firm can be reached at (312) 384-1920 for a free consultation or by visiting our website for more information.

CHICAGO, IL – Pressure ulcers are serious medical conditions and one of the most important measures of the quality of clinical care in nursing homes, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores or pressure sores, are caused by unrelieved pressure on the skin. The CDC states as many as one out of every 10 nursing home residents currently suffer from pressure ulcers.

While this may be alarming, this is a problem that has persisted in the long-term care industry. Bed sores typically develop over bony areas, such as the elbow, heel, hip, shoulder, back, and back of the head. Bed sores can be classified from stage 1 to stage 4 depending on the depth of soft tissue damage.

Early Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers

Some early warning signs of pressure ulcers include unusual change in skin color or texture, swelling, pus-like draining, tender areas, and an area of skin that feels cooler or warmer to touch than other areas.

Other signs may include skin that doesn’t turn white (blanch) when pressed, blue or purple tint on the skin (if you have darker skin), and pain, tingling, or itching – no matter how minor.

Stages of Bed Sores

1. Stage 1: The least severe; persistent redness of skin. These pressure ulcers only affect the upper layer of skin.
2. Stage 2: Loss of partial thickness of skin appearing as an abrasion, blister, or shallow crater.
3. Stage 3: A loss of full thickness of skin, presented as a deep crater.
4. Stage 4: The most severe; Loss of full thickness of skin exposing muscle or bone.

In 2004, nearly 160,000 nursing home residents, or 11 percent, had pressure ulcers – stage 2 pressure ulcers were among the most common.

Clinical practice guidelines have been developed and provide specific treatment recommendations for stage 2 or higher-pressure ulcers, which includes proper wound care. Unfortunately, many times this is ignored, and pressure ulcers can continue to worsen.

Causes of Pressure Ulcers

Pressure sores develop in areas that a person’s weight has caused friction against a surface. If pressure lasts more than two to three hours, your blood circulation is restricted from reaching those areas, which causes the skin and underlying tissues to become damaged. Typically, when residents aren’t turned every few hours as they’re supposed to this is when pressure ulcers begin to form.

Pressure sores are more likely to develop when you’re elderly. As you age, your skin becomes more fragile, easily damaged, and more susceptible to developing pressure ulcers. You’re also more likely to develop pressure sores if you have mobility issues, suffer from malnutrition, or have a loss of sensation in your skin.

Prevalence of Pressure Ulcers Vary

One study found nursing home residents aged 64 and under were more likely than older residents to have pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers are also more common in males compared to females. Residents in nursing homes for 1 year or less were more likely to have pressure ulcers than those with a longer length of stay. The study also found no significant difference between white and nonwhite populations with respect to developing pressure ulcers.

The same study found that nursing home residents who experienced a recent weight loss were more likely to develop bed sores. Residents with greater immobility had an 11% great occurrence of pressure ulcers than those without high immobility. Pressure sores were also more prevalent in residents who had recently bowel or bladder incontinence.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Professional healthcare providers can diagnose bed sores by looking at the skin and staged according to their appearance.

John Hopkins Medicine mentions bedsores can be treated by:

• Removing pressure on the affected area
• Protecting the wound with medicated gauze or other special dressings
• Keeping the wound clean
• Ensuring good nutrition
• Removing the damaged, infected, or dead tissue
• Transplanting healthy skin to the wound area
• Negative pressure wound therapy
• Medicine

Healthcare providers should watch bed sores closely to ensure they don’t worsen by documenting size, depth, and response to the treatment.

Can Pressure Ulcers be Preventable?

Pressure ulcers can be prevented by inspecting the skin for areas of redness, the first sign of breakdown of the skin, specifically paying close attention to bonier areas. Other methods of preventing bed sores include:

• Turning and repositioning every 2 hours
• Sitting upright and straight in a wheelchair, changing positions every 15 minutes
• Providing soft padding in wheelchairs and beds to reduce pressure
• Providing good skin care by keeping the skin clean and dry
• Providing good nutrition because without enough calories, vitamins, minerals, fluids, and protein, bed sores can’t heal

Contact a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Chicago, Illinois

If your loved one has developed bed sores living in a nursing home, this may be a sign your loved one is being neglected. Please contact one of our experienced nursing home neglect attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group for a free consultation at (312) 384-1920 or visit our website for more information.

CHICAGO, IL – Nursing homes overmedicating residents is just an example of the horror stories you tend to hear about these type of long-term care facilities. You hope that this never happens to your loved one; however, it happens all too often.

With the U.S. population aging rapidly, elders now account for one in seven Americans, totaling nearly 50 million people over the age of 65. With more than 1.4 million people living in nursing homes across America and nearly 50% being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, it’s important to understand how your loved one could be a victim of overmedication.

A 2018 study found that in an average week, nursing facilities in America administer antipsychotic drugs to more than 179,000 people who do not have a diagnosis to receive approved drug. Antipsychotics are usually given without free and informed consent, which requires a decision-based discussion on the purpose of prescribing the medication, risks, benefits, and alternative medicine that may be better suited for the resident.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA) analysis, nursing home facilities often use antipsychotics to control common symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Aurora Suarez, a Texas native, described her experience visiting her sister at her Texas nursing home as, “They give her so much [medication], she sleeps through the lunch hour and supper. They give her medication to sedate her on the days of her shower: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

Some symptoms of these diseases may be relived by using these drugs; however, evidence from clinical trials show the benefits of treating these symptoms with antipsychotic drugs is weak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved dementia or Alzheimer’s to be treated with these drugs and has discussed the dangers of using it for other purposes.

A study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health found that on average, antipsychotic drugs nearly double the risk of death in older individuals suffering from dementia.

Antipsychotics have a sedative effect that drives the prevalence of use in people with dementia in the United States has a long history. This drug alters a persons consciousness and their ability to interact with others. It also makes it easier for nursing homes that are unstaffed. Many direct care workers are inadequately trained in dementia care which makes it easier for them to manage residents. Experts have said they think many nursing homes staffing levels are well below the minimum needed to provide appropriate care to residents.

Nursing homes turn to antipsychotic drugs because of the symptoms of dementia such as agitation, irritability, aggression, delusions, wandering, disinhibition, and anxiety. These symptoms become challenging and frightening to residents and their caregivers, which is why the prevalence is so high.

One nurse from Kansas mentioned her facility was using antipsychotic drugs at a rate of 55%, but now only use it for people with a diagnosis.

“They have a better quality of life because they are not sedated,” the nurse said.

A For-Profit Industry

One long-term consultant mentioned the cost-benefit analysis in the long-term care industry. Since nursing homes are typically a for-profit industry, they try to control most aspects of the residents’ life. Presumably, healthcare providers would be more inclined to meet the minimum health and safety standards in place if it costed them dearly to do so.

“If the fine is $100,000, then they’ll hire the three nurse aides who will cost the same amount.”

Dangers of Antipsychotic Medications

As with any medication, there are side effects, especially if the medication was not specifically prescribed to help relive your symptoms.

Older adults are highly vulnerable to the side effects of these drugs. Adults older than 70 are 3.5 times more likely than younger individuals to be admitted to the hospital due to adverse drug reactions that are associated with antipsychotic medications, according to NCBI. The risk for reactions increases dramatically with the number of medications used with increasing age.

Other risks of antipsychotics include: movement disorders, diabetes and risk of a stroke. Data from meta-analyses of randomizes trials and observational studies show the drug increases in mortality.

Recent Improvements

Under the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, the government is required to protect the rights of residents. Many advocates say the government has failed our most vulnerable population time and time again. In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes in 2012 to acknowledge the ongoing issue.

This move made a difference, reducing the use of antipsychotic drugs by 35% in nursing home facilities.

CMS agrees that more can be done – and insists it will be.

Reports and studies suggest the government can and needs to do more to protect this population by ending the inappropriate administration of antipsychotic medications by enforcing regulations and penalties for nursing homes who violate these in place. They can also improve inspections, require inform consent from resident’s, and ensure adequate staffing and training in long-term care facilities.

Federal and State Regulations on Informed Consent

Federal regulations require individuals to be fully aware and informed about their treatment and the right to refuse treatment. Illinois state law requires facilities to obtain “voluntary informed consent, in writing, from a resident or the resident’s surrogate decision maker before administering or dispensing a psychotropic medication to that resident,” (210 ILCS 45/2-106.1). However, many nursing facilities make an effort to do so.

If a nursing home staff member administers a drug under nonconsensual use and without appropriate medical indication are violating human right norms. The drugs are intended to be used as a chemical restraint, which could constitute abuse under domestic law and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment according to international law.

CHICAGO, IL – Allegations of elder abuse and neglect dominate the long-term care settings industry. While bedsores, falls, medication errors, and sexual assaults are common issues, the way food is handled in nursing homes remains a consistently overlooked topic. A five-month investigation by FairWarning proved how dangerous and unhealthy conditions persist in long-term care environments.

“There’s a huge underreporting of food issues,” said Charlene Harrington, a nurse and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who has done research on the quality of nursing homes.

Hundreds of thousands of baby boomers have found their way into long-term care facilities like nursing homes, assisted living communities, and memory care units. With the new wave of seniors comes new dining demands.

FairWarning’s investigation, based on inspection reports, federal data, and interviews with residents and long-term care experts, found that residents nationwide are at risk for foodborne illnesses from unsafe kitchens.

Across the United States, 230 foodborne outbreaks were reported in long-term care settings from 1998 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreaks resulted in 54 deaths, 532 hospitalizations, and made 7,648 people sick – all numbers that experts say are almost certainly undercounted.

Not all foodborne illnesses in long-term care facilities are directly caused by poor sanitation; rather, some outbreaks are due to contaminated food brought in from the outside.

Foodborne illnesses are a threat to any age group, but especially those who are over the age of 65 due to their weakened immune systems, chronic diseases, immobility, and age-related changes to their digestive system.

Unsafe Food Handling

Unsafe food handling was the third most cited violation in 2018 inside America’s estimated 15,700 nursing homes. Nearly 33% of nursing homes were cited for violating federal requirements to store, prepare, and serve food safely.

Federal data shows even larger nursing home chains have worse track records. For example, Genesis HealthCare is the nation’s largest for-profit nursing home chain with more than 400 facilities in 27 states. Genesis had more than 43% of its nursing homes cited for food safety violations at some point in 2018.

Genesis spokeswoman Lori Mayer acknowledged the compliance issues by stating they are “working diligently to resolve any problems as quick as possible.”

Feds Propose Rollback

In July 2019, the Trump Administration moved to roll back a series of protections for nursing home residents, including one that would lower the qualifications for directs of food and nutrition services.

“They’re clearly weakening the standards regarding food service and the safety of food handling,” said Richard Mallot, executive director of New York-based Long Term Care Community Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to improving care in nursing homes.

Serial Offenders

Long-term care advocates blame safety problems on operators that are intent on increasing profits that they’re willing to skimp on residents’ dietary needs.

Some nursing home facilities violate the same food safety standard repeatedly. Since January 2016, nearly a third of all nursing homes were cited two or more times for the same food safety violations according to FairWarning.

One Arkansas nursing home was found to be cited seven times in the last three years. The Waters of North Little Rock, previously known as the North Little Rock Health and Rehabilitation Center, was cited for food safety violations such as unsealed food in storage, grimy kitchen appliances, and cross contaminating food by staff touching residents’ food with unwashed hands.

The Water of North Little Rock was cited for a sixth time in July 2018 when a government inspector asked the director of nursing if she would eat any of the food that was prepared in the facilities kitchen.

“No,” the nurse responded.

The 140-bed facility is under new ownership as of 2019 according to public documents. FairWarning found the food safety problems at the facility had been corrected; however, the home was cited again in April 2019 for staff with unwashed hands, expired food, and dirty equipment.

Assisted Living Lacks Federal Scrutiny

Assisted living centers may be worse according to food safety experts due to the lack of federal oversight.

Audrey Kelly, a resident of Los Angeles, said she moved her 98-year-old mother out of an assisted living facility quickly after a caregiver reported finding a cockroach in the kitchen and filed a complaint with the California Department of Social Services. “It’s not right,” Kelly said. “It was really disgusting.”

Another Georgia woman described her assisted living facility in Atlanta that she’s spent several times confined to her bed because of food-related illnesses.

Treating Kitchens like Restaurants

Health officials in Colorado were alarmed by a 2016 study showing long-term care facilities had a higher rate of food safety violations than restaurants and other similar retail food establishments – sometimes up to 30 times higher.

States have shut down nursing home food operations due to safety problems for residents. In California, at least 3 nursing homes closed their kitchens temporarily because of unsafe conditions. Nursing homes were forced to bring in restaurant food for residents or cut a deal with nearby establishments to supply meals.

Two nursing homes in Southern California had cockroach infestations. Inspectors at a third facility in the San Francisco Bay Area discovered numerous dead flies and a “strong smell of feces and sewage” inside their facility’s kitchen.

“If you were to take those exact same problems and stick them in a Taco Bell or Bob Evans, you would never eat there again,” said Brian Lee, executive director at Families for Better Care, a Texas-based non-profit advocating for residents in long-term care settings.

“There would be such a public outcry to get those restaurants closed.”

Contact a Cook County, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

If your loved one is living in a nursing home that has been cited for unsafe food handling, please contact one of our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys at Dinizulu Law Group. Our attorneys know when your loved one is being treated unfairly and we work to seek the justice they deserve. Call our office at (312) 384-1920 for a free consultation or visit our website for more information.