african american nursing home attorney | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

CHICAGO, IL – Infections are one of the leading causes of death in nursing homes throughout the country. Unfortunately, nursing homes can be inattentive to the conditions that give rise to infections and then leave the infections untreated, putting nursing home residents at risk.

An infection that is left untreated can turn into a very dangerous condition called sepsis. When someone develops septic shock, this is how an infection can kill. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have – in your skin, lungs, urinary tract, or somewhere else – triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. A toxic agent is introduced into the bloodstream because of the infection and will begin to result in organ failure. If you do not seek medical treatment in a timely manner, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.

There are numerous symptoms that may occur, with some of the more severe ones including:

Abnormal heart function including a very rapid heart rate
Significant pain and discomfort
Difficulty breathing
Disorientation or delirium
Unconsciousness

The Stages of Sepsis

Stage One: Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS)

Sepsis can be difficult to identify but is typically denoted by a very high or low body temperature, high heart rate, high respiratory rate, high or low white blood cell count and a known or suspected infection. For sepsis, two of the mentioned SIR signs, as well as an infection, must be present.

Stage Two: Severe Sepsis

Severe sepsis is diagnosed when acute organ dysfunction begins. Severe sepsis can be diagnosed when sepsis is present along with hypotension, or low blood pressure, or hypoperfusion, the decreased blood flow through an organ.

Organ dysfunction can be characterized by symptoms such as a sudden change in mental state, decreased urine output, decreased blood platelet count, difficulty breathing, abnormal heart pumping function and abdominal pain.

Stage Three: Septic Shock

Septic shock is the most severe stage of sepsis. Septic shock is defined as the presence of hypotension, induced by sepsis, despite fluid resuscitation. Septic shock has the highest chance of mortality, with estimates that range from 30% to 50%.

Symptoms of Septic Shock

Septic shock is accompanied by the following symptoms:

Little to no urination
Blood clots throughout the body that can lead to organ failure
Very low or high temperature
Extremely low blood pressure
Palpitations

Even if the nursing home resident is about to survive septic shock, it will have long-term ramifications on their health and they likely will not make a full recovery.

Early detection of sepsis is necessary in order for a nursing home resident to have a better chance at survival; however, when a resident is a victim of nursing home neglect, they likely are not receiving the care that they need to notice the signs of sepsis and begin prompt treatment. This becomes more of a problem at understaffed nursing homes that are prone to neglect.

Medical Treatment for Patients with Sepsis

When a nursing home does diagnose and treat sepsis, the course of treatment begins with antibiotics. Some patients may need to have procedures to remove dead skin or tissue depending on the severity of the infection. Patients may also need oxygen or other intravenous fluids to maintain the level of oxygen and blood going to the organ so organ failure can be prevented. Patients can recover from mild sepsis in about three to ten days; however, more severe cases can take longer to recover if the patient is able to survive at all. Severe sepsis requires critical care for a month or more.

Sepsis and Pressure Ulcers

Sepsis is also how pressure ulcers can become fatal. There are four stages of a pressure ulcer: Stage I and II is the first discoloration of the skin and a small ulcer. Stage III is when a small crater in the skin begins to degenerate to a Stage IV pressure ulcer where the hole in the skin gets deeper and can reach the muscle. When the hole in the skin becomes large enough and is untreated, the resident can develop sepsis from the infection. A pressure ulcer can become septic, though the ones that are more advanced have a higher change of becoming infected. The wounds can leak puss and give off a foul smell. There can also be an increased in pain in the area and a fever.

Pressure ulcers should not form in the first place, but if they do, they should not reach the level of sepsis. If your loved one has developed sepsis, there is a high chance that the nursing home did not provide the level of care that it was legally obligated to, causing your family member to develop a life-threatening infection.

Nearly 25,000 residents in nursing homes will die from sepsis, and most of these deaths are preventable. Thousands of nursing homes each year are cited by the federal government for their failure to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

Has Your Loved One Been Injured by a Nursing Home’s Failure to Treat an Infection? Get Legal Help Now

The experienced attorneys at the Dinizulu Law Group have handled numerous cases over the years where nursing home residents have died from infected pressure ulcers and other severe infections due to nursing home negligence. If your loved one has been injured or died from neglect at a nursing home, call us today at (312) 384-1920 to set up your free consultation. Please visit our website for additional information.

Nursing home abuse and neglect often goes unaddressed because residents and their families don’t necessarily know the rights a resident has. The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act (210 ILCS 45) specifically protects nursing home residents who may be more vulnerable to exploitation, neglect or abuse. Residents have the same rights just as any other person has under Illinois law, federal law, and state laws.

What is abuse or neglect?
Anyone residing in a long-term care facility has the right to be free from abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and financial exploitation. Abuse generally refers to the harmful actions, while neglect refers to the negligence or carelessness.

The statue reinforces the rights that every Illinois citizen has and details a number of specific rights and protects nursing home residents have that are guaranteed by state law or under the U.S Constitution. Those include:

Rights regarding spousal impoverishment. Nursing home facilities must inform all new residents upon being admitted of their spousal impoverishment rights under the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Medicare Catastrophic Act.

Right to private visits. Residents cannot be denied the opportunity for family and friends to visit, unless there is a verified medical reason for restricting visitations.

Right to personal property. Nursing home staff are not allowed to withhold or take a resident’s personal property; however, if there is medical reason for why the resident cannot have access to an item, they may be prevented from doing so.

Right to manage your own finances. Due to the nature of many resident’s illnesses, residents may not always have immediate access to their money; however, nursing homes are prohibited from spending a resident’s funds without proper authorization.

Right to your own physician. Nursing home residents have the right to choose their own physician and cannot be denied an opportunity to see their physician.

Right to respect and privacy in medical care. Residents have the legal right to privacy, and undisclosed personal information with their doctors and/or physician.

Right to participate in medical care and refuse treatment. Nursing home residents have the right to understand medical treatment they are undergoing and/or refuse treatment or medical interventions.

Right to exercise religion. Nursing homes cannot prevent a resident from expressing his/her religion.

Right to be free of physical or chemical restraints, unless medically necessary. Often times nursing homes must put restraints on a resident who puts themselves or others at risk of hurting them. The only exception a verified medical reason and when absolutely necessary. A residents physician is the only one who can order the use of physical or chemical restraints.

Right to rescreening when admitted with serious mental illness. When residents are admitted into a nursing home facility, they have the right to be rescreened and annually assessed.

Right to be free from unlawful discrimination. No resident should be unlawfully discriminated by any owner, licensee, administrator, employee, or agent of a facility.

Right to authorized electronic monitoring. A resident has the right to allow electronic monitoring devices placed in their rooms.

Right to see an attorney or social worker. Residents cannot be denied the opportunity to receive counsel from an attorney or social worker.

If you or a loved one has been abused or neglected in a long-term care facility such as an assisted living facility or nursing home, please contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney. Schedule a free consultation today with Dinizulu Law Group today at (312) 384-1920.