Bedsores are often the silent killers of the elderly, disabled and mobility-challenged, and tend to be an especially serious issue for residents living in nursing facilities. Without immediate and proper attention, a small, hardly noticeable pressure sore can easily degrade to a life-threatening condition within days. Sadly, the development of bedsores has become an epidemic problem in nursing facilities nationwide. In fact, the Orland Park nursing home neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center LLC are witnessing a substantial increase in the number of civil cases involving nursing home residents who have suffered serious harm or died from their bedsore wounds caused by the neglectful action of the nursing staff.
Bedsores (decubitus ulcers; pressure ulcers; pressure sores) are lesions on the body that are caused by various forces including unrelieved pressure, humidity, friction, shearing, heat and improper medication. Nearly every bedsore is preventable and treatable if the wound is detected in its early stages. If the sore is allowed to degrade, it can be extremely challenging to treat the wound properly so that it heals completely. In the most severe cases, infected pressure sores can quickly into osteomyelitis (infection of the bone) and sepsis (infection of the blood). Both infectious conditions are life-threatening and are known to cause organ failure and death.
If your loved one developed a bed sore during an admission to an Orland Park, IL nursing home, you may have ground to file a lawsuit against the facility. Contact the Nursing Home Law Center LLC today for a Free Case review with an experience attorney.
Our Cook County nursing home neglect attorneys understand that nursing facilities have an obligation to provide the best care to elderly individuals requiring additional attention. Our Orland Park elder abuse lawyers have represented many nursing home residents victimized by the negligent mistreatment of nursing staff, medical directors, attending physicians and nursing home administrators. We continuously gather information from publicly available nursing home databases including Medicare.gov that detail health concerns, opened investigations and filed complaints involving nursing facilities throughout Illinois.
The information below has been assembled, evaluated and assessed by our Illinois nursing home neglect attorneys. We post this information that outlines facilities in the community currently maintain a one star out of five possible stars rating by the federal government. In addition, we have added our primary concerns below outlining concerning serious notations, filed complaints and inspections involving specific problems with treating residents with bedsores.
22660 South Cicero Avenue
Richton Park, Il 60471
(708) 747-6120
A “For-Profit” 294-certified bed Medicaid/Medicare-participating facility
Overall Rating – 1 out of 5 possible stars
Primary Concerns –
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 05/07/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to “turn or reposition residents with pressure ulcers as scheduled.” The deficient practice affects two residents at the facility “reviewed for pressure ulcers.”
The complaint investigation was initiated in part because of a 05/06/2015 1:14 PM observation of a resident “lying in his bed on his back. [The resident] had a breathing tube in place, was contracted, and appeared to have failure to thrive on observation. [The resident] was observed between the time of 1:14 PM and 3:15 PM, with documentation every 15 minutes.”
The state surveyor noted that “during the two hour time span, no one entered [the resident’s] room to turn or reposition [the resident who] remained lying on his back between 1:14 PM and 3:15 PM. At 3:15 PM, [the resident] was lying on his back in the same position as he did at 1:14 PM.”
A review of the facility notes dated 04/27/2015 state “that upon assessment, the wound care doctor noted on [the resident] pressure sores located on the right dorsal medial foot, the right hip, the right buttocks, the left lateral leg, the right plantar foot and the right lateral foot.” A review of the resident’s care plan clearly states that the resident “requires assistance for mobility characterized by positioning, locomotion, inability to move independently and [the resident] has physical limitation related to contractures. Date initiated: 04/30/2015. Interventions: turn and reposition every two hours.”
In a separate observation of another resident’s room occurring on 05/06/2015 at 12:00 PM the state surveyor noted that that resident “had no turning schedules above their bed. At 12:25 PM, the son of the resident said to [the facility’s wound care nurse] I have never seen [the resident] turned by staff here, or put in a chair that I requested for [the resident]. I am not fussing at you, I am just trying to make sure that [the resident] gets turned, because the next step for the resident is pressure sores.” At 1 PM on the same day, the wound care nurse “placed turning schedules above the beds of [the resident].”
A 05/06/2015 4:00 PM interview was conducted by the state surveyor with the facility’s Director of Nursing who stated “it is my expectation that resident should be turned every two hours. The resident should have a turning schedule above their bed, nurses are to oversee that residents are turned. Staff are aware of which residents require turning by the turning schedule above their bed. Staff are not charting that residents are turned, it is not a requirement that staff document residents are turned. There is no policy in place for turning and repositioning.”
Our Richton Park elder abuse attorneys recognize that any failure to follow procedures and protocols concerning bedsores could jeopardize the health and well-being of the resident and might be considered an act of negligence or mistreatment. In addition, the deficient practices failed to follow the established procedures, policies and protocols adopted by Glenshire Nursing and Rehab Center, especially the facility July 2011 policy titled: Pressure Ulcer Prevention that reads in part:
“It is the policy of this facility to implement measures to protect the resident’s skin integrity and prevent skin breakdown whenever possible.
5025 McCook Ave
East Chicago, IN 46312
(219) 397-0380
A “Government Owned and Operated” 117-certified bed Medicaid/Medicare-participating facility
Overall Rating – 1 out of 5 possible stars
Primary Concerns –
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 05/26/2015, a complaint investigation was opened against the facility for its failure to “provide the necessary treatment and services to promote wound ulcer healing related to dressing not changed as ordered by the physician.” This deficient practice affected one resident at the facility “reviewed for pressure ulcers.”
A 05/11/2015 review of a resident’s Minimum Data Set Quarterly assessment indicated that “the resident required extensive assistance of two staff members for bed mobility [… and] indicated the resident was totally dependent on staff for dressing and personal hygiene.” The assessment also indicated that “the resident was at risk for the development of pressure ulcers [… and that] the resident had two unstageable (full thickness tissue loss with the base of the ulcer covered by slough and eschar (tan, brown or black colored) pressure ulcers.”
The state surveyor reviewed the current physician’s orders written on 05/05/2015 which said “to wipe the right medial heel area with [the prescribed medication], apply a dry dressing and secure the dressing with tape daily.”
The complaint investigation was initiated in part after a 05/26/2015 8:36 AM orientation tour conducted by a state investigator who observed a resident in bed that “addressing a wound on both of his feet. The dressings were dated 05/24/2015.” On the same day, the facility’s Wound Nurse “was observed running wound care for the resident [and after removing the dressing] there were two blackened areas on the resident’s right ankle/foot area.”
A 05/26/2015 10:50 AM interview with the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in charge of providing care revealed that “she worked on 05/25/2015 and was assigned to provide care for [the resident].” However, The Licensed Practical Nurse “indicated she did not complete the [medication] treatments to the resident’s right ankle area yesterday.”
Our East Chicago nursing home neglect attorneys recognize that any failure to follow physician’s orders when providing treatment for residents with bedsores might jeopardize the resident’s health and well-being. The deficient practice might be considered negligence or mistreatment because it does not follow the established procedures and protocols adopted by Lake County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and is in violation of federal and state nursing home regulations.
700 E 21st Ave
Gary, IN 46407
(219) 882-2563
A “For-Profit” 46-certified bed Medicaid/Medicare-participating facility
Overall Rating – 1 out of 5 possible stars
Primary Concerns –
Failure to Ensure Residents Receive Weekly Skin Observation Checks to Prevent New Bedsores or Heal Existing Pressure Sores
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 07/24/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to “ensure weekly skin observation checks were completed for [a resident at the facility] review for pressure ulcers.”
The complaint investigation was initiated after a review of records and observation of a resident whose 06/07/2015 MDS (Minimum Data Set) Significant Change Assessment indicated the resident’s Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) score was (8), indicating “the resident’s cognitive patterns were moderately impaired. The assessment also indicated the resident was dependent on staff for transfers, dressing, eating and personal hygiene [… and] was at risk for pressure ulcer development and currently had one Stage II (partial thickness loss of the dermis presents as a shallow open ulcer with red peak ulcer bed) pressure ulcer.”
The resident’s May 2015 Weekly Skin Assessment sheet was reviewed. “The last entry was made 05/14/2015 [indicating] the resident had reoccurring ruptured blisters to the right foot and heel. No open areas or areas of alteration in skin integrity were noted on the coccyx.” The last entry was more than three weeks prior to the 06/07/2015 significant change assessment, which is in direct violation of established protocols and procedures enforced by federal and state nursing home regulators.
The surveyor conducted a 01/23/2015 10:50 AM interview with the facility’s Director of Nursing who “indicated Weekly Skin Checks were required to be completed once a week when the resident received a bath.
Our Gary Indiana nursing home neglect attorneys recognize that any failure to follow established protocols when providing treatment to residents with pressure sores could result in an Immediate Jeopardy to the resident’s health and well-being. The deficient practice does not follow the established procedures, policies and protocols adopted by Simmons Loving Care Health facility and might be considered negligence or mistreatment.
Family members place the care of a loved one in the hands of professional caregivers to ensure all their medical and hygiene needs are met every day. It is the responsibility of the Attending Physicians, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants to assist residents who require specialized care, especially those who are either mentally or physically unable to turn or reposition their body without help. Any failure of the nursing staff to do so can produce catastrophic results.
Healthy humans reposition their bodies throughout the day and night without thought as a way to relieve pressure and restricted blood flow that deprived that area of much-needed oxygen and nutrients. In contrast, paralyzed, disabled, the elderly and cognitively impaired are often unable to reposition, adjust or turn their body without assistance. If these individuals are residents in nursing facilities, the attending physician has an obligation to develop a plan of care that instructs the nursing staff to routinely turn or reposition the resident throughout the day and during sleeping hours.
Typically, the Director of Nursing is charged with ensuring that the nursing staff follows the physician’s orders and the facility’s policies, procedures and protocols that ensure the health and well-being of the resident is maintained. The policies, procedures and protocols when managing skin integrity include:
Complete timely skin assessment examinations to detect or identify any sign of developing bedsores on the resident.
Provide skin care and treatment according to protocols to minimize the potential of an existing bedsore to degrade.
Move, readjust or reposition bedridden and wheelchair-bound residents who are unable to do so without assistance.
Ensure that the resident remains hydrated and is provided a nutritious diet to support a healthy immune system.
Incorporate exercise and movement into the resident’s Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
When the nursing staff takes every measure possible to ensure restricted blood flow caused by pressure is alleviated every two hours or less, the potential of the resident developing a bedsore is greatly diminished. However, failing to follow procedures and protocols can provide an ideal environment where a developing bedsores allowed to degrade before proper treatment an action is taken.
Serving as your loved one’s legal advocate is important to ensure their health and well-being is maintained. Many families hire personal injury attorneys who specialize in nursing home neglect and abuse cases. The Orland Park nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center LLC have assisted many families requiring immediate help to stop the neglect and abuse now.
Our Illinois team of dedicated seasoned attorneys provides legal representation in victim cases involving negligence and mistreatment occurring in nursing homes throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Our network of attorneys can ensure that your loved one receives the financial compensation they deserve and the justice they demand in holding those who cause them harm legally accountable.
We encourage you to contact our Orland Park elder abuse law offices by calling (800) 926-7565 today to schedule your free, full case evaluation. All information you share remains confidential. We accept all nursing home neglect cases, wrongful death lawsuits and personal injury claims through contingency agreements where all of our legal fees are only paid at the end of the successful lawsuit trial or after we negotiate an acceptable financial out of court settlement.
Should you have questions about Illinois law related to pressure sores, view our page here.
If you are looking for information on a specific facility or an attorney, please see links below to respective locality pages.
Attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld
Licensed in Illinois
Chicago Lawyer Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home