Nursing home abuse: Lack of care alleged in death of resident

The legal estate of a former occupant of an Illinois care facility has filed a civil suit against the facility, claiming lack of care resulted in the death of the occupant. The lawsuit claims that the deceased became dehydrated and malnourished. She also developed a urinary tract infection. These symptoms are all indicative of a lack of care and constitutes nursing home abuse.

In the suit, it is alleged that the deceased was pale and weak, her heart rate was abnormal, and she was showing signs of diminished oxygen saturation. However, despite these signs and symptoms, the facility did not send her to an emergency room. Furthermore, in a period of five weeks between May and middle June, the patient lost 42 pounds, but no medical practitioner was consulted. At this point, the victim started complaining of abdominal pain and, within a week, found it impossible to eat. She died a few days later.

Should the allegations in the lawsuit prove true, they could point to a case of nursing home neglect and abuse. Cases such as the aforementioned may leave the family of the elderly person feeling helpless. It is fortunate that many Illinois personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that there is no initial cost for the client.

Illinois civil law allows for the family or administrator of the legal estate of a deceased elderly victim to file a wrongful death claim against a care facility in the case of nursing home abuse and neglect. Suspicious nursing home deaths are a concern in the United States. When such an incident occurs, a personal injury lawyer can evaluate the circumstances and provide guidance throughout any ensuing litigation. 

Source: thetelegraph.com, “Lawsuit alleges Alton nursing home resident died due to lack of care“, Sanford J. Schmidt, May 9, 2017