A reason that many families in Illinois choose to place their ill or infirm loved ones in a nursing home is so the loved one can have immediate medical treatment if it is necessary. While a nursing home is not a hospital, its staff will have trained medical professionals who can provide competent care as soon as it is required. The speed with which medical treatment is provided can mean the difference between the person surviving and getting better or growing worse and dying.
There is a law called the Nursing Home Care Act. This law says that Certified Nursing Assistants are required to take certain action when there is a resident who appears to be in medical distress. This action must be taken in a timely manner and must be appropriate based on protocol. This is to prevent the patient’s medical problems from worsening and to keep them from becoming injured or dying. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for a nursing home employee to ignore a potential issue, fail to react to warning signs, not address symptoms, or commit some other breach that can cause injury or fatality. In some cases, the employee might not even be properly trained.
There are numerous ways in which a patient can be injured or die in a nursing home. If they are showing signs of a stroke, a heart attack or have physical issues like a fracture, it must be addressed as soon as possible. Other issues can be less obvious, but it is the job of those working in a facility to recognize potential health problems and address them.
Families who suspect that a loved one was mistreated in a nursing home or have evidence that action was not taken when it could have made a difference need to know their rights. When there is a belief that a nursing home death came about because of a failure to give medical treatment in a timely fashion, a legal professional experienced in cases involving nursing home neglect can help to investigate the case and pursue compensation by filing a claim.
