A failed transfer of a resident at the Helia Healthcare of Carbondale nursing home in Carbondale, Illinois resulted in a nursing home fall and a fractured femur that required extensive surgical repair.
This is the second report we’ve covered of a failed transfer at Helia Healthcare in less than a year. The cases bear a lot of similarities, a fact that greatly increases the likelihood of a systemic failure in the training and selecting of nursing home staff.
The resident is an 89 year old man. He was admitted to the nursing home after breaking his leg in a fall at home. Every time a resident is admitted to a nursing home, the nursing staff is required to conduct a thorough analysis of the resident’s condition and determine an appropriate plan of care. This assessment is called a minimum data set (MDS).
The MDS for this resident indicated that the resident required two people to conduct all transfers from bed to wheelchair. A certified nurses aide (CNA) was attempting to transfer the resident by herself when the resident’s leg gave out. X-rays revealed acute fractures.
The CNA stated that she had transferred the resident herself on numerous occasions and was unaware that two persons were called for by the nursing home’s plan of care. Staff involved in the first case denied knowledge of how many staff were required for the resident’s transfer.
Because of the MDS, nursing home falls are different from other falls. Because of the controlled environment and in depth personal plan of care, a nursing home fall that occurs because the MDS has been ignored can be grounds for a nursing home neglect lawsuit.
Nursing homes are obligated to properly train their staff in the care of the residents who live in the home. The fact that Helia Healthcare staff were unaware of the procedures called for in the MDS is further evidence of nursing home neglect.
An experienced nursing home attorney will conduct a complete investigation of all aspects of a nursing home fall to determine whether or not a nursing home neglect lawsuit should proceed.
If you have a loved one who has been seriously injured in a nursing home fall, contact our nursing home attorneys for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.