A resident of the VIP Manor in Wood River, Illinois died upon arrival at a hospital emergency room after experiencing a respiratory failure at the nursing home where he lived. The resident was admitted to the nursing home suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and congestive heart failure. Her dementia had progressed to a point where she required staff assistance for all activities of daily living.
On the day she died, a nurse performed a check of her oxygen and noted a problem. The resident’s physician was at the nursing home at that time and evaluated the resident. He notified her family to ask if they wanted her to be sent to the Emergency Department. The family did. The physician ordered that the resident be taken to the emergency room.
When the ambulance arrived at the nursing home, they found a nursing home staff notably unconcerned. When they finally were directed to the resident’s room, her face had turned a deep blue from lack of oxygen. By the time they arrived at the hospital, she had expired.
The resident’s Advanced Directives indicated that in the event that the resident was still breathing, she should be given all life-saving procedures. If the resident was not breathing, the staff should not take any extraordinary measures to revive her.
When the doctor initially evaluated the resident, she was still breathing. However, by the time the ambulance arrived, she was not. That lead to a great deal of confusion that delayed treatment even longer.
Sadly, many nursing home neglect lawsuits become wrongful death lawsuits. Surviving nursing home neglect is difficult. When confusion causes delays in treatment, the odds of survival drop every second.
If you have a loved one who you believe has suffered a wrongful death in an Illinois nursing home, contact my law offices for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law offices we never charge a fee unless we earn a recovery for you.