A resident at the Danville Care Center in Danville, Illinois was left on the commode in her bathroom for over four hours. This kind of neglect is an example of how quickly a situation can fall apart when staff fail to properly follow procedures.
Nursing home residents should always have a call light within reach, whether they are in bed, a chair, and especially in the lavatory. With good reason, a bathroom is usually one of the most isolated places in any home, apartment, or nursing home. There’s almost always at least one door separating the resident from the rest of the nursing home, making it extremely unlikely that a resident in distress will be able to make him or herself heard.
A Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) at the Danville Care Center placed a resident on the commode in her restroom. The resident is heavy and unable to transfer herself onto and off of the commode, her bed or her wheelchair. She is considered to be a high risk of nursing home falls. The CNA used a mechanical lift to transfer the resident onto the commode. But, instead of giving the resident the call button, he left her. Then he finished his shift and left the facility having never told anyone about the woman abandoned on the toilet.
Sitting on a toilet for any length of time becomes extremely painful over time. After four hours, that toilet seat becomes very painful. In residents that are in weakened conditions, the sitting can cause skin tears that can easily become infected.
According to the IDPH report, the woman was in extreme pain.
Many of us make small mistakes in our jobs. Most of these mistakes can be easily corrected with no harm to ourselves, our businesses, or our customers. Nursing homes are different. That’s why every contingency needs to be double and triple checked, and it’s why regulations are so specific. It’s also why nursing homes are so expensive. You can stay at the Hilton hotel for the same price that many nursing homes charge.
If you have a loved one who has been the victim of nursing home abuse or nursing home neglect in a Chicago nursing home, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At my law offices we have the experience and expertise to manage every aspect of your nursing home neglect lawsuit, and we would welcome the opportunity to speak to you.
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