Short-staffing results in fall at Manorcare of Libertyville

IDPH has cited and find Manorcare of Libertyville nursing home after a resident fell from bed and suffered a broken leg.

There are certain residents who require the assist of two with bed mobility – meaning being rolled onto their side, usually for incontience care as part of assuring the dignity of residents and preventing bed sores.  However, we have written on this blog about multiple incidents ( such as here, here, here, and here) where the resident was being handled in bed by a single aide and rolled out of bed, usually resulting in a significant injury such as a brain bleed or a hip fracture.

This is the story that we have to tell at Manorcare of Libertyville – but with a twist this time.

The resident at issue suffered from a variety of issues including rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness, and hemiplegia from a stroke.  She was deficits relating to both legs and one arm.  She was noted as requiring extensive assist of two with bed mobility.  On the day of the accident, a single aide was in the room changing her diaper after an episode of incontinence.  When she did so the resident’s legs began to shake and she rolled off the edge of the bed, landing on her knees.

Because the resident was non weight bearing and had contractures due to her pre-existing issues, the decision was made to not proceed to surgery even though she suffered a displaced fracture of the femur in the fall.  Due to the injuries from the fall she now had chronic pain which she did not have before which requires the use of pain medication to control.

What makes this incident a little different from the many others like it that we have covered on this blog is that the staff came clean as to the root cause of this nursing home fall: understaffing of the nursing home:

• The aide on duty told the surveyor “… that day we were short-staffed, and I was pressed for time so I did it myself.”  She also told the surveyor that having a second person there would have prevented the resident from falling from the bed.
• Another aide told the surveyor that it is safer to change that resident with 2 people, but that staffing is a struggle sometimes so ytou have to do it yourself.
• The unit manager acknowledged that having two people help with changing would have prevented the fall.

It is worth noting that the one aide who was present at the time of the fall admitted that short staffing was an issue at that particular moment.  However, the other aide’s statement more clearly suggests that short-staffing is a chronic issue at that nursing home.

One of our core beliefs is that nursing homes are built to fail due to the business model they follow and that unnecessary accidental injuries and wrongful deaths of residents are the inevitable result.  Order our FREE report, Built to Fail, to learn more about why.  Our experienced Chicago nursing home lawyers are ready to help you understand what happened, why, and what your rights are.  Contact us to get the help you need.

Other blog posts of interest:

Improper use of sit-to-stand lift results in multiple fractures at Radford Green in Lincolnshire

Resident suffers shoulder injury during improper transfer at Addolorata Villa

Resident falls from bed at Spring Creek in Joliet

Fall from shower chair leads to fall and death at Manorcare of Arlington Heights

Brain bleed from fall from bed at Landmark of Des Plaines

Resident rolled out of bed at Warren Barr – Lincolnshire

Resident falls from edge of bed at Manorcare of Libertyville

 

 

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