Certified Nurse Assistants, also known as CNAs, are the backbone of any nursing home or long-term care facility. They hand-feed residents, brush teeth, dress, wash, bathe, and perform many more of what are termed “activities of daily living.”
CNAs don’t administer medications, or diagnose illnesses or injuries. The job is difficult, and not highly paid. In many similar jobs, individuals succeed by being able to perform the same action in exactly the same way over and over again.
In a nursing home, however, every resident is a different human being with different needs and personalities. CNAs have to perform the same function, but they have to be able to do it in a dozen different ways. To say that it’s challenging is an understatement. To be successful, proper communication between the doctors, nurses, and staff is essential. When it breaks down, residents can be seriously injured.
For one resident at the Arlington Rehab and Living Center in Long Grove, Illinois, a failure to communicate the plan of care for one resident resulted in a severely fractured ankle.
The injury was only detected when a CNA at the facility alerted a nursing home inspector that one of the residents appeared to be in great pain. According to the Illinois Department of Public (IDPH) Health Report, the CNA arrived at work and was told that the resident in question required “extensive assist of 1” for all transfers to and from a wheelchair or bed. The CNA transferred her and noticed that the resident’s foot “looked strange.” It was later determined that the resident’s ankle was fractured.
In fact, the resident was supposed to have two staff members for assistance in any transfer. An order like that is usually required when a resident’s bones are exceptionally fragile. Because the CNA was given false information, the resident was transferred in a way that put a much greater amount of stress on her legs and lower body.
If you have a loved one who has been seriously injured in a Chicago nursing home, contact my law offices for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. At the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, we never charge a fee unless we earn a recovery for you.