We reached a settlement on behalf of the estate of a resident of an Evanston nursing home who suffered from long-term rheumatoid arthritis.
She had been dependent upon her husband visiting her in the nursing home and making sure that she was eating adequately. When her husband died suddenly due to a massive stroke, the staff failed to make sure that she was receiving adequate oral intake by failing to assist her by spoon-feeding as her now-deceased husband did or by providing her with adaptive silverware such as a fork or spoon with a larger grip to allow her to feed herself. The adaptive silverware was necessary because of the effects of her rheumatoid arthritis.
The result was a 16 pound weight loss from 97 pounds to 81 pounds in one month. This is considered a significant unplanned weight loss. In addition to the weight loss, the failure of the staff to provide proper incontinence care and to turn and reposition her to prevent pressure ulcers resulted in the development of multiple Stage III pressure ulcers, all of which contributed to cause her death.
Awarded: $120,000