Guilty Plea from Nurse’s Aide who Failed to Call for Help for Patient

When a family member or a loved one is placed in a nursing home, often it is the result of much deliberation and with great consideration to the loved one’s condition and needs. In some cases, it may be evident immediately that a person needs nursing assistance around-the-clock, like following a serious accident or a difficult surgery. However, many cases involve elderly Americans progressively moving toward the need for greater and greater help until a family or others can no longer care for that person at home. It is at this time that a nursing home may be utilized.

The need for physical care of an elderly adult is one of the most common reasons that a person ends up as a resident of a nursing home. With this in mind, it is imperative that the employees of these homes abide by all standards and heed all necessary directives regarding the care and treatment of these nursing home patients; failure to do so may be negligent or even reckless and too often leads to injuries sustained by these nursing home residents.

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home negligent and abuse, it may seem unthinkable to you because of your trust in the facility and the employees to whom your loved one’s car was entrusted. But personal injury attorneys in the Chicago area can tell you that nursing home neglect and abuse happens with regularly across the nation and, unfortunately, Illinois is no exception. While nothing can erase the emotional scarring and the physical damage of these instances, victims and/or their family members may be able to seek and obtain financial compensation for their damages through the use of a civil claim.

An incident in a Long Island nursing home back in 2012 resulted in the death of a female patient and led to charges against nine health care employees who were charged with her care. Recently, one of those employees, a nurse’s aide, pleaded guilty for her actions for willfully violating public health laws. The nurse’s aide was responsible for monitoring an elderly patient for one hour and was charged with calling for help if necessary. Authorities alleged that the employee noted a decrease in the patient’s vital signs, including her breathing and heart rate, but claimed that he defendant failed to take the actions necessary to get help for the woman, who eventually died.

The guilty plea was part of an agreement between the defendant and prosecutors and in exchange for the plea, the woman was sentenced to three years of probation and is banned from working in a care field in the future. Though she pleaded guilty, the defendant did not say why she failed to call for help when the nursing home patient’s vital signs began to fall.

 

 

Experts agree that nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect are significantly underreported which allows countless victims to suffer without relief. Often, it is members of a victim’s family who first notice signs of wrongdoing and who bring the issue to light. If you suspect abuse or neglect has harmed your loved one, make sure you take the actions necessary to get relief.

The personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. have a licensed lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to take your call and to provide you with a free case consultation without obligation if you suspect nursing home neglect. Everything discussed will be kept confidential and if we represent you or your family member, we will never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf. There is nothing to lose from speaking with us so please do not wait – call Abels & Annes, P.C. now and let us fight for the relief you deserve.

Prior Blog Entry:

Nursing Home Patient Killed in Fall Down Stairs, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published March 26, 2015.

Resource:

Nurse’s aid pleads guilty, avoids jail in Medford nursing home death, by Chau Lam, Newsday, published April 23, 2015.