The vast majority of patients in Illinois nursing homes are on medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter, for any number of ailments. These medications must be administered within a specified period of time to keep a nursing home patient from becoming ill or suffering pain. Failing to properly administer medication can lead to any number of complications including heart attack, stroke, infection, pneumonia, or even death.
Withholding medication or providing an improper dose is a form of nursing home abuse or neglect and it can have devastating consequences. Most of the time, nursing home patients receive the care they both need and expect, but unfortunately, every day in Illinois, there are instances where care fails to live up to the standards it should or where patients’ needs go unmet. When this happens, a victim of nursing home abuse may be entitled to seek relief against those responsible for their injuries, whether the damages were caused by an employee, an owner, or even an operator of the nursing home. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who handles nursing home abuse cases can help you understand your legal options and rights following an injury.
A former employee of a Charleston, Illinois nursing home recently pleaded guilty to taking medication from the home for his own personal use. The former employee, a 35-year-old man, admitted to taking pain patches on November 19 and December 2 for his own use though he had no prescription or medical need from them. He admitted to taking a patch for himself in November at the same time he was obtaining one for the benefit of a patient. Reportedly, the man admitted to taking a second pain patch for himself in December.
Criminal charges were brought against the man after the nursing home noted discrepancies in its inventory of pain medication, leading to a plea agreement between the state and the former employee. He must now engage in substance abuse treatment and pay fines with the potential of jail time if the man fails to meet other conditions of the agreed sentence.
The theft in this case is serious because it could have denied patients from receiving the medication if there wasn’t enough. It is not clear at this time whether any residents were forced to go without their medication due to the actions of the employee or whether any other thefts of medication may have been involved.
If you suspect that your loved one has suffered abuse or neglect while in a nursing home or senior living facility, do not wait to contact someone who can help. Call the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free case consultation. We are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (855) 529-2442 and (312) 924-7575 and there is no obligation on your part for speaking with us.
If your loved one has been injured at the hands of another, call us today and let us help your family get the relief you need and deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Elderly Woman Drugged and Raped in her Senior Living Facility, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published February 24, 2014.
Resource:
Man admits taking drugs from nursing home, by Dave Fopay, Journal Gazette & Times-Courier, published February 27, 2014.