Nursing Home Employee Pleads Guilty to Withholding Medication from Resident

Before placing a loved one in a nursing home, most people consider their options. They look into one or more homes to determine which will provide the care needed by their family member. When the loved one moves into a nursing home, people believe that basic needs of the resident will be met and that the resident will not be harmed while there. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect happens all too often in Illinois, leaving residents injured or even dead as a result.

When abuse or neglect occur in a nursing home and a resident or patient suffers as a result, that victim may be entitled to relief through a civil claim for damages. These claims can enable a victim to recover for damages that occurred, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and the permanency of any injuries. Speaking with a lawyer who handles nursing home cases in Illinois may help you understand whether your loved one is entitled to relief for injuries sustained while in a nursing home.

Nursing home neglect can appear in a number of ways but one common form that has been receiving increased publicity lately is the failure of nursing home employees to provide medication to residents. In some cases, a mistake or error may occur, preventing medication from reaching its intended resident. In others, though, an employee may intentionally withhold medication from a resident, either to punish or harm the resident or so that the employee can use the medication for personal use. Regardless of the reasons behind the actions, withholding medication is a serious threat to the safety of any affected patient and can lead to conditions including a heart attack, stroke, embolism, severe pain, loss of mental faculties, infection, or even death.

A former nursing home employee in New York recently pleaded guilty to withholding medication from a 73-year-old resident who is blind and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. As part of a plea deal, the former employee admitted to violating the state’s health laws in a willful manner and was sentenced to a fine and community service. The man was originally charged with four felonies related to the care of two patients of the New York nursing home but those charges were dropped in exchange for the former employee’s plea of guilt. Additionally, the man was forced to surrender his nursing license as a result of the charges.

 

 

In this case, it appears that no resident suffered long term or lasting results. But in many instances where medication is withheld in Illinois nursing homes, that is not the case. These vulnerable patients may suffer extensive damage due to reckless or negligence conduct of nursing home employees.

If you believe that your loved one has suffered due to nursing home abuse or neglect, call the injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today to learn about what legal options may be available to your loved one and your family. We are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we offer a free, no-obligation case consultation to all potential nursing home abuse victims. If your family member has been injured, do not wait. Call us today and let us help you.

Prior Blog Entry:

Illinois Nursing Home Employee Admitted Stealing Medication from Home, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published March 3, 2014.

Resource:

AG: Former nursing home employee admits he withheld medicine, by Emily Stewart, Poughkeepsie Journal, published April 2, 2014.