Nursing Home Patient Dead from Hypothermia

The residents of a given nursing home in Illinois likely have different medical issues that will need different types and levels of care. Some have their mental faculties and may need assistance only with physical tasks; others may be able-bodied but may need help with mental issues. The wide variety of issues that are found in any given long-term care facility mean that employees and owners of nursing homes must be prepared to take action and assist where and when needed.

When placing a loved one in a nursing home, people often worry about the health of the patient and wonder whether they are making the correct decision. The safety of that resident may be less of a focus as family members trust that licensed facilities will act appropriately and will provide the care their loved one deserves. But unfortunately, that is not always the case and nursing home abuse continues to be problematic in Illinois and in Chicago, leaving victims with physical and mental injuries that may require additional medical care.

When abuse or neglect occur in a nursing home setting or other long-term care facility, those who suffer may be entitled to financial compensation. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Illinois may help you understand your options and whether your loved one has a valid claim if you suspect wrongdoing or malfeasance in a nursing home setting.

In an upsetting incident, police in Ohio have confirmed that a nursing home resident died from hypothermia after she wandered outside this week. The nursing home at issue is located in Sagamore Hills, a city southeast of Cleveland and it reportedly focuses on the care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

A 94-year-old female moved into the facility in September of 2014 for additional care necessitated by dementia. While the details are not clear at this time, officials believe that the woman was allowed to wander outside at some point on Monday morning when the conditions were cold and that, while she was outside, no one noticed the woman, allowing her to remain in the cold. At approximately 7:30 a.m., the driver of a snow plow dispatched to the area noticed the woman’s body in the parking lot of the nursing home facility and alerted his superior who in turn notified the police. Emergency crews responded to the scene and evaluated the woman, who was not breathing, but they were unable to save her and her death has been blamed on hypothermia due to environmental exposure. Reportedly, employees of the facility noticed the woman’s absence and found her in the snow shortly after the snowplow operator and before emergency crews arrived.

Local authorities are still reviewing this incident and the nursing home at issue has stated that it will investigate as well in an attempt to determine how the woman left the facility unsupervised and whether an employee or employees were at fault.

 

 

No one should die from environmental exposure when their care is entrusted to a nursing home. Yet as happened in this Ohio incident, it is possible, and it is similar to events that may occur in Illinois.

If your loved one has been injured or killed by nursing home abuse or neglect, your family may be entitled to relief for your suffering and may deserve compensation. To help you understand your options, we 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 case consultation without charge and without obligation. You can reach us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575.

If abuse has affected your family, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us fight for the relief your family deserves.

Prior Blog Entry:

Nursing Home Employee Charged with Sexual Abuse of Patient, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published January 12, 2015.

Resource:

ME: Woman died of hypothermia outside Sagamore Hills nursing home, NBC 3 WKYZ, published January 20, 2015.