Woman Claims Preventable Fall at Belleville Nursing Home Contributed to Her Father’s Death

The child of a man who died about nine months after falling at a Belleville nursing facility has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in St. Clair County Circuit Court. According to her complaint, the woman’s father suffered a broken hip as a result of receiving improper care while a resident at a facility on March 24, 2011. The woman claims her father’s injury contributed to his death in December 2011. The lawsuit also alleges that the deceased man suffered anxiety, emotional pain, distress, serious bruising, and decreased mobility as a result of the facility’s carelessness.

In her case, the deceased man’s daughter asserts that employees at the nursing home failed to supervise him adequately enough to avoid preventable falls despite the workers being aware he was at risk for falling. In addition, the woman claims her father’s bed was too high and no bed rails or alarm were installed. She also accuses the skilled nursing facility of failing to maintain an adequate number of staff and failing to answer his assistance calls in a timely manner.

Resident falls in a nursing home can be caused by many factors, including poorly fitted beds and wheelchairs, environmental hazards like inadequate lighting and slippery floors, and underlying patient health problems. Additionally, a failure on the part of facility caregivers to monitor the elderly and disabled after medication changes may contribute to resident falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims worker education, safety equipment installation, and proper health care for residents can dramatically impact patient fall rates at skilled nursing facilities in Illinois and throughout the country.

Too often, nursing home residents are placed at risk of falling when care facilities fail to employ enough direct care staff. In 2010, amendments to the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act required that long-term care facilities operating within our state increase the number of workers directly caring for residents to a level that adequately meets the needs of all patients. Despite the legislation, an inadequate number of nursing facility staff is a common factor in Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect cases. If your friend or family member was injured or died at a nursing facility in Illinois, you are advised to discuss your case with a quality nursing home abuse and neglect attorney immediately.

If your loved one was hurt or killed as a result of a preventable fall at an Illinois nursing home, you should give the caring lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (855) 529-2442. Our dedicated Chicago nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys are available 24 hours per day, seven days of the week to help you protect the rights of your elderly and disabled relatives. For a free consultation with a diligent advocate, please contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through the law firm’s website.

Note: Abels & Annes, P.C. does not represent the victim’s family in the above mentioned lawsuit.

More Blogs:

Odin Nursing Home Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Whether Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Subject to Binding Arbitration, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, March 24, 2013
To Protect Loved Ones, Many Factors Should Be Considered When Choosing an Illinois Nursing Home, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, March 22, 2013
Additional Resources:

Woman says Belleville nursing home to blame for father’s death, by Kelly Holleran, Madison-St. Clair Record