Daughter of Illinois Man Who Broke Hip During Move From Wheelchair Sues Chicago Rehab Center for Wrongful Death
The daughter of a man who died at the Schwab Rehabilitation Center in Chicago is suing the facility for his wrongful death. The nursing home patient's health deteriorated after breaking his hip in a fall accident while being transferred onto a wheelchair. He died three months after being admitted to the home.
The Chicago wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of his daughter, alleges that negligent care by the rehab center led to the 67-year-old’s death.
The nursing home patient was admitted to the center in September 2007 after his leg was amputated. His doctors determined that he would need the help of two staff members and a mechanical lift during transfers because he was at risk for falls and accidents. The next day, a certified nursing assistant tried transferring him onto a wheelchair. The nurse did so alone and used a slide board instead of a lift. The nursing home resident fell, fracturing his left hip and femur.
He underwent surgery for his broken hip and femur at Mt. Sinai Hospital. The injuries, however, caused him to be immobilized and he developed a pressure ulcer on his sacrum, pneumonia, sepsis, and respiratory failure. He died in December 2007. Two months after his death, the Illinois Department of Public Health cited the facility for improper nursing care.
Nursing Home Falls
Fall accidents can lead to serious injuries, especially for elderly people. Unfortunately, fall accidents do occur at nursing homes and other care facilities. Falls at nursing and rehabilitation centers have included:
• Workers dropping patients while moving them to and from beds and wheelchairs
• Patients falling from beds
• Slip and fall accidents
• Trip and fall accidents
Lawsuit: Negligence at Rehab Center led to Death, WBBM, September 30, 2008
Related Web Resources:
Minimizing risk in the nursing home, Bnet
