Chicago Nursing Home Negligence: Woman Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over Mother’s Fatal Fall Accident
A Harvard, Illinois woman is suing a Chicago nursing home for her mother’s wrongful death. Jennifer Bowden says Sacred Heart Home was negligent for failing to prevent her mother’s fatal fall accident.
Kathleen Koch, 61, fell in a stairwell at the long-term care facility. The nursing home accident caused her to break her back, sustain head injuries, and become paralyzed. She died eight months after the fall accident.
Bowden’s Chicago nursing home negligence lawsuit contends that workers should have better supervised her mother, who was suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Even though the Chicago nursing home knew that Koch was mentally ill, her room was not located close to a nurse’s station and the elderly woman managed to go into the stairwell without supervision.
Chicago nursing home workers are obligated to properly supervise their residents. Some patients may require more supervision than others, and it is up to the nursing home to find out about each resident’s condition and determine how much care and attention he or she needs to stay safe. Some residents may be prone to fall accidents, wandering off the premise, or becoming disoriented, and they may need help getting around. Failure to provide the proper supervision can lead to injury accidents.
The nursing home must also properly supervise workers to make sure that they do their jobs correctly and that they do not abuse or neglect their patients. Otherwise, inadequate supervision of nursing workers could lead to personal injuries or the deterioration of a resident’s health.
According to Medicaid’s Nursing Home Compare ratings, the Sacred Heart Nursing Home received an overall 3 out of 5 stars, which is considered “Average.” The 172-bed Chicago nursing home received 3 out of 5 stars for Health Inspections, 5 stars for Quality Measures, and 1 star for Nursing Home Staffing.
Woman sues nursing home, Northwest Herald, June 12, 2009
Sacred Heart Home, Nursing Home Compare, Medicare.gov
Related Web Resources:
Falls in Nursing Homes, CDC
Sacred Heart Home, Chicago, Illinois, Hospital-Data.com
