The Champaign News-Gazette reported on July 13, 2010 about another case of nursing home neglect. According to the article, in recent years, the Champaign County Nursing Home has been repeatedly under investigation for providing deficient and neglectful care. This most recent incident reportedly involved an instance of one of the most common dangers in a nursing home: a fall caused by the inappropriate use of a mechanical lift by the nursing home staff. The article reports that a nursing home aide s dropped the resident from the lift while attempting to transfer the resident without assistance. The resident’s care plan clearly dictated that all transfers with the lift were to be made with two assistants. There was even a sign on her door to remind the staff. The resident was badly cut by the fall and had to receive 24 stitches.
Over the past year, the Champaign County Nursing Home has faced over $100,000 in fines and loss of payment due to their consistently low standard of care. These losses were later reduced to about $14,000 in losses of federal payments, but if the public health inspectors find this most recent incident grave enough, the nursing home could incur significant fines and losses of payment all over again.
The Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm is experienced with cases involving traumatic falls, including improper use of mechanical lifts and failure to following resident care plans. If you believe that a loved one has suffered a fall because a nursing home failed to do its job, take action now and contact us online or call us toll free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a FREE CONSULTATION.
