Month: July 2014

Alleged Elder Abuse Involving Severe Bed Sores

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A recent incident involving alleged elder abuse in Michigan involves the victim, a 67-year-old man, having numerous severe bed sores and complications.

As discussed elsewhere in this site, bed sores can be very hazardous to one’s health, especially if they are not treated promptly and properly.  As well, bed sores often accompany elder abuse, whether it occurs in a private residence or a health care facility such as a nursing home.

An excerpt from the July 28 mlive.com article titled “Caregivers arrested after emaciated man found with infected bed sores in Flint” :

Two women face felony charges after authorities say an elderly man in their care was found emaciated and in septic shock due to infected bed sores.

According to the article, at the time of the man’s readmittance to a hospital, he had 11 severe bed sores that, in the words of a Sheriff, went all the way to the bone.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the mlive.com article mentioned above, as well as the July 28 abc12.com article titled “Two women arrested for elder abuse of Flint man.”

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.  

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Bed Sore Named In Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit

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There has been a $14 million jury verdict in a Massachusetts nursing home neglect lawsuit that involved the nursing home resident having a pressure sore.  While it is unclear as to whether the pressure sore led to the fatal infections, as discussed elsewhere in this site, pressure sores – also commonly referred to as bed sores – can and do lead to infections that can be lethal.  As well, bed sores – especially those untreated – often accompany other types of health maladies in situations of nursing home neglect.

The verdict and alleged nursing home abuse in the case of Genevieve Calandro, a 90-year-old woman who died in August 2008, is discussed in the July 24, 2014 Boston Globe article titled “Jury awards $14 million in 2008 death.”

An excerpt from the article, referring to Garry Calandro, son of Genevieve Calandro:

Calandro said his mother was a happy woman who devoted her life to family and seldom complained, yet they could tell she was not feeling well in June 2008, and kept asking staffers at the nursing home about their concerns. They were repeatedly assured there was no problem.

“They were telling us that there was a virus going through the nursing home, that’s why she had a fever, and that everything was under control, that they were on top of everything,” he said.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in the Boston Globe article mentioned above, as well as the July 25 McKnight’s article titled “Jury hands down $14 million negligent care verdict to ‘send message’ to nursing homes” and the July 24 pressherald.com article titled “Jury awards $14 million in Massachusetts nursing home verdict.”

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.  

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Reducing Pressure Ulcers In Hospitals

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As featured elsewhere on this site (including the July 15, 2014 post titled “Pressure Ulcers In Hospitals“) there has been much focus on the prevention of pressure ulcers (also commonly called bed sores or alternatively bedsores) due to the direct and indirect harm that can occur if pressure ulcers form.

The University of Chicago Medicine published an article on July 23, 2014 regarding efforts to reduce pressure ulcers.  This article is titled “Focus on Skin Care Drives Down Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcer Rates.”

In this article, efforts made to reduce the medical center’s rates of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPU) are discussed.

After a variety of efforts were made, as discussed in the article, HAPU rates decreased and additional educational requirements (through various methods) were implemented.

The article contains additional information and graphics regarding efforts to reduce pressure ulcers and improvements in various metrics and rankings.

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.  

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Illinois Lawsuit Involving Pressure Ulcers

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As explained elsewhere on this site, bed sores (also called pressure sores) are often caused by – or accompany – neglect or mistreatment in the care of nursing home patients.  This is also the case in other types of Illinois care facilities such as assisted living facilities, retirement homes, rehabilitation centers, etc.

There has been a recent lawsuit filed against an Illinois rehabilitation center that alleges neglect in the care of a patient.  According to the lawsuit, pressure sores were one of the issues present in the situation, and – as typical in many situations in which bed sores form – other serious medical conditions were also present.

The lawsuit was filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court on June 23, 2014 against the Belleville Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center Inc.  The lawsuit was filed by the daughter of the deceased man, Daniel Lugge.

The lawsuit is summarized in the Madison-St. Clair Record article of July 8, 2014 titled “Belleville Healthcare and Rehabilitation Sued.”

Two excerpts from the article:

While he was in the rehab facility, Lugge lost 40 pounds and was readmitted to the hospital on March 17, 2013, because of a pressure ulcer, the suit states. When doctors examined Lugge at the hospital, they discovered he was also suffering from renal failure, multisystem organ failure and septic shock, the complaint says.

also:

Evans and Laut blame employees at the rehab center for contributing to Lugge’s death, saying staff negligently allowed him to develop pressure ulcers, failed to formulate an appropriate plan of treatment and care, failed to timely notify his physician of significant changes and failed to follow its policies and procedures to treat a pressure ulcer, the complaint says.

Additional details can be seen in the Madison-St. Clair Record article mentioned above.

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.  

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Illinois Wrongful Death Lawsuit Involving Pressure Sores

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There was an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit filed last year in which neglect concerning the treatment of bed sores and other health issues were featured.

As discussed throughout this site, bed sores (referred to in this case as “pressure sores”) are particularly worrisome from a health care perspective because if not properly treated, they can worsen and cause serious health complications, possibly leading to death.

The Illinois wrongful death lawsuit mentioned above is featured in the May 20, 2013 Madison-St. Clair Record article titled “Belleville nursing home accused of negligence in wrongful death claim.”

The case centers around the care received by Mildred Hale, who was a resident at Midwest Rehabilitation and Respiratory Center in Belleville, Illinois.

An excerpt from the article:

In her complaint, Cooper alleges Hale was living at Midwest from March 1, 2011, through her death on Jan. 14, 2012, where she developed pressure sores and a fractured left tibia.

Cooper says Hale had been complaining of pain in her left leg, but staff failed to diagnose the source of her pain.

Cooper complains of a number of other allegedly negligent acts performed by nursing home staff, including their failure to provide adequate supervision to prevent accidents, their failure to provide adequate treatment to Hale and their failure to timely notify Hale’s physician of significant changes in her medical condition, the suit states.

The above Madison-St. Clair Record article contains additional information concerning the allegations made in the wrongful death lawsuit.

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Extensive Bedsores In Will County, Illinois Abuse Case

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A recent incident involving alleged abuse in the Chicago area involves the victim, a 79-year-old woman, Margaret Kuech, having extensive bedsores.

As discussed elsewhere in this site, bedsores (also commonly referred to as bed sores, pressure ulcers, and pressure sores) often accompany elder abuse, whether it occurs in a private residence or a health care facility such as a nursing home.

In the case of Margaret Kuech, Will County authorities say that in addition to the bedsores she was also severely malnourished.

Additional details regarding this instance of abuse, in which the son, Mark Kuech, was convicted and sentenced for criminal abuse or neglect of an elderly person, can be found in a variety of media sources, including the July 17 Chicago Tribune article titled “Man sentenced for neglecting elderly mother” as well as the July 18 Daily Herald article titled “Will County man gets 4 1/2 year sentence for neglecting mother.”

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential. 

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Pressure Ulcers In Hospitals

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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which is part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, has a page devoted to preventing pressure ulcers in hospitals.

On this page, there are a variety of statistics with regard to pressure ulcers, including the following:

  • More than 2.5 million patients a year suffer from pressure ulcers.
  • 60,000 deaths a year are directly related to pressure ulcers.
  • More than 17,000 annual lawsuits are related to pressure ulcers. It is the second most common claim after wrongful death and greater than falls or emotional distress.

The page also mentions that severe pain can accompany pressure ulcers.

As well, there are statistics cited with regard to overall cost of pressure ulcer care to the U.S. healthcare system, as well as the cost associated with each pressure ulcer.

Additional details can be seen in this AHRQ document.

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Pressure Ulcers Book And Commentary

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Pressure ulcers (also frequently referred to as pressure sores, bed sores, and bedsores) care and prevention is a critical subject if one hopes to avoid potentially direct and indirect health complications resulting from pressure sores.

A book, titled “Fast Facts About Pressure Ulcer Care for Nurses,” by Mary Ellen Dziedzic, has recently been published.  This book’s subtitle is “How to Prevent, Detect, and Resolve Them in a Nutshell.”

The July 5, 2014 TimesLeader.com article, titled “Local nurse shares experience in new book” discusses the book.  A couple of excerpts include:

“Pressure ulcers often diminish the quality of patients’ lives,” said Dziedzic, “and in most instances it is possible to prevent, detect and resolve them.”

She stressed the importance of basic nursing concepts coupled with the use of technology for optimal results in maintaining skin integrity in patients who may already be compromised by age or disease.

“When patients come into a hospital or nursing home, or if they are cared for at home, they sometimes don’t move around and this puts pressure on various areas of their body,” she said. “This often results in breakdown of the skin which can lead to serious infection and is occasionally life threatening.”

Additional details can be seen in the two links seen above.

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Should someone you care for experience Illinois nursing home abuse or neglect or a nursing home accident – or suffer an injury at a similar health care facility such as an assisted living facility, retirement home, skilled nursing facility (SNF) or hospital – please contact the Elman Law Group to discuss the situation and to see if filing an injury lawsuit is warranted.

Elman Law Group is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, and is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To speak directly to Tony Elman, Lead Attorney of the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  This legal consultation is free and confidential.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Chicago area and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.