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Nursing home residents with diabetes require constant monitoring to ensure that the blood glucose (sugar) levels do not become too low or too high, which could compromise their safety. If the nursing staff fails to take effective measures at appropriate times, the resident could suffer diabetic shock or coma that if left untreated could claim their life. Unfortunately, the Auburn elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers have represented many family members who lost loved ones through the neglectful actions of their caregivers.
The most common symptoms residents experience while in hypoglycemic (diabetic) shock includes dizziness, fainting, pale skin, loss of consciousness, irritability, hunger, loss of coordination and rapid heartbeat. Severe responses to a hypoglycemic event include permanent brain damage and protracted coma.
Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center
Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center is a 70-certified bed for-profit Medicaid/Medicare-accepting nursing facility providing services to residents of Auburn and Sangamon County Illinois. The facility is located at:
304 Maple Avenue
Auburn, Illinois 62615
(217) 438-6125
This Senior living care facility offers independent and assisted living and skilled nursing care, as well as rehabilitation therapy.
Auburn Nursing Home Resident Safety
Throughout the year, the federal government and the state of Illinois routinely update their nursing home databases in an effort to reflect the latest opened investigations, safety concerns, health violations filed on all facilities nationwide. The updated information is posted on various websites including Medicare.gov its comparative tool star rating summary analysis system.
Currently, Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center maintains an overall three out of five available star rating compared with other facilities in the United States. This includes four out of five stars for staffing issues and two out of five stars for health concerns and quality measures. Our Auburn nursing home neglect attorneys have found numerous complaints and safety concerns involving this facility that include:
- Failure to Develop, Implement, and Enforce Policies That Forbid Mistreating, Neglecting or Abusing Residents
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/02/2015, a complaint investigation against the facility was opened for its failure to "follow their policy and procedure for diabetic care for [a resident at the facility] review for receiving insulin.”
The deficient practice by the nursing staff at Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center was first noted upon review of the resident’s August 2015 Admission Physician Order Sheet (POS) directing the medication administering nurses to “inject 24 units subcutaneously at bedtime related to Diabetes Type II.” The state investigator noted that the original admission documentation from February 2015 08/24/2015 documents orders for insulin “would have no physician orders to monitor [the resident’s] blood glucose.”
The investigator also noted the facility’s 2:25 AM 08/25/2015 Nurse’s Notes written by a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) documenting that the resident “was found by staff shaking uncontrollably around 12:30 AM.” At that time, “the resident was not responding [...and] was sweaty and continued to be shaking. Blood sugar was check and was 39. The resident was in and out of responsive, trying to give glucose 15 and called 911, resident was transported to the hospital.”
- Failure to Provide Residents Necessary Services and Care to Ensure the Highest Well-Being Is Maintained
In a summary statement of deficiencies dated 09/02/2015, the state investigator noted the facility’s failure “to assess and accurately monitor the needs and provide necessary services for a known, insulin-dependent resident with Type II diabetes.”
The state investigator interviewed the Licensed Practical Nurse providing the resident care at 10:33 AM on 08/27/2015 who was asked: “what kind of insulin she gave [the resident].” The nurse responded that she “gave 24 units of [the resident’s insulin]. When asked if she had done glucose monitoring before giving the insulin, [the LPN] stated, ‘No, he is one of the few residents that are on insulin and don’t get glucose monitoring’.”
As a part of the investigation, the state surveyor noted that the physician and nursing staff at Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center failed to follow their own April 2013 diabetic care policy that reads in part:
“For the resident receiving insulin who is well-controlled: monitor blood glucose levels twice a day if on insulin… Monitor 3 to 4 times a day if on intensive insulin therapy or sliding scale insulin; monitor as indicated if the individual is fasting before a medical procedure has returned to the facility after a significant absence, or has an acute infection or illness.”
Auburn Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you recognize any of these symptoms with your loved one residing in a nursing home in Illinois including Auburn Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, we encourage you to speak directly to the Sangamon County elder abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers today. Our Auburn Illinois nursing home abuse law firm can review your case and provide various legal options on how to proceed to obtain the financial compensation you and your family deserve.
We accept all personal injury cases, wrongful death lawsuits, and nursing home neglect claims for compensation through contingency fee arrangements. This means we are only paid for our legal fees after we negotiate your acceptable out of court settlement or by successfully resolving your case in front of a judge and jury.
http://www.auburnnursingandrehab.com/
