Personal Injury News & Developments
What Leads to the Development of Decubitus Ulcer?
Decubitus Ulcer is derived from the Latin term which means “to lay down.” These ulcers can occur in the form of an open skin wound that cold penetrate the surrounding tissues including the muscle and bone. They are most likely to occur in the case of people who have restricted mobility or those who have been bedridden or immovable for a long period. It is most likely to occur to patients admitted to nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living facilities.
When someone remains in the same position for a longer period without getting any pressure relief, the blood supply can slow down leading to the development of decubitus ulcer. If the nursing home staff attending to the patient does not identify and treat the decubitus ulcer, the small ulcer can soon turn into a large and open wound with grave medical complications and even lead to death.
Even though decubitus ulcers can affect any individual who has limited mobility, it is most likely to occur in patients admitted to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals. However, most of the time it is attributed by the staff as a part of patients’ aging process, which is an incorrect and erroneous impression created on the mind of the patients and their relatives.
For years, a crisis has been brewing in the nursing home industry where certified nursing assistants have received low wages and poor/no benefits while providing care to their residents. Many of these nursing assistant jobs require the employee to work erratic hourly schedules for poor benefits, little pay, and usually no opportunity to advance in their career. These jobs have been associated with high injury rates and high turnover.
Rockford, Illinois – The quarterly report released by the IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) in the fall of 2017 revealed that Forest City Rehab & Nursing Center was cited for multiple violations. The nursing facility is located at 321 Arnold Ave. in Rockford. The report revealed that the facility was fined $29,400 for one Type A violations and two Type B violations. Type A and AA violations are the most serious violations that could or did result in a resident’s death.
By Illinois state law, nursing facilities must remain in compliance with care requirements as defined by Medicare, Medicaid, and the state. These Annual Surveys and Certification processes and unannounced investigations help determine if the facility has violated any one of the 180+ nursing home regulations enforced by federal and state law.
Nursing facilities that are found guilty of numerous breaches of health code and misconduct that places patients at risk of harm are often classified as special focus facilities and monitored more closely to make sure that they change their policies. Unfortunately, the changes are usually short lived and the negligent nursing homes have a way of returning to their original habits the moment they escape the scrutiny of the government agencies keeping them in check. What must be done to finally secure the wellbeing of our loved ones and to hold nursing centers to account when their actions harm other people?
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) routinely conduct surveys on nursing homes to determine if any facility has violated regulations in the Nursing Home Care Act. The state agency is responsible for certifying skilled nursing homes and ensuring that they remain in compliance with federal and state rules. To keep the public informed, the Public Health Department releases quarterly nursing home reports and publishes the results of inspections and enforcement actions taken against the facility to ensure that residents of the home are receiving quality care in accordance with the 180 regulatory standards.