Parker & Parker Settles for Record Against Nursing Home
Thu 5 Feb, 2015 / by Parker and Parker / Personal Injury
The Galesburg Register Mail writes in a June 8th article that Parker & Parker have obtained the highest amount for nursing home neglect in Knox County history. This was a lawsuit on behalf of a family of a man who suffered malnutrition, extensive bed sores, and resulting sepsis from the failure to properly treat bedsores. He ultimately passed away as a result of the blood infection.
As noted in the article, an allegation in the case was that the nursing home staff downplayed the extent and treatment progress in regard to bed sores, stating to the family that wounds were healing when in fact the opposite was occurring. The lawsuit was brought about because of two reasons: large medical bills that occurred when Mr. Short required treatment for the bed sores and sepsis during the period prior to his death; and the family strongly wished for no other families or their loved ones to go through such an experience. Often nursing homes will not admit to neglect or wrongdoing, and a lawsuit is the only way to get a message across.
It’s especially for this reason that we as a law firm are pleased at the changes that followed in the wake of this lawsuit. As the article states:
“‘Now, doctors and family are immediately notified, and an interdisciplinary team talks about the best way to treat the bedsore and immediately change the care plan,’ said Tammy Guile, KCNH director of nursing.
Since then, [a new director] secured a $200,000 grant, opened new care facilities, doubled the staff and increased the number of residents from 80 to 135.
‘Everything has changed in this facility’s health care,’ Guile said. ‘And for the better.'”