A recent story in the Montreal Gazette discovered that Quebec coroners investigated a total of 27 suspicious deaths in nursing homes between 2006-2011. Nearly half of those inquiries uncovered a high likelihood that the death could have easily been avoided, suggesting the victims had suffered from a wrongful death.
The causes of these deaths vary greatly and many involve circumstances that seem, to the unfamiliar, to be extraordinarily unique. As a nursing home lawyer, I can attest to the fact that this is often the case. Families of nursing home residents believe the injuries that their loved ones suffer in nursing homes are random and unpredictable when, in fact, many of these injuries can be easily predicted and prevented.
Several of the incidents highlighted in the report centered around the use of restraints. Two residents died after becoming trapped between their beds and a wall. One resident asphyxiated after being tangled in a restraint.
Three residents died as a result of medication errors. Double doses of powerful pain medication caused two of the deaths. A man swallowed his roommate’s drugs in the other instance.
Two residents died after receiving burns while bathing. Nursing home water is supposed to be kept below 80 degrees. In both of these instances, the water far exceeded this maximum threshold.
Three residents died after being trapped outside the facility at night. Canadian winters are harsh even by Chicago standards, yet these nursing homes were unaware that residents had wandered outside wearing almost no clothing.
Nursing homes are carefully regulated because these kinds of incidents are far from uncommon. They are predictable, and nursing homes need to have measures in place to prevent them from happening.
If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home, and you feel they have been the victim of a wrongful death, contact our Chicago nursing home lawyers for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.
Wish to file an Illinois nursing home complaint?
File an Illinois nursing home complaint here
Chicago Nursing Home Lawyer Blog 