IDPH has cited and fined Allure of Zion for neglecting to conduct regular skin assessments of its residents for a period of 4 weeks. This lapse in care allowed a resident’s bed sore to get worse and worse, progressing from to Stage 3 in just 5 days, and ultimately deteriorating to Stage 4, exposing the bone and requiring surgical debridement due to dead (necrotic) tissues.
The facility’s disregard for the resident’s well-being was further highlighted by the resident’s granddaughter, who noted that during her visits her grandmother would be left lying on her back for extended periods. She was aware of her grandmother’s wound but not its severity, with the bone being exposed.
The hospital informed the granddaughter that the wound might be infected.
She also mentioned that at the time of the interview her grandmother was still in the hospital due to the large wound on her back, which had developed at the nursing home.
This lack of repositioning and pressure relief, which are fundamental in preventing and managing pressure injuries, demonstrates the facility’s failure to adhere to best practices in wound care.
The facility even had a Wound Physician who confirmed seeing the resident’s facility-acquired sacral wound weekly. The facility however failed to implement effective interventions to prevent the wound from worsening in between the Physician’s visits.
The Director of Nursing’s confirmed that the resident had no skin assessments performed for approximately 4 weeks prior to the discovery of the unstageable sacral wound. This revelation exposes a systemic failure in the nursing home’s processes and a disregard for the safety and well-being of its residents.
The sad fact about bed sores is that these are injuries which do not occur in a flash moment of time such as with a nursing home fall or a choking accident. Rather these were failures that spread across multiple days, multiple shifts, multiple staff members.
These systemic failures are often a sign of an understaffed nursing home. Sadly, that is a basic part of the nursing home business model. One of our core beliefs is that nursing homes are built to fail due to the business model they follow and that unnecessary accidental injuries and wrongful deaths of nursing home residents are the inevitable result. Our experienced Chicago nursing home lawyers are ready to help you understand what happened, why, and what your rights are. Contact us to get the help you need.
