IDPH has cited and fined Lena Living Center when a resident rolled out of bed onto the floor while receiving bed bath care from one staff member instead of the required two staff members. The resident suffered lacerations to her forehead, a chip fracture in her nose, and a fractured hip.
The resident’s medical conditions, as listed in the electronic face sheet, include “intracapsular fracture of right femur, localization-related idiopathic epilepsy and epileptic syndrome with seizures, laceration of head, dementia with agitation, and osteoporosis.” A facility assessment indicated that the resident has “severe cognitive impairment and requires 2+ staff assist for bed mobility.”
The incident in question occurred when a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) attempted to provide bed bath care to the resident without the required assistance. According to hospital records, the resident “was getting bed bath done today by staff with bed raised high, patient rolled out of bed resulting in a 3x3cm laceration to forehead, blood from nares, right leg pain with hip flexion.” The injuries were severe, including a “4x4cm linear laceration over the frontal area of the skull,” a “questionable chip fracture of the nasal bone,” and a “displaced sub capital fracture of the right femoral neck.”
In an interview, the CNA responsible admitted to providing care alone despite knowing the resident required two-person assistance: “I was giving the resident cares and washing her buttocks and had her rolled on her side with one of my hands on her hip and cleaning her with the other hand. She had a jerking movement and the momentum flung her forward and she landed on the floor on her stomach.”
The CNA acknowledged, “I know she is supposed to be a 2 person assist for bed mobility but I did it by myself anyway.”
The Director of Nursing and Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed that this was a violation of proper care procedures: “If a resident requires 2 people for bed mobility then it’s obviously not safe to use 1 person because they have been assessed as needing 2 people. This was a bad judgement call for the staff member and we have in-serviced her and the other aides on bed mobility assistance.”
This incident highlights a critical lapse in adhering to established care protocols, resulting in severe consequences for the resident. It underscores the importance of following proper safety procedures and the potential risks when these procedures are not observed.
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.
