IDPH has cited and fined Heritage Health nursing home in Dwight after a resident there suffered a broken leg in a wheelchair accident.
Wheelchairs are one of the most common pieces of equipment used in a nursing home setting and at first blush are very simple to use safely. However, even these simple devices can prove dangerous when not used properly.
On the day of the injury, the resident was being pushed back to her room by an aide. There were no foot pedals on the wheelchair at the time. Her feet dropped to the floor as the chair was being pushed forward, resulting in her legs being pulled underneath the wheelchair. As this happened, there was a cracking sound that came from her thigh. She was brought to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured femur.
Like all pieces of equipment in a nursing home, a wheelchair is a safe piece of equipment – when used properly. This includes using the footrests – the use of which would have prevented this kind of accident. The misuse of the wheelchair was the immediate cause of this accident.
The fact that such an obvious safety measure was not taken raises serious questions as to whether this is an understaffed nursing home. When the facts of an accident show that the staff was taking a shortcut which placed the safety of the resident at risk, it could be an indicator that the staff was not trained properly or that the staff simply did not have time to do things properly. Either way, this raises questions about how the nursing home is being operated. 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. Order our FREE report, Built to Fail, to learn more about why. 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.
Other blog posts of interest:
Good Samaritan of Pontiac resident suffers fractured knee and leg in wheelchair accident
Assisi at Clare Oaks resident breaks neck in fall from wheelchair
Wheelchair accident at Avanti Wellness
Lack of wheelchair footrests leads to broken leg at Lexington of Orland Park
Click here to file a complaint about a nursing home with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
