Making the decision to place a loved one in a nursing facility is often an emotionally trying time. When facing such a tough decision people would like to think that they are actually improving the quality of life for their loved ones by acting on behalf of their best interests. A recent lawsuit against a Huntsville skilled nursing facility suggests that may not always be the case.
According to court documents, the estate of a 78-year-old Madison County woman says that the facility entrusted with taking care of the woman engaged in nursing home neglect after they failed to provide adequate monitoring while she was being treated for a blood clot. The woman’s estate claims that employees at the facility fell short of nationally accepted standards of skill and diligence when they failed to take appropriate actions when they were made aware that the woman had begun experiencing an adverse reaction to the blood-thinning regimen implemented to treat the clot. The woman died in December 2012.
This case actually began after the woman’s own daughter noticed that one of her mother’s knees appeared to be swollen during a routine visit. She informed the medical staff at the facility and roughly a week later a physician conducted an ultrasound and determined that she was indeed suffering from deep vein thrombosis in her leg. Shortly afterward the attending physician began a blood thinning regimen. What followed next will of course be determined by the trial, but it is the opinion of the woman’s estate that the medical staff failed to take action when she started bruising around her abdomen and complained of worsening pain.
If your loved one is experiencing a similar situation, you should take immediate actions to ensure that they are receiving the necessary and appropriate treatment and care for their particular needs.
Source: al.com, “Lawsuit says Huntsville nursing facility’s care failures led to woman’s death” Brian Lawson, Apr. 01, 2014
