HOW MEDICATION ERRORS HAPPEN
It’s really no surprise that medication errors impact many nursing home residents in rural community facilities throughout downstate Illinois. Consider what one research study out of rural Pennsylvania discovered.
The Statistics Are Terrifying
First, the study found that the “average hospitalized patient will experience 1 medication error per day.”
Next, the study revealed that upwards of 30% of all patients discharged from hospitals have suffered at least one medication error.
Also, according to the same study, roughly 15% (1 in 7) Medicare patients experienced some form of negative consequence or adverse reaction during their hospitalization, which was attributable to a medication error. Of these, as many as 50% of the medication-related incidents were found to be entirely preventable.
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE IN NURSING HOMES
Medical and nursing malpractice happen when healthcare professionals act in ways that reasonable and qualified professionals would not. This includes doing things like:
- Overmedicating patients
- Giving the wrong medications to nursing home residents
- Giving medications that have negative interactions with other medications
- Ignoring or failing to identify allergies
- Performing improper medical procedures
- Not identifying health risks
- Not properly documenting conditions in the resident’s chart
- Failing to treat conditions
- Delaying transfer to a hospital when there is an emergency condition
- Ignoring life-threatening conditions
So What is the Nursing Home Telling You?
If you have a loved one in a nursing home – especially in a rural downstate facility – are they telling you that your loved one died from a fluke or from some unpreventable health consequence? Do you have your suspicions? Perhaps the death was unexpected or the symptoms seemed strange. Trust your intuition. Most people who have been long-term caregivers for an aging spouse or parent become very tuned in to the senior’s needs and health conditions. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably is not. A second opinion is always a good idea. Sadly, after someone has already died from their injuries, it can be difficult to obtain the type of typical second opinion one would expect. For this reason, JEROME LINDSAY SALMI, LLC offers posthumous second opinions, so that you and your family can get closure and peace of mind.
How a Posthumous Second Opinion Works
After death, the family will generally receive a death certificate. A skilled attorney can assist the family with obtaining crucial medical evidence, such as medical records, witness statements, and other critical information that can help to explain what really happened in a nursing home.
Illinois nursing homes are often very isolated and private places, where the truth can easily be concealed. Our attorneys work very closely with top medical and nursing experts in order to shed light on the truth and reveal what really happened to your loved one. If we identify negligence or abuse, your family and the estate may be in a position to recover significant monetary compensation to help with final expenses. Ultimately, it’s all about getting justice and holding careless healthcare providers accountable. So, call JEROME LINDSAY SALMI, LLC today for a FREE REVIEW.