Nursing Home Staff Failed To Supervise Patients Before Deadly Fight

A newly released report by Illinois Department of Public Health has found that attendants at a Chicago-area nursing home did not act appropriately in preventing a fight between two patients that turned deadly.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the agency had previously issued an investigation into the February 14 death of 80-year-old Oak Park Healthcare Center resident Anibal Calderon. Two days before his death, Calderon had been involved in what was described by the medical examiner as an “unprovoked” attack from another 66-year-old resident that ended with him on the floor and bleeding from his head. Calderon’s death was ruled a homicide.

The report found that the mental health of both men had deteriorated significantly in recent years, leaving them each increasingly prone to "wandering, verbal outburst … signs of forgetfulness" and "aggressive disorder." While recommendations were made to adjust care for each patients, staff at the nursing home were either unaware of them or chose to ignore them. Both men were not being adequately supervised when the nursing home injuries occured.

"You have to update a care plan if the health of a patient changes,” said Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the public health department. “By not addressing the changes in behavior, it appears there was no plan to supervise or monitor either of the residents."

If you or a loved one has been the victim of improper care or abuse at a nursing home, call Sokolove Law today for a free legal consultation regarding a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

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