Nursing Home Staff Have Important Responsibilities; Informing A Resident's Physician Of A Change In Condition Is One Of The Most Important
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In a story in today's Orange County Register, Courtney Perkes writes about the death of a 93 year-old Donald Bodkin. Mr. Bodkin died of an undetected ruptured intestinal ulcer and infection. Courtney's story reveals the nursing home facility, Victoria Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, "received the most severe penalty under (California) state law" - $75,000 for violations that led to Mr. Bodkin's death. Victoria Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a for-profit facility.
Mr. Bodkin was in the facility for a short time to recover from surgery for a broken hip. A few weeks into his stay, Mr. Bodkin developed signs and symptoms that should have led staff at the facility to call his doctor: a distended, painful abdomen, low urine output and loss of appetite. Incredibly, these symptoms were documented by staff. Also, an occupational therapist and Mr. Bodkin's own family told nursing home staff he was lethargic and in pain. Despite all of this information, no one with the facility contacted Mr. Bodkin's doctor. Five days after his first symptoms, Bodkin was found without a pulse. He died soon after at a hospital Sept. 13.
Victoria Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is contesting the fine. The facility's argument: It does not believe anything it did contributed to Mr. Bodkin's death.
The fact of the matter is the staff at the facility had lots of information which should have been communicated to Mr. Bodkin's doctor. He suffered needlessly for 5 days after his symptoms were first reported. He died from a ruptured ulcer in the small intestine that led to a bloodstream infection.
The moral of the story: Even though nursing home staff have a responsibility to contact a resident's physician, they cannot always be counted on to do so. If you or a loved one is a nursing home resident and believe your physician should be contacted, be sure to hound the staff to do so. If they will not, take it upon yourself to contact the physician. It may very well save a life.
