Medication errors in Illinois nursing homes are leading to hospitalizations for dangerously low blood sugar, visual hallucinations and labored breathing, according to information obtained by NBC 5 Investigates via a search of public records.
State health inspectors documented 384 nursing home medication errors since 2011. Two residents of care facilities died after recorded medication errors and one resident's untreated infection led to an amputation, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data.
"You're going to have errors, unfortunately. But we hope that there are no errors due to negligence," said IDPH director LaMar Hasbrouck, MD.
Tanya Karney-Brown moved her brother, Joseph, into The Renaissance Park South nursing home in Roseland back in 2005 after Joseph had suffered a stroke and a heart attack.
"We checked it out. Everything was fine. So we felt that would be the perfect place," Karney-Brown said.
Two years later Joseph was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Karney-Brown said Joseph responded well to his cancer medication, Gleevac.
Months later, however, Joseph's condition changed.
His family discovered the nursing home did not give Joseph his cancer medication for nearly one year. According to a lawsuit filed by the family, the nursing home failed to get Joseph back to his oncologist for follow up appointments.
By the time the error was noticed, Joseph's cancer had spread. Joseph passed away in early 2010.
"He could have been still here, you know, doing what he does best and getting better," Karney-Brown said. "But now unfortunately, he's not here anymore."
Joseph's family filed a lawsuit and reached a settlement with the nursing home.
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Nursing Home Medication Errors Leading to Hospitalizations