Facts of the Case Study

It was after the admission of the eighty year old female patient that measures were taken to mitigate her health issues. Her core health issues included a fractured hip and diabetes mellitus. These were considered the most life threatening. Therefore, the nurses at the home initiated a procedure to provide the patient with the most comfortable environment that would help reduce the advancement of the aforementioned conditions (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The measures were meant to prevent any break down of the skin. For instance, her bed was fitted with the appropriate mattress. Her wheel chair was also padded to ensure her hip did not hurt during her stay at the home (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). However, despite these measures, the resident started developing problems. Some of the problems include the development of a heel sore, decrease in food consumption, and an increase in confusion (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The attending nurses informed the physicians as well as other nurses of the problem. Measures were then put in place to prevent further sores and improve the ability of the patient to heal from the developing issues.

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Results of the Case

Despite the measures that put in place, the sole on the residents left foot continued to grow. There was also an increase in several other issues with the residents core health. For instance, the residents sugar levels continued to fluctuate over the said period. It was also found that the patient lost a lot of weight (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The patients continued soring of the left foot prompted the physician to ask for the leg to be tested. The test performed on her leg was the Arteral Dopler study. Following the dismal results from the study, it became necessary to amputate the residents left leg (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). Sortly after recovering from the amputation, the resident resolved to move from the nursing home to a new nursing home (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). It was after moving to the new nursing home that the resident decided to sue the original nursing home for wrongful amputation (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). According to the resident, it was unnecessary. The residents opinion was that the nursing homes lack of proper attention resulted in the amputation.

Legal Principle Involved

Legally speaking, the nursing home would be liable if it did not adhere to the federal regulations regarding certain guarantees that the nursing home should make. One such guarantee is that the home should ensure that the resident does not develop sores while under the care of the nursing home (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The nursing home should also guarantee that it will do its best to mitigate any issues that may develop as a result of sores that the resident might have developed before being admitted in the nursing home (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The nursing home should also record the progress of the resident. These recording will provide a means of determining liability in case of such a legal suit.

Application to Today

It is necessary to set up standards with which to use while caring for patients with terminal illnesses. Such standards would ensure that the residents at nursing homes do not receive any form of ill treatment by the resident nurses. Such standards would ensure that the elderly receive the best treatment from the nurses in their nursing home of choice (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). These standards would also ensure that the life of the resident is held with the utmost importance in comparison to other elements that may receive first priority (Kayser-Jones, Beard, & Sharpp, 2009). The nurses should be required to regularly check for the development of bed sores. These, among other measures would help prevent the worsening of a patients general health while at the nursing home.

Reference

Kayser-Jones, J. S., Beard, R. L., & Sharpp, T. J. (2009). Case Study: Dying with a Stage IV Pressure Ulcer. Lippincott Nursing Centre. Volume 109 (Number 1). p 40 48. http://www.nursingcenter.com/cearticle?tid=836133