CHICAGO
(WBBM/CNN) - The family of a 41-year-old woman has hired an attorney to
investigate the possibility of neglect after they found her dead at her
nursing home.
Quinita
Bullock, 41, had been living at the Mayfield Health Center in Chicago
since having a stroke about a year ago that left her unable to walk and
with slurred speech.
Late
Monday morning, after multiple unanswered calls, Bullock’s aunt and son
went to check on her. They found her dead in her bed. Her body was
cold.
“Hate
that it had to happen to her like that,” said Blondina Hill, Bullock’s
cousin. “I just think that’s unbelievable that no one knew she was dead.
So, I wonder if my mom and her son didn’t go, how long would it have
been before they noticed?”
Hill
and other family members went to the medical center and began asking
questions about what happened. They wanted to know if Bullock woke up
that morning and/or took her medication, but Hill says the staff told
them nothing.
The staff was supposed to check on Bullock every hour, according to Hill.
Police
filed a report in which they classified Bullock’s death as
non-criminal. Afterward, Hill says the nursing home sent Bullock’s body
to a funeral home without their consent and without notifying the
medical examiner.
Hill says the family wants to know their loved one’s cause of death.
“I really would like to know because she was fine,” Hill said.
Hill filed a complaint with the state Tuesday, and she believes there should be an investigation.
“It’s going to happen to somebody else,” she said.
Bullock’s
family says they’ve hired an attorney to get some answers about how she
died and to look into the possibility of any neglect. Plans for her
funeral have not been made.
Past
inspections at the nursing home noted certain requirements not met
regarding patient falls and safety, and ProPublica shows 36 deficiencies
since December 2015 but no fines.
Full Article & Source:
‘No one knew she was dead’: Family demands answers after finding relative dead at nursing home
2 comments:
Which means she died alone and afraid. How cruel is that?
Of course there was neglect and the ruling should be immediately changed to Criminal. That nursing home has to be held responsible and should be sued as they should be thoroughly investigated. This is disgraceful and happens all too often in nursing homes throughout the country. How about putting some of that 5 billion or so dollars vs. illegal wall building, into the investigation and cleaning up of All Nursing Homes in USA and carefully screen Staff of Nurses, Drs, Social Workers, Case Workers, and Attendants and…the cost of anyone, older or younger needing to be placed in a Nursing Home either temporarily or permanently should be based according to that person's ability to pay. Most Insurance companies including Medicare and Medicaid should pay in full for excellent, caring, and Kind living conditions.
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