News story or professional experience in which someone claimed that a doctor

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            Mr. Brooks was admitted to Landmark of Richton Park in late 2020 following a fall that caused a brain bleed. After a strong recovery at a specialty hospital, he was transferred to Landmark because it was the only nearby facility offering on-site dialysis through a third-party provider, RenViva. According to court testimony, Mr. Brooks required dialysis three times a week but did not receive a single treatment during his 13-day stay at Landmark. On December 7, 2020, he was found unresponsive and, despite efforts by paramedics, died three days later from toxic waste buildup in his body. The family reported that despite calling the nursing home daily, sometimes multiple times, they never received a call back. His daughter, Andrea Brooks, and granddaughter, Katherine Boston, described Mr. Brooks experiencing severe signs and symptoms of multi-organ system failure, including pain and difficulty breathing, of which they were unaware until it was too late. How the Situation Was Handled: The situation was handled through a civil lawsuit filed by Mr. Brooks' family against Landmark of Richton Park. The case proceeded to a jury trial in Cook County, which lasted a week with three days for jury selection. The jury deliberated for only three hours before finding the nursing home negligent in Mr. Brooks' death. The verdict explicitly highlights the "serious consequences of neglect in Illinois nursing homes." Attorneys for the family stated that the verdict sends a clear message about accountability and better care standards, urging others to contact legal counsel and the Illinois Department of Public Health if they suspect neglect. Do I believe the Standard of Care Was Violated? If So, How? Based on the information presented in the news story, yes, I absolutely believe the standard of care was violated. The standard of care for a nursing home dictates that residents receive care that a reasonably prudent nursing home would provide under similar circumstances to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. This includes, but is not limited to, administering prescribed treatments, monitoring a resident's condition, responding to family inquiries, and ensuring proper nutrition and hydration. Here's how the standard of care was violated:

1. Failure to Administer Prescribed Treatment (Dialysis): This is the most glaring violation. Mr. Brooks' transfer to Landmark was explicitly for on-site dialysis, a critical life-sustaining treatment. The fact that he did not receive even a single treatment over 13 days, leading directly to "toxic waste buildup in his body" and subsequent death, is a direct and severe breach of the fundamental duty to provide necessary medical care. A reasonably prudent nursing home would ensure that a patient's essential, physician-ordered treatments are administered consistently and correctly.
2. Failure to Monitor and Respond to Changes in Condition: The family's description of Mr. Brooks experiencing "multi-organ system failure" with signs like pain and difficulty breathing, without the nursing home apparently recognizing or responding adequately to these critical changes, indicates a failure to monitor his condition according to the standard of care. Nurses and other healthcare providers in a nursing home setting have a duty to continually assess residents, document changes, and promptly report significant findings to the physician to ensure timely intervention.

Sample Answer

         

The concept of "standard of care" is a cornerstone of medical and nursing practice, referring to the level of care that a reasonably prudent healthcare professional would provide under the same or similar circumstances. When this standard is breached, and that breach causes harm to a patient, it can lead to claims of medical malpractice or negligence.

Here's a news story that illustrates a claim of a violated standard of care: News Story: Nursing Home Neglect Leads to Resident's Death A recent news report from FOX 32 Chicago (June 10, 2025) detailed a significant case of alleged nursing home neglect. The family of an 85-year-old man named Sandy Brooks was awarded $5.5 million by a Cook County jury, tying for the largest verdict for nursing home neglect in the county's history.