The sweltering heat of the past few days may be uncomfortable for most of us, but for elderly men and women, it can be fatal. In a recent article on the AikenStandard.com, we read about the investigation into the death of an 84-year-old nursing home resident that took place over the weekend at a South Carolina nursing facility.
The county coroner planned an autopsy on the woman earlier this week after the resident collapsed in the nursing home, later dying at a local hospital. The coroner said the air conditioning in one of the home’s trhee wings was not working properly. A nursing home spokesman said the air conditioners were working, but were struggling to cool the building after temperatures reached 105 degrees.
When we place our loved ones in a nursing home, we assume that they will receive the care they need and require. Even if mechanical difficulties cause a nursing home’s heating or air-conditioning systems to not function properly, precautions must be taken to ensure that residents do not suffer. But that isn’t always the case. If you have a loved one in a skilled nursing facility and you feel that their needs are not being met, you may have a case. Contact the nursing home neglect attorneys of O’Connor Law to discuss your options.