Illinois Nursing Home Lawyers File Lawsuit Against Symphony Care Network
Levin & Perconti is representing an Illinois family speaking out for their 84-year-old father after the man died at a hospital just days after contracting COVID-19. At the time of his death, Mr. Mitchell was a resident at Symphony of Joliet, a long-term care facility owned and operated by the Symphony Care Network, located at 306 North Larkin Avenue in Joliet, Illinois. Mr. Mitchell was one of the confirmed 132 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths at the Will County nursing home.
Watch the interview: NBC 5’s Trina Orlando Reports | Covid-19 Case
Symphony of Joliet is 214-bed, 2-star rated CMS facility. Hygiene is a critical component to standard and enhanced precautions against the spread of sickness and disease at nursing homes. Yet, Symphony of Joliet staff has a history of failing to stay true to infectious disease prevention.
Since 2018, CMS surveyors documented these deficiencies in Symphony of Joliet nursing home inspection reports.
- Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
- Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
- Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and
- Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
- Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- Protect each resident from all types of abuse, such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
- Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
- Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
- Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Will County has provided additional statistical data on the coronavirus provided by the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH). The agency has created an online map accessible by the public of all long-term care facilities in Illinois reporting cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff. Visit the IDPH website here to scroll down to locate the county and facility you are looking for.
Can You Share Your COVID-19 Nursing Home Story and Help Others?
After this latest release of reported data by IDPH, more than half of the COVID-19-related fatalities in Illinois have now occurred at these facilities. As COVID-19 continues to spread, it has also magnified systemic breakdowns within Illinois’ long-term care facilities, nursing homes, or assisted living centers.
Families Need and Deserve Legal Representation
Levin and Perconti attorneys are tirelessly advocating for the families of multiple nursing home residents who have died of COVID-19. Attorney Steve Levin says several nursing homes are epically unprepared and failing to keep the virus out of facilities and from spreading once inside. And while the Symphony network praises itself for providing a “family-focused operation that delivers quality outcomes,” Levin & Perconti’s legal team has a historic caseload against the system to prove otherwise.
If you have questions about a potential lawsuit, we can help. Call us at 312-332-2872 or toll-free at 877-374-1417 for a free consultation.
Video transcript
Anchor:
Developing tonight at 10, a family speaks out. They say they want justice for a loved one who can’t speak for himself. He died after contracting the Coronavirus at a suburban nursing home. NBC 5’s Trina Orlando talked to a family member tonight.
Dottie:
It really hurts.
Trina:
Dottie Wallace is grieving the death of her father. 84 year old David Mitchell died at the hospital just days after contracting COVID-19 while he was a resident at the Symphony of Joliet.
Dottie:
It was wrong, a wrongful death. It really never should have happened.
Trina:
David Mitchell was one of at least 132 cases and 25 deaths at the Joliet nursing home. On Thursday, his family filed a lawsuit against the facility.
Steve:
We believe they were epically unprepared.
Trina:
Attorney Steve Levin says the nursing home failed to keep the virus out of the facility and also failed to keep it from spreading once inside.
Steve:
The family wants answers for what happened. We want to know knew what when and what did they do based on that knowledge.
Trina:
Symphony Care Network denies any wrongdoing saying in part this lawsuit is baseless and sends a dangerous message to patients, families, and healthcare workers still fighting COVID-19 on the front lines. It only serves as free publicity for TV lawyers who seek to profit by taking advantage of the global pandemic. In Illinois longterm care facilities, there have been more than 20,000 COVID-19 cases reported and more than 3,400 deaths.
Dottie:
I think it could have been handled a lot better and so many lives could have been saved.
Trina:
Levin and Perconti represent the families of multiple nursing home residents who have died of COVID-19 and the law firm expects to file more suits moving forward. In Joliet, I’m Trina Orlando. Back to you.
