Posted on 08/03/2006 5:58:38 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
North Suburban Residents Suffer Heat Wave Without Air Conditioning
(CBS) ISLAND LAKE, Ill. -- As temperatures approached triple digits this week, residents at one suburban nursing home sweated it out with no air conditioning.
CBS 2’s Katie McCall reports a state lawmaker now wants to pass a law to change that.
Emergency crews were recently called to Sheltering Oak Nursing Home in Island Lake after paramedics said a patient reported chest pain.
But former employee Lisa Woodbury says conditions inside the un-air-conditioned building would make anyone sick.
"It's horrible. It's 86 degrees in there at night, and you're going home and you feel bad leaving them behind," Woodbury said.
Woodbury said she repeatedly watched residents suffer in the heat and worries that someone could die.
“Feeling nauseated, drenched in sweat, in the bathroom throwing up,” she described seeing. "Why should they have to live like that?"
The 70-bed facility has three window units that cool the cafeteria, but Woodbury said even those provide little relief.
“I want something done,” she said.
So does the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. Their investigators were called to the facility on July17 and again on Monday by residents suffering from heat exhaustion. Both patients went to the hospital.
Detectives call the heat in the building a “safety hazard” and told CBS 2 News it is so humid “there are puddles on the floor.”
The management would not answer CBS 2’s questions, but they will have to answer to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which has opened an investigation.
State Rep. Jack Franks (D-63rd) is also looking into the matter. Under Illinois law, nursing homes don’t have to be air conditioned. Franks wants to change that.
“No one should have to sit there in a pool of sweat and try to sleep or breathe,” said Franks.
After CBS 2 called him, Franks began drafting a bill that would require air conditioning in all Illinois nursing homes.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has received three complaints against Sheltering Oaks in the last two years, but did not find any violations. This time, they say they could remove the residents if they are in danger of injury or death.
Most nursing homes don't want air conditioning because the residents are already too cold because of aging, low body fat, multiple medical illnesses.
It will probably cost $$$,but I think they deserve it.
Still... during a heatwave many old people die from heat in nursing homes.
This isn't unreasonable.
Anytime that the air temperature is higher than body temp, a life is a risk. So few dollars involved, and it does keep people alive.
Why is this even a subject of debate?
How much does a cheap window AC cost now days? Is a human life worth less than $200 today?
Question: Why the heck do they not have AC already?
You got THAT right! I visit a relative and he has his air conditioner on but can't take it unless the thing is set at about 90.
The other day it was pushing 90 and I saw an old guy out with a long winter coat and a hat with earflaps.
I'm pretty sure that central air conditioning is cheaper than hospital treatment - especially for the taxpayers who are funding the Medicare and Medicaid programs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Regarding air conditioning in a nursing home for seniors, my God why is this even being discussed? When this country can go around the world taking care of every third world country's wants for their hospitals, schools, power stations, roads and medical needs. I think it's disgusting and criminal that we can't take care of our own senior citizens. Example of money spent--we just spent approximatly $98 million for a hospital in Basra,Iraq.
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