According to the lawsuit, the man was admitted to Sherman Hospital (a Chicagoland hospital) on July 5, 2008 for an elevated body temperature.  However, when staff at the hospital examined the man they noticed other problems such as: poor oral hygiene, bed sores (also referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) covered with feces and an exploded colostomy bag.

Consequently, the hospital staff reported the suspected mistreatment to the Illinois Department of Health to investigate further.

The man died on July 31, 2008 due to a staph infection and pneumonia.  This nursing home negligence lawsuit is pending in Kane County, Illinois.  Read more about this Illinois Nursing Home Lawsuit against Tower Hill Healthcare Center here.

Related:

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Does the family of a deceased person who had bed sores at the time of his death have any legal recourse against the facility where the wounds developed?

A colostomy is a major surgical procedure that involves cutting the colon into a shorter piece and bringing it through the wall of the abdomen.  A colostomy bag is attached to the end of the colon exiting the abdomen where fecal material is collected.  The end of the colon that leads to the rectum is closed off and becomes dormant.  Many colostomy procedures can be reversed, if and when they are no longer needed.

While the thought of a colostomy may be disheartening, for many people suffering from severe bed sores it is likely an essential part of the overall healing process.  Without a colostomy, many bed sore patients suffer from a systemic infection know as septicemia or sepsis.