CHICAGO: More families of elderly people who die in skilled nursing homes will have to go through the ordeal of an inquest – due to a Supreme Court ruling which redefined “deprivation of liberty” without reference to disability.
The broader requirement to have an inquest is now an “unintended consequence” of this ruling.
“It is hoped that there will be a review of the law to enable doctors to issue a death certificate without an inquest, but in the meantime we just have to do what we have to do,” said one coroner.
“The difficulty for families is that their nearest and dearest has died, and suddenly the coroner is involved, so automatically they think there is something suspicious or untoward about their death.”…