Practice Areas / Nursing Home Negligence NE
Nursing Home Negligence NE
Our population is not only increasing as a result of advancements in medicine and healthcare, but also living for longer. This means that many people are getting to advanced ages. Many of these people require round-the clock care. Nursing homes provide the care that the aging need as their ability to care for themselves diminishes.
We trust nursing homes to provide our aging loved ones with the care and support that we are unable to provide. However, nursing homes and their staff may not always provide the standard of care expected of them. When this happens, you may have a valid nursing home negligence claim. Our experienced attorneys can review your case and help you determine the best approach to seeking compensation and justice on behalf of your loved one.
What is nursing home negligence?
Nursing homes are required by law to meet the basic needs of the residents. These include providing water, food, shelter, clothing, essential medical care and maintaining hygiene. Failure of nursing homes to provide basic care to those entrusted to their care is considered negligence.
Nursing home negligence is different from abuse because negligence may involve actions that are not intentional. The injuries suffered by the resident of the nursing home may be the result of actions that were not intentional. Nursing home abuse on the other hand always involves acts carried out with the intent to cause harm.
While nursing home abuse always results in injury, negligence can have consequences that are just as serious as or worse than abuse. It is therefore important to be on the lookout for signs of negligence in a loved one that is living in a nursing home.
Common Nursing Home Complaints
Nursing home negligence is more common than many people think. It is important to recognize nursing home complaints indicating substandard care. Some of the most common complaints against nursing homes include:
· Slow response times
This is by far the most common complaint against nursing home staff by residents and their family members. Staff members may be slow in responding to the needs of the residents. For example, staff members may be slow in responding to a resident that presses the call button and this may result in injury or the patient’s condition becoming worse. Staff members may be slow in attending to immobile patients and may not change their positions resulting in the development of bed sores.
Slow response times may be the result of understaffing, the reckless attitude of staff members or lack of proper training of staff. Slow responses can place residents in danger especially in emergency situations.
· Poor food quality
This is also a common complaint against nursing homes. Nursing homes are required by law to provide their residents with meals that meet their nutritional needs. However, some nursing homes try to cut corners. For example, the nursing home may provide bland meals that are lacking in flavor or offer the same meal every day or meals that are overcooked, undercooked or lacking in nutrients.
Poor food quality may be a result of the nursing home’s failure to hire qualified personnel to plan and prepare meals. The nursing home may also provide poor quality food in an attempt to save money by failing to invest in quality ingredients or limiting food options.
· Social isolation
One of the benefits of being a resident in a nursing home is being able to socialize with other residents and staff members. The patient will have more opportunity to interact with others outside of their family circle. However, this isn’t always the case. There are cases where residents suffer social isolation. Unless the resident’s family and friends visit often, the resident will not have opportunities to interact with others.
Social isolation may be the result of understaffing of the nursing home. The staff members aren’t able to assist all residents in order to have interactive sessions within the facility. Some nursing home staff members may impose restrictions on residents that result in social isolation. These restrictions may be as a result of poor training, lack of adequate information or even laziness on the part of the staff members.
What to do when you have a complaint against a nursing home?
Complaints can quickly turn into dangerous situations in nursing homes. It is therefore important to take action as soon as possible to protect your vulnerable loved one. If your loved one has a complaint against the nursing home, don’t ignore it. You should instead report the complaint to the nursing home administration. Keep a close eye to see whether the complaint has been addressed. You should also look out for signs that your loved one is being abused for disclosing the negligence of the nursing home staff members.
If you notice new injuries, fear, depression or other signs of abuse, you should remove your loved one from the nursing home and seek the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney. Our personal injury attorneys will review your case to establish negligence. We will guide and represent you in seeking compensation on behalf of your loved one.
