Nursing home and other senior living facilities are supposed to be places that our elderly loved ones can go to be well taken care of when they can no longer do it themselves. For families that live on the other side of the country – or world – from their senior parents, finding the right nursing home is no easy task. No matter how much research you do and how many facilities you visit, there is always a chance that your loved one will end up in a home that will not provide them the care and attention promised. Nursing home abuse happens in all different settings and for a host of reasons, none of which are acceptable.
In addition to outright nursing home abuse, we have also seen a rise in nursing home errors in recent years. According to studies, the majority of nursing home errors that we see today are preventable and happen as a result of distraction or neglect on the part of the medical staff member. With this in mind, the best way to prevent nursing home errors from taking place – and abuse – is to raise awareness about this growing problem. Many people are completely unaware how common nursing home errors are, which is only exacerbating the problem. We all want to believe that our elderly loved ones are being adequately cared for when they are in a nursing home or assisted living facility, but this unfortunately is not always the case, which can lead to a lot of hurt for both the victim and their loved ones.
Understanding Nursing Home Errors
Perhaps the most common type of nursing home errors are medication errors. These occur when a nursing home staff member either gives the patient the wrong medicine or an incorrect dosage, or doses at incorrect intervals. These mistakes are extremely serious and can even be life-threatening or fatal in some circumstances. As you can imagine, there are a number of serious consequences of medication errors, especially among elderly nursing home residents who are incapacitated.
While administering medications is undoubtedly a difficult job, nursing home staff members are trained to do so in a safe and purposeful manner. Even the slightest error in judgment can be catastrophic and life-changing for the resident. This is why it is absolutely imperative that patients and their caregivers or loved ones discuss medications with the nursing home prior to them being administered. This is a great way to avoid medication errors, at least in some respect. Medication errors aren’t the only type of common nursing home errors, the following may also occur:
- Failure to check on the patient, resulting in bedsores
- Leaving objects (such as medical carts and wheelchairs) in the hallways, leading to slip and fall injuries or accidents
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to provide treatment
- Neglect
It is also important to note that proving a medication error – or any nursing home error, for that matter – occurred is incredibly difficult. Hospitals and even private medical practices have a lot of money and power behind them, making it hard for victims of nursing home errors to receive the justice and compensation they deserve. This is why you need a knowledgeable personal injury attorney by your side. Our Oklahoma personal injury lawyers have handled numerous nursing home error cases and are prepared to fight for your rights today. To learn more about how we may be able to help, please contact AMA Law today.