Medical Malpractice

Nursing Home Malpractice

Are you unfortunate enough to have an elderly relative in a nursing home that is being mistreated by caretakers? It is the medical staff's duty to treat residents with the utmost compassion and respect, just as if they are members of their own families. Too frequently, nursing home residents' family and friends are oblivious to the maltreatment that seniors are undergoing at the hands of lackadaisical and heartless workers at the facility. Residents often feel a mixed bag of emotions because they are unsure what they should do to help put an end to the situation; they may be too embarrassed of intimidated to tell anyone, especially if a staff member has threatened them.

Examples of medical malpractice that may stem from nursing home neglect include:

• Malnourishment.
• Dehydration.
• Failure to administer timely and proper doses of medication.
• Exposed bedsores or other wounds.
• Fractured bones from falls.
• Bad hygiene habits.
• Dirty living quarters.

It has been reported that over 1.6 million elderly men and women across the US depend on nursing home assistance to get by day to day. A recent study shows that of the 17,000 nursing facilities in our country, 30 percent of them received citations for inadequacies that put residents in harm's way. That's over 5,000 nursing homes! As a result, there are hundreds of seniors enduring the pain and neglect that no one should be forced to suffer through.

Whether this poor treatment stems from employee inexperience, insufficient care, or subpar staff training programs, you should reach out to a lawyer that knows the rights of these residents. If you or someone you know is a victim of nursing home neglect, a medical malpractice attorney may be able to devise a plan that will garner legal compensation for undergoing such abuse.