Staffing Problems That Lead to Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Claims

 Posted on February 07, 2019 in Neglect

Long-term care facilities like assisted living homes and nursing homes care for the most vulnerable among us. Therefore, these facilities must be held to a high degree of accountability. When a nursing home or its employees act negligently, they should be held liable for the harm they caused. Nursing home abuse and neglect can incur steep medical bills, unnecessary pain and suffering, or even disfigurement and disability. If you or someone you love has suffered due to negligent nursing home staff, you may be able to recover compensation through a civil lawsuit.

Hiring Problems Can Lead to Mistreatment of Residents

Negligent hiring is unfortunately an issue for many nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Understandably, working at a nursing home with residents who need help showering and using the bathroom is a challenging job. Many nursing home residents also have cognitive issues which cause confusion or belligerence. Nursing homes should hire personnel who are appropriately qualified and have no history of abuse or violence. A care facility may be considered negligent if it hires staff without proper background checks or verification of qualifications.

Understaffing and Inadequate Training Put Nursing Home Residents at Risk

Another major issue with many nursing homes is understaffing. A nursing home must meet certain staff-to-resident requirements in order to properly supervise and care for residents. Unlike other medical facilities, nursing homes are filled with individuals who cannot be responsible for their own safety. A nursing home resident with severe dementia, for example, may not remember to drink and eat without being reminded. Residents with cognitive impairments can wander outside and quickly become lost or injured. Patients who cannot physically move by themselves may develop pressure ulcers or bed sores because staff do not attend to them regularly. Staff who are underqualified for their job or who were not adequately trained cannot provide the quality of care required by law. Nursing homes can be considered legally responsible when a resident is injured or killed due to inadequate staffing.

Staffing issues lead to a huge percentage of nursing home abuse and neglect claims. Just recently, an Ohio nursing home resident passed away from hypothermia after wandering outside in freezing temperatures. She was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet designed to help staff keep wandering residents safe. Tragically, the monitor either did not work or staff members did not hear the alarm indicating that a resident had left the facility unsupervised.

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyer for Help

If you or a loved one has experienced nursing home neglect or abuse, call an experienced Chicago nursing home injury attorney today. For a completely cost-free initial consultation with our office, contact us at 312-535-4625.

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/elder-or-dependent-adult-neglect

http://www.vindy.com/news/2018/jan/24/woman-dies-hypothermia-outside-ohio-nursing-home-8/