Preventable Nursing Home Accidents

Studies indicate that over half of all nursing home accidents are preventable.

It is not easy to hear when an elderly loved one has been injured or abused at their nursing home. It is even more difficult to find out that the accident could have been avoided altogether. The elderly often cannot speak for themselves, putting you in the position of their advocate. If you suspect negligence or mistreatment was the cause of your loved ones accident, a personal injury attorney will be able to help.

Why a Missouri Medical Malpractice Attorney for Nursing Home Injuries?

Medical malpractice is not limited to hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics. A nursing home is considered to be a health care provider as well and the employees are expected to provide the same quality of care as any other medical assistance provider. If your elderly loved one is injured while under their care, they are required to compensate for the injury if it was the result of negligence.

Improper Care and Negligence

The medical records of elderly residents who had left a nursing home facility within 35 days were examined, and it was found that a large number had experienced some form of adverse events which led to hospital treatments. Even more disturbing was the fact that most of those adverse events were avoidable.

• During the study it was found that 22% had experienced an adverse event which either prolonged their stay in the nursing home or caused them to have to be transferred to a hospital or other acute care institution.
• An additional 11% experienced an event that caused them temporary harm. This included drops in blood sugar, falls, and allergic reactions.
• Of these incidents, 59% could have been prevented had the staff been more diligent in their care of the elderly patients. Most of the contributing factors included inefficient resident monitoring, sub-standard treatment, and a failure or a delay in providing proper care.
• 50% of the patients had to return to a hospital or comparable facility to receive additional treatment.

Making Informed Decisions

These are very serious statistics for those who are contemplating placing a family member inside of a facility that is designed for long-term care. It is a difficult decision to entrust the life of a loved one with someone else and heartbreaking to face when you realize that they have been mistreated.

When looking into these types of facilities, check the ratio of staff members to patients, along with the experience level of the staff. In many cases, the problem lies with technicians who are not qualified to handle the care of the elderly, rather than not having enough people to take care of them. Ask for references and also check with your local better business bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against them.