When a Nursing Home Care Plan is Ignored

Nursing homes and long term care centers are there for our ill and elderly loved ones when we cannot be. At least that is what we hope for.

Upon admission a full evaluation should be done and a care plan established that will maximize your family member’s quality of life. As their advocate, you should ensure that the facility is aware of any special needs. From there, it is their responsibility to care for and provide safety for them.

If you feel that a deviation from the established care plan has caused undue harm to your loved one, contact a Missouri medical malpractice attorney immediately. As a spokesperson for someone who may not be able to speak for themselves, you should make sure that they are compensated for any pain or suffering they endure.

The Reality of Abuse in Nursing Homes

Sadly, medical malpractice and even abuse is not uncommon in the nursing home sector of medical care. Late in February, a Massachusetts jury found a major healthcare company guilty of neglect inside one of their nursing homes. The victim in this case, who suffers from dementia, was physically assaulted while under their care. The jury awarded her and her family $2 million. It is heartbreaking that a facility assigned to care for a loved one would allow such abuse to happen to someone so defenseless.

Evaluating the Care Plan

If you feel that your loved one has been hurt or abused, the first thing that your Missouri medical malpractice attorney will want to see is the care plan that was put into place. The standard of care that your family member receives should be based around the care plan. One of the most common instances of negligence inside of a nursing home is failing to provide proper support to a patient who is known to fall.

This was the case with a St. Louis nursing home who was found responsible for the death of one of their elderly patients. In the care plan was also a fall risk assessment which showed that the patient was at high risk. Even so, no restraints were provided even though she had a tendency to lean forward in her wheelchair and fall out. After one such fall she struck her head and suffered from a subdural hematoma, which she succumbed to five days later. Missouri medical malpractice attorneys were able to show how the standard of care was breached by not following the instructions laid out in the care plan.

Reporting Suspicions of Abuse

It is a tragedy that people entrusted with our family members would abuse that trust and put our elderly loved ones at risk for harm. In some cases it is even criminal. If you have even the slightest suspicion of neglect or abuse of your loved one, remove them immediately and contact Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200. Cases like these need to be brought to light as a way to ensure the safety of future patients. It is your right to seek compensation for their injury as well as the pain and suffering that they were forced to endure.

Photo credit: ulrichkarljoho via Flickr