The reason that most people move into nursing homes is that they cannot safely live on their own anymore. Older adults and their family members typically pay thousands of dollars every month for the care provided by a nursing home, but not every facility provides an appropriate standard of care. Negligence in nursing homes is a common issue that can endanger the people living there.
The for-profit companies that operate nursing homes often pay their workers very little and schedule as few employees as possible. The staff, spread incredibly thin, will inevitably have to cut corners and compromise the standard of care that they provide. How does the negligence created by understaffing endanger the safety of residents?
Preventable falls
Falls are a leading cause of injury among older adults. Broken bones and other severe consequences are more common when someone over the age of 65 falls. Nursing homes may have to help people dress themselves and go to the bathroom. If residents don’t receive timely help when they ask for support, they may attempt to handle matters on their own and suffer a preventable fall that leads to serious injury.
Disease and pest transmission
Older adults often have weaker immune systems than younger people do, which means that infections can quickly become more serious. Residents at nursing homes are at elevated risk of illness and injury caused by infestation or infection if the staff members do not keep spaces clean and also sanitize in between resident rooms.
Medication errors
An overworked nursing home employee might put off certain job tasks, which could mean a delay in the administration of medication. Nursing home workers are also at risk of distraction on the job, which might lead to them administering the wrong medication or the wrong dosage to someone.
In scenarios where more staff or better training would have likely prevented someone’s injury or illness, the people affected by nursing home negligence may have grounds to file a lawsuit. Connecting a loved one’s injuries or illness with poor nursing home practices may be the first step in the pursuit of a claim against a negligent facility.