Nursing Home Injuries

Nursing homes are designed to be places of safety and protection for those who are elderly, sick, and unable to care for themselves as such. Unfortunately, however, nursing homes are businesses, and sometimes, corners are cut for the purpose of saving on costs. As a  result of this, nursing home injuries occur at a surprisingly high rate, and nearly all of these injury types are preventable but for issues like under-staffing and neglect.

We want to make sure that our family and loved ones are looked after, especially if we are unable to provide 24/7 care ourselves. We want the peace of mind that s/he is receiving the best care, treatment and medical administration possible. There should not be any additional stress or pain that can be involved in the recovery process. This goes for the patient but for their family and friends too. If you can look closely enough, there are quite a few signs that can be noticed if there is any abuse or neglect taking place.

Consider some of the most common nursing home injuries:

Falls and Fall-Related Injuries

Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in nursing homes. In addition to hazardous conditions that contribute to falls, such as slippery surfaces or debris in walkways, falls also occur because residents are not properly attended to. Falls can result in many injury types, including fractured bones, head injuries, back injuries, and more. In some cases, falls are fatal.

Bed Sores

Another serious type of injury that many nursing home residents face are bed sores, also called pressure ulcers. Bedsores are injuries to the skin and underlying tissues that result from excessive pressure, for example when a nursing home resident is unable to move from the bed on their own. These sores are very painful, and can lead to infections which endanger residents’ health. Bed sores are always preventable.

Medication Errors

A nursing home resident may be the victim of a medication error when malpractice is exercised in the prescription or administration of a drug. Drug mix-ups and dosage errors can happen, typically because of poor communication between doctors and nursing home nurses and doctors/nurses and patients.

Contact Our Law Firm Following a Nursing Home Injury

Most nursing home injuries should never happen. If your loved one is harmed in a nursing home and suffers an injury you believe to be preventable, do not hesitate to contact our experienced nursing home injury attorneys for a free consultation. We will review your legal options with you and there is no obligation.

Napoli Shkolnik PLLC is committed to protecting the rights of the most vulnerable in our society.