Lack of Quality at Nursing Homes is Injuring Patients

It is always a tough decision to make. Sometimes it just has to be made. No one wants to admit a loved one to a nursing home. But when a loved one requires care 24 hours a day, there isn’t always a choice.

As recently reported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the quality of our nation’s nursing homes is declining. Nearly 61% of nursing homes in the United States received lower quality ratings in the latest study by CMS released in February 2015. And if you would ask nursing home residents and their loved ones about quality, the majority would likely give you an earful of the lack of quality as opposed to the good qualities.

Luckily here in Ohio, nursing home residents rights are protected by the Nursing Home Patient Bill of Rights, codified at Revised Code Section 3721.13. An outline of the rights afforded to all nursing home residents is available by clicking here.

Unfortunately, nursing homes are drastically understaffed, and this is resulting in injuries and/or death to nursing home patients. Some of the most common nursing home injuries we see in our practice include:

• Pressure Ulcers/Bed Sores
• Failure to administer prescribed medication
• Accepting patients the facility is not equipped to handle because of the patient’s medical, mental and/or physical needs
• Improper transfers of patients to/from bed, resulting in falls
• Improper monitoring of patients who are fall risks, resulting in falls
• Failing to recognize the signs of a medical emergency and timely seeking appropriate treatment

The information contained in this blog post is general information, and should not be treated as legal advice. No attorney/client relationship exists between the reader and Lafferty, Gallagher & Scott, LLC without a signed Attorneys Contract Agreement of Representation. Each case is unique and past results should not be treated as a guarantee of the results in your case.