Nursing Home Negligence
No nursing home patient should ever become a victim of nursing home abuse. Nursing home residents' rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires nursing homes to "promote and protect the rights of each resident".
In spite of the law, nursing home abuse continues to be a serious problem. The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates at least one in 20 nursing home patients has been the victim of negligence and or abuse, though it concedes that the number is probably higher. According to the National Center's study, 57% of nurses' aides in long-term care facilities admitted to having witnessed, and even participating in, acts of negligence and abuse.
Nursing home abuse takes a serious toll on residents. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that nursing home neglect played role in the deaths of nearly 14,000 nursing home patients between 1999 and 2002. Even when the consequences are not fatal, nursing home negligence robs victims of a sense of security and their dignity.
A sure sign of nursing home abuse is physical neglect where the nursing home staff fails to provide residents with the necessities of daily living. Residents who suffer from frequent falls may not be receiving adequate oversight from the nursing home staff, or they may be victims of poorly maintained equipment or facilities. Withdrawal or isolation can be a sign that staff is failing to provide a nursing home resident with adequate assistance to that they can fully participate in activities offered at the nursing home. Frequent infections among nursing home residents could mean that nursing home staff is failing to employ proper hand washing techniques.
Contact us if you or a member of your family has suffered:
- bedsores
- ulcers
- fractures or broken bones
- unexplained bruises or injuries
- accidents of an unknown origin
- inappropriate use of restraints
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- verbal abuse
- failure to turn patients in bed or move them from wheelchairs
- slip and fall accidents
- malnutrition
- dehydration
- failure to use bedrails resulting in falls
- medication errors
If your loved-one has been injured or died in a nursing home, please contact us to learn about your rights and possible recourse.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our New York Nursing Home Negligence Attorneys, please call (646) 530-0006 or click below to fill out our Attorney Contact Form.
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