By Nursing Home Law Center
Caring for nursing home patients is hard work! Caregivers must be dedicated to invest the necessary time and effort to assure the medical, personal and psychological needs of their patients are met. When caregivers fail to provide necessary care, patients begins to suffer. Compared with an affirmative act (such as nursing home abuse), nursing home neglect truly implies that some one is not doing their job.
Nursing home neglect is a general term that encompasses many different situations that commonly result in patient injury or even death.
The duration of the neglect can occur over any period of time– days, weeks, months — even years. Many situations involving nursing home neglect are reflective of a systematic problem at the facility, where shift-after-shift of nursing home employees fails to provide necessary care to patients in need.
Medical complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, sepsis and bed sores are common consequences of nursing home neglect. In some situations, the aforementioned conditions of malnutrition and dehydration may contribute to the development of bed sores.
Incontinence – Failure to keep patient clean, change soiled linens after an episode of incontinence, and re-position patients on a regular internals may contribute to the development of bed sores (similarly referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers).
Dehydration – An inability to perceive thirst or anxiety over going to the toilet are some of the common factors that contribute to dehydration of nursing home patients. Staff must keep track of patients fluid intake and output.
Malnutrition – We all know food is a basic requirement to keep our bodies functioning properly. Yet, when inappropriate foods (solid foods given to an are given to patients who can not eat them) or no staff assistance is provided to patients who are unable to feed themselves serious health problems may develop.
It is not necessary to distinguish the type of neglect nor establish actual intent on the part of the facility to pursue a cause of action premised on neglect. Rather, if your loved one suffered a bed sore or other type of injury due to inaction on the part of a caretaker, you may be entitled to pursue a claim for the resulting damages.
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