Nursing Home Negligence
Once a family has made the difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing home, they have a right to expect that their loved one will not be injured as a result of neglect or abuse.
Bedsores: the #1 sign of neglect:
One of the most common injuries in nursing homes are bed sores. Also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers. Bed sores and/or ulcers can develop in several ways:
- Failure to turn an elderly person on his/her side
- Nursing homes in New York are responsible to reposition immobile patients at least every 2 hours.
- Poor nutrition and dehydration
- Leaving individuals to sit in urine, feces or in wet clothing or bedding for any amount of time
- Wounds caused by dropping a patient or rubbing his or her skin against the side of a bed.
- Failing to properly treat high-risk patients with specialized mattresses or cushions etc.
Other forms of neglect in nursing homes:
- Dehydration and failure to provide sufficient quantities of food
- Over or improper medication
- Lack of supervision leading to falls
- Inadequate wound care leading to infections
- Poor hygiene
- Sexual, physical and verbal abuse
- Financial Exploitation
