Like most people, many Massachusetts residents rely on nursing homes for the high-quality care of their loved ones. When choosing a nursing home, family members carefully check out the facilities and staff, find a home they can trust, and place their loved ones in their care. Sometimes, however, nursing home negligence causes injuries to those the home should be caring for. In some shocking incidents, the staff fails to pay adequate attention to nursing home residents and causes injuries to them.
A nursing home resident allegedly had both legs broken and eventually died because a nurse’s aide did not lift her properly. The patient cried out in pain and showed other signs of distress, but the nursing home staff ignored her complaints for two weeks. She was then transferred to a hospital, where she died after four days.
The elderly are frail and can easily suffer injuries. They need care and attention, and therefore often live in nursing homes. Understaffing and inadequate training aggravate the everyday problems of running a nursing home, in turn affecting the quality of care. The staff may not pay attention to the needs of the elderly and ignore their health conditions. Negligence can lead to bedsores, medication errors, and malnutrition. The result is that the loved one suffers unnecessarily.
Although death cannot be reversed, negligent parties may be held liable for their actions, and the family may claim damages and compensation from the care provider. However, the claimants need to prove that the injury was caused by the negligence of the nursing home staff, and will need extensive evidence and testimony from experts in medicine and other relevant fields. Although age can lessen the value of the claim, strong evidence can help the family prove their case.
Source: The Herald Sun, “Daughter appeals nursing home jury verdict,” Beth Velliquette, Jan. 25, 2013
