Nursing home negligence: It shouldn’t be a problem but it is

On Behalf of | Jun 19, 2019 | nursing home negligence

A U.S. Senate report was recently released that should cause concern for any Wyoming family who has a loved one in a nursing home. The report cites evidence of nursing home negligence in hundreds of facilities throughout the country. It is a problem that should not exist. Sadly, many injuries occur every year that are later found to have been entirely preventable were it not for substandard nursing care.

In one nursing home, a man reportedly needed medical attention but his pleas for help went unanswered by staff members. The patient ultimately accessed a telephone himself and dialed 911. Emergency workers responded and took him to a hospital, but sadly, he did not survive.

A nursing home in another state is said to have endangered patient safety by using blood sugar measuring devices without cleaning them in between uses. Yet another facility was serving food from its dining hall while a foul-smelling, dark substances was spewing up through the drainage system onto the kitchen floor. Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey issued the recent report that tells of approximately 400 nursing home facilities in the United States that have been cited for persistent records of substandard care.

The senators say they believe any family with a loved one in a full-assistance nursing home has a right to know if there are systemic problems in the facility. Wyoming families who have concerns about nursing home negligence regarding a loved one may want to discuss their situations with an experienced attorney. One who is well-versed in elder law and personal injury litigation would be a good first choice when scheduling a consultation.