Making the decision to place a loved one a long-term care facility is an important decision. A Wyoming family typically does a significant amount of research into different facilities before making a final choice. Even with the best of facilities with well-trained staff, there are still risks in nursing homes. All facilities should strive to keep residents as safe as possible and minimize the chance of harm.
Safety is essential in a nursing home. This means taking steps to make residents safe from various types of accidents, such as falls, but also safe from an elevated risk of infection. Falls are a primary concern among the elderly, and facilities can lower the chance of these happening by doing things such as monitoring certain medications, providing adequate supervision and offering assistance when doing certain things, such as using the restroom.
Wandering and elopement are significant concerns in nursing homes. Exits and entrances should always be properly secured, and it may even be necessary to place guards so that residents who are prone to wander will be safe. Additionally, things such as infection control, cleaning and sanitization of facilities are crucial to patient safety.
Failure to provide residents with a high standard of care could be a form of negligence. This leads to a higher chance a Wyoming nursing home resident will become sick, fall or somehow suffer an injury in a preventable incident. If a family believes their loved one suffered because of lack of care in a long-term care facility, they could have grounds for a civil claim.