In Wyoming and other states, being admitted to a hospital, nursing home or other assisted living or medical care facility places people at risk for infection. Prevention programs may help decrease the number of nursing home negligence situations involving preventable infections that continue to occur throughout the nation. Patients can often be proactive in their own care regimes, which in some cases may help them avoid injury.
The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at most risk for infections. Those who are age 80 and above often have weakened immune systems as part of the aging process. The fact that they are in their later years of life and have less immunity increases the chances that they will contract infection, especially if those caring for them are not acting according to the highest level of accepted patient safety standards.
One way to bring infection prevention to the attention of care providers is to ask pertinent questions. For instance, asking a nurse whether one should shower before or after surgery is a good way to draw attention to hygiene issues, as nursing neglect often involves poor hygiene, which can lead to infection. It is also a good idea to ask about catheters; in fact, each day that goes by, one can ask whether or not the catheter is still necessary.
Nursing home negligence is preventable, which is why many loved ones of elderly victims feel frustrated and angry when their family members suffer infections and other injuries due to substandard care. A Wyoming personal injury attorney can act on behalf of a nursing negligence victim to seek financial recovery for his or her losses. In worst case situations where a fatality has occurred, an adult child or spouse of a deceased victim may seek justice against those deemed responsible.
