Memphis’ Expert Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers

What is Nursing Home Negligence?

Similar to medical malpractice, nursing home negligence occurs when a health professional fails to properly care for a nursing home resident. In these instances, residents can suffer significant physical and psychological harm resulting in decreased quality of life, severe illness, and even death. It’s important to know the signs of nursing home neglect, which can include:

• Poor personal hygiene
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Malnutrition and/or dehydration
• Loss or lack of mobility
• Unexplained injuries & sores
• Psychological issues
• Development of bedsores or other unusual skin spots

It’s important to understand that nursing home neglect is a type of elder abuse, and it can involve the substandard care of a resident and/or a violation of responsibility that harms the individual.

 

Types of Nursing Home Negligence

When elderly neglect occurs within a nursing home facility, it typically falls into one of four general categories:

• Medical neglect: This type of abuse involves the failure of the nursing home staff to properly care for or prevent a resident’s medical concern or condition, as well as nursing home staff failing to implement a plan to prevent the resident from falling or suffering other injuries. As a result, the resident may sustain inadequate diabetic care, bedsores, infections, mobility issues, and other serious problems.
• Neglect of basic needs: When this level of neglect occurs, residents do not receive an adequate level of food or water, and they may not have a clean, safe environment to live in. Residents are denied the most fundamental elements of care.
• Neglect of personal hygiene: This type of neglect occurs when a nursing home facility fails to properly maintain the optimal level of hygiene for a resident. This may include dental care, laundry, bathing, or other essential sanitation efforts.
• Social or emotional neglect: It is difficult to imagine that this type of treatment can occur, but unfortunately, it does. When it happens, it may involve ignoring a resident, leaving them alone for long periods of time, delivering constant cruel or hurtful treatment, as well as other failures to provide enough social and emotional attention.

Nursing Home Negligence Statistics

• According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, 15.3% of elder abuse complaints are for neglect.
• According to the NCEA, 1 out of 10 nursing homes have violations that caused harm, serious injury, or risk of death for residents.
• From 1999-2001, the NCEA reported that nearly 1 in 3 U.S. nursing homes were cited for violations of federal standards that could or had harmed a resident.
• The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services defines the development of bedsores or pressure ulcers as a “never event,” which means it should never occur when proper care is provided.