Every year, hundreds of nursing home residents are injured or harmed in the care facilities in which they reside. In most of these cases, the harm is completely preventable, and would not have occurred but for a dangerous condition in the nursing home, or the negligence of nursing home staff.
When dangerous conditions are present, property owners or managers have a duty to correct them within a reasonable amount of time. When they do not, and such conditions lead to harm, the property owner or manager may be held liable as a result.
Dangerous Conditions in Nursing Homes
Some of the most common dangerous conditions in nursing homes include:
- Lack of proper handrails and fall-protection rails on beds;
- Foods, slippery substances, and spills on floors;
- Poor staff-to-patient ratio;
- Lack of adequate lighting;
- Poor medical treatment; and
- Unsafe walking conditions, such as broken flooring or torn carpet.
These conditions can lead to a variety of patient injuries. Slip and falls are the most common type of injury suffered by nursing home patients, and may lead to devastating consequences. However, fall injuries are not the only dangers that nursing home residents face: lack of proper nutrition and care, poor medical treatment, and emotional and psychological harm are all possible, too. Bedsores, dehydration, malnutrition, adverse drug reactions, infection, and other serious effects are all possible when dangerous conditions are present and nursing home residents do not get the level of care that they deserve.
Identifying Conditions and Taking Action
It can be difficult to place a loved one in a nursing home facility knowing that such conditions exist. The best thing that you can do is to research the nursing home thoroughly in advance, investigate any cases of malpractice filed against the nursing home, and tour the nursing home and ask questions about emergency policies, doctors, the number of nurses and staff members, nutrition plans, maintenance, etc.
You should also visit your loved one frequently, and pay attention to any signs of dangers. Many of these dangers may be evident immediately – such as dangerous walking conditions or unsanitary conditions – whereas others may be hard to identify, such as whether or not your loved one is being properly cared for physically and mentally.
Our Georgia Nursing Home Lawyers Are Here to Represent You
Nursing homes owe an extremely high duty of care to the patients that they serve. When dangerous conditions exist and these conditions are not corrected, a nursing home patient may suffer harm as a direct result. If they do, the nursing home resident – or their representative – has the right to bring forth a civil action against the negligent party. Our experienced Georgia nursing home lawyers can help you to understand when filing a claim makes sense, and what to do to protect your loved one.
For a free consultation, contact us today. We offer appointments at times that are convenient for you. The foregoing answer is not legal advice and is merely a general overview. You are advised to consult a lawyer to address your specific situation. Feel free to send comments or questions to: steve@aa-legal.com of Apolinsky & Associates, LLC, or call (404) 377-9191.
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