Is Nursing Home Abuse Medical Malpractice?

When people trust nursing homes to care for their elderly loved ones, they expect a certain standard of service. While most facilities are diligent in their duty of care, some fail in their obligation to provide the best conditions. In these homes, staff may neglect or outright abuse the residents. Nursing home abuse can manifest in many forms, including negligence and physical abuse. Some cases can qualify as medical malpractice.

Is Nursing Home Abuse Medical Malpractice?

One of the main reasons that people send their loved ones to live in nursing homes is that elderly patients need more medical care than their families can provide. However, when the qualified staff fails to perform the necessary medical care, the facility can be charged with medical malpractice. Some of the most common forms of nursing home neglect and abuse include:

Medication Errors

When staff administers the wrong dosage of medication, residents can suffer long-term consequences. There is a wide range of medication errors that can occur, including:

Administering the wrong medications

Administering the right medication the wrong way

Administering two or more pills that interact with each other

Not taking into account the patient’s allergies

Failure to Escalate Care When Needed

When residents make medical complaints, the nursing staff decides the appropriate level of care. If they fail to take a complaint seriously and take appropriate action, they can be held liable for the consequences.

Malfunctioning Medical Equipment

When nursing staff does not use the correct equipment or uses malfunctioning equipment, residents can suffer from injuries. Employees and employers alike have a responsibility to conduct regular checks on all the equipment on the grounds.

Poorly Trained Staff

Staff who are untrained or undertrained can accidentally injure residents. The nursing home has to provide well-trained staff. If the condition is not met, they can be charged with medical malpractice.

Why Nursing Home Abuse Is so Common

Nursing homes, for the most part, provide high levels of care for their residents. Still, an alarming number of them harm the residents they have been tasked with protecting. Abuse can be facilitated by several factors:

Overworked Staff

One of the main challenges that nursing homes face is staff shortages. When the staff becomes overworked, they often take out their frustrations on the residents. Because residents often require round-the-clock care, staff can easily burn out, leading to a dangerous environment.

Poor Pay

Low pay often attracts staff that are looking for a job and have little passion for the career. This can also drive some employees to work more than one job to survive. Frustrated and overworked staff are dangerous to the safety of the residents.

Poor Training

When staff is not well-trained, they often develop their own methods to care for residents. This can mean improper care, lack of understanding of human physiology, and unintentional injury. When nursing home administration fails to train employees, it is the residents who suffer most.

When Your Loved One Has Been Hurt

When your loved one has been hurt or neglected while living in a nursing home, you may feel frustrated, angry, and betrayed. In many cases, administrators cut corners to enjoy higher profits. However, this may endanger the elderly, including your loved ones. If a relative has been hurt while in a nursing home, you may be entitled to compensation.

Document all of the victim’s injuries or pattern of illness. Keep a record of all your communication with the facility’s administrators as well. When an institution fails to provide the highest standard of care, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, lost time from work, and ongoing medical expenses related to the malpractice.

The Bottom Line

You need a Tampa medical malpractice lawyer who will fight for your rights. Look for a team with experience in fighting medical malpractice and nursing home neglect suits. Reach out to a firm as soon as possible and discuss your concerns.