5 Dangers of Understaffing in Nursing Homes

 Posted on August 08, 2023 in Personal Injury

The decision to place an elderly family member in a nursing home is usually made out of concern for their safety. Their needs and health issues may have progressed past a point where family members can safely provide care at home. Often, it takes one or more incident in which the senior could have been harmed before their loved ones make the difficult choice to place them in a skilled nursing facility. Unfortunately, elders in understaffed nursing homes may not be as safe as everyone would like. When a nursing home does not have the manpower needed to adequately supervise and care for all of its residents, there is a risk that one could be injured. If you have a loved one who lives in a nursing home, it is important to check up on them periodically to ensure that they are being well-cared-for. If you notice any signs that your loved one has been neglected, it is important to speak with an attorney right away. A lawyer can help you determine whether your loved one may be entitled to compensation for what happened to them. 

Harm Can Come to Seniors in Understaffed Skilled Nursing Facilities 

People whose age and health status necessitate skilled care need regular attention from the staff. Dangers residents may face in understaffed nursing homes include: 

• Falls - Older adults can be seriously injured if they fall. Nursing home residents who cannot receive timely help when they need to get up may attempt to get up without assistance, causing them to fall. 

• Elopement - People with conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia are prone to wandering. These patients should be carefully supervised to ensure that they do not wander out of the nursing home and into danger. Police should be promptly notified in the event that a senior citizen has eloped from their care home. 

• Medication errors - When staff members are required to medicate a large number of patients in a short amount of time while also attending to other caregiving responsibilities, there is an increased chance of dangerous medication errors. 

• Skin damage - When a bed bound senior is not being turned or cleaned frequently enough, they may develop skin issues including bedsores. 

• Missed health changes - In an understaffed care home, a change in your loved one’s health status or mental alertness may go unnoticed. This may mean that a serious problem is not noticed in time to be treated properly. 

Nursing home residents can be quite vulnerable to these harms, especially when they are not able to communicate with others about what the conditions in their home are like. 

Contact a Springfield Nursing Home Neglect Attorney

Kanoski Bresney is committed to the safety of nursing home residents. Our caring Springfield nursing home neglect lawyers will do all we can to help your loved one recover the compensation they are entitled to after suffering harm due to understaffing. For a complimentary consultation, please contact us at 888-826-8682. 

Source: 

https://www.nursinghomeabuseguide.org/neglect/understaffing