As our parents and grandparents get older, their physical and mental needs start to change, sometimes very quickly. They become less able to care for themselves, and ultimately, need full time care. Undoubtedly, one of the hardest decisions in life is to put a loved one into a nursing home. You’ve heard the horror stories, and you immediately feel tremendous guilt and fear. You check out the available facilities, as best you can, and then hope and pray everything will be fine. We hope so, too. But, things don’t always turn out the way they should.
People are living longer and are moving into assisted living facilities and nursing homes in their 60s, 70s, or even 80s. In addition to natural aging, they often have debilitating health issues, such as heart disease, diabetes, or morbid obesity. Some have become immobile and cannot walk or get out of the bed on their own.
They are frail and at the mercy of those who care for them. We do not place our family members in skilled nursing facilities “to die.” Rather, we expect our loved ones to be cared for so they can live out their remaining lives happy and safe. These frailties are the reason we turn to nursing homes in the first place. However, despite extremely high prices charged, many facilities remain understaffed and do not have proper equipment. While the caregivers themselves are often very good people, they simply cannot adequately care for the number of people in their charge. And when they cannot get to everything, bad things can happen.
Sadly, nursing home accidents are fairly common. Injuries include falls, broken bones, broken hips, repeated bruising, and head injuries. Some residents are sexually assaulted, by staff, if not properly screened, or even other residents, if not properly monitored. Many times, already vulnerable patients quickly become dehydrated and malnourished if the staff do not take the time to feed those who cannot feed themselves.
Those who cannot walk or get out of bed can develop decubitus ulcers, or “bedsores.” If not treated immediately, a bedsore gets worse, and fast. It can quickly spread and become infected, even “septic.” Sepsis is a life-threatening total body infection that can result in wrongful death. These are very complicated medical cases. As a former Registered Nurse (RN), Mr. Reeves has personally treated patients with sepsis and understands how quickly a small, reddened area on the lower back or other “pressure point” can become life threatening.
If you suspect something is not quite right, call us and we will help you find out if you are worried about nothing or if something really is wrong. If your loved one has already been injured or worse, call us immediately. Mr. Reeves stands ready to bring his medical background and years of nursing home litigation experience to your family. First, we want answers. And then, we want justice. Call today.
