Many Pennsylvania families must rely on nursing homes and other facilities to care for elderly relatives. This requires building trust in the members of the facility’s staff. In most cases, that trust is well-founded when people see their elders thrive in a nursing home. However, sometimes that trust falls apart when a family member suffers an unexplainable injury or illness.
When a resident suffers harm through neglect or abuse in a nursing facility, the family may find justice by pursuing a medical malpractice claim. Some situations that may fall under the malpractice umbrella include the following.
- Prescription medication errors
- Misusing or overusing restraints
- Infection or disease caused by unsanitary conditions
- Dehydration and malnourishment
- Improper or absent response to a resident’s medical complaints
- Insufficient and poorly trained staffing
- Unexplainable broken bones and preventable bedsores
Admittedly, pursuing a medical malpractice claim against a nursing home is full of challenges. However, as awareness grows about the neglect and abuse issues that exist in some of these facilities, satisfactory legal remedies are becoming more widespread.
Attorneys and the American Bar Association are continuously working to develop effective strategies to pursue litigation against questionable nursing homes. Families across the nation can help with this goal by reporting all unexplained injuries or medical conditions loved ones in nursing homes suffer.
When lawyers and families work together to target all forms of medical malpractice, the overall health and physical condition of the nation’s elder population should improve. More importantly to you on a personal level, your elder family member will be safe from neglect in whatever nursing facility you choose to engage.
