Five Examples of Nursing Home Neglect in Florida

The various kinds of nursing home neglect in Florida usually have a common denominator, which is nursing home understaffing. Over half of the long-term care facilities in the Sunshine State are dangerously understaffed. Quite simply, understaffed facilities don’t have enough people to sufficiently care for residents. Understaffing has collateral effects as well, mostly on employee morale.

Nursing home residents are invitees in Florida. Facility owners must ensure that residents are reasonably safe and secure at all times. If a breach of duty causes injury, as is usually the case in the examples discussed below, a Tampa personal injury lawyer can obtain substantial compensation in these cases. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Construction-Related Falls

Since Florida’s over-65 population continues expanding, most nursing homes are basically construction zones. At any given time, renovation, demolition, expansion, or another project is ongoing at most facilities.

Generally, construction-related fall injuries are relatively easy to prevent, even at nursing homes. A staffer simply needs to stand near the construction zone and gently turn away residents who wander too close to a dangerous area.

Understaffed facilities don’t offer such security. Instead, nursing home residents often wander into dangerous construction zones. Many residents have poor eyesight. They cannot see construction hazards that younger people can see. Furthermore, many residents have gait disorders. So, when they stumble, they fall instead of regaining their balance.

Bedsores

Pressure ulcers, which often develop on bony areas of the body, like the arms and legs, are also relatively easy to prevent. Residents must simply turn over in bed about once every three hours.

Understaffed facilities often cannot spare sufficient personnel to turn residents over in bed, especially during nights, weekends, and other low-census periods. Turning a resident over in bed is usually not a one-person operation. Two or three people may need to do the job.

On a related note, at understaffed facilities, less-qualified professionals often do certain jobs. For example, a patient care technician instead of a licensed vocational nurse might do rounds. Patient care techs often cannot spot early-stage bedsores and take proper action before these injuries progress and become life threatening.

Malnutrition

Many people are surprised to see this nursing home neglect injury on this list. But it’s a common injury in understaffed facilities.

We mentioned dim eyesight above. As we get older, all our senses degrade. So, to a nursing home resident, the food on the plate doesn’t look good, smell good, or taste good. Therefore, the resident usually doesn’t eat.

Fully-staffed facilities station nurses or other employees in dining areas to ensure that residents eat. At understaffed facilities, residents are on their own. Malnutrition often is an aggravating factor. For example, malnourished bodies cannot effectively fight infections.

Resident-on-Resident Assault

This effect of nursing home neglect is one of the fastest-growing nursing home injuries in Florida. Emotionally, many older adults are like young children. Petty disputes over seemingly inconsequential matters, such as a preferred seat in a community living room, often escalate.

Understaffed facilities don’t have employees who police these areas and intervene before these arguments become violent. Many older adults are so infirm that a nominal amount of force, such as a push or shove, causes a serious injury.

Infectious Disease

We mentioned the relationship between malnutrition and infections above. Sometimes, the infectious disease itself, such as COVID-19, is life threatening on its own.

Nursing homes have clear legal responsibilities in these cases, such as isolating sick residents and regularly sanitizing surfaces. Many understaffed facilities don’t undertake these simple precautions.

All these neglect incidents are legally complex. In most cases, out-of-state holding companies legally own nursing homes.

Connect With a Thorough Hillsborough County Lawyer 

Injury victims are entitled to important financial benefits. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Tampa, contact Kobal Law. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.

Source:

ahcancal.org/News-and-Communications/Press-Releases/Pages/State-Of-The-Sector-Nursing-Home-Staffing-Shortages-Persist-Despite-Unprecedented-Efforts-To-Attract-More-Staff-.aspx