Slips and Falls in Nursing Homes: Who’s Responsible?
When thinking about a slip and fall injury, you might envision an able-bodied adult slipping on a wet store floor, falling on ice-covered pavement or tripping down poorly maintained stairs. Yet among all age demographics, the elderly population experiences a high percentage of slip and fall injuries, including those in a nursing home or other care setting.
What Can Happen When a Nursing Home is Understaffed?
If your loved one is living in a nursing home and you notice bedsores, broken bones or other forms of abuse, you wonder how it happened. You did your research, regularly check in with staff and make frequent visits – how did your loved one end up injured? Although one or more employees may be involved, understaffing may be at the root of nursing home neglect or abuse.
How Proposed Medicaid Cuts Could Affect Nursing Homes
As many seniors are aware, the Better Care Reconciliation Act has been proposed by Senate Republicans to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is predicted to cut Medicaid spending by about $772 billion through 2026 – or about 25 percent over the next decade. Supporters, primarily targeting programs and care for pregnant women and children, claim that the changes won’t affect nursing home subsidies.
What is Nursing Home Dumping?
Considered a form of elder abuse for the extreme distress it causes, “dumping” occurs when a long-term care facility suddenly leaves a patient at an emergency room or evicts the individual without any warning. After, the facility tells the patient or his or her family they won’t re-admit, as it no longer has available beds. As federal and state regulations outline the proper discharge process for nursing homes, including a 30-day warning and extensive documentation, “dumping” violates several laws.
Dangers of Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Nursing home staffs manage drugs and treatment plans for hundreds of patients receiving short and long-term care in a facility. Yet, as more and more homes see their nursing staffs shrink and the patient pool grow, the margin for error increases. As a result, medication errors are unfortunately becoming a common problem in nursing homes….
