Abandonment in Nursing homes
A common problem among nursing homes across the United States, including Arizona is abandonment from caregivers. Upon entering a Nursing Home, each facility is required to have a medical care plan in order to ensure that each resident receives the utmost care. The majority of Nursing Home Residents require a specific and specialized plan, and most of the time family members are relying on nursing home employees to give the respect and safety each person deserves. But one third of nursing homes across the United States with nursing home violations and 20 percent of nursing do not report abuse such as abandonment.
The law necessitates that no negligence should occur in nursing homes. An Arizona Attorney, who strongly advocates against abandonment and negligence in nursing homes, can help you and your loved one. They can help find out what damages Nursing homes and assisted living centers are liable for. You and your family member deserve the same care you would give to them if you were able to and abandoning them while in a fragile and ill state is not proper care.
What is Abandonment?
Abandonment comes in many forms and it is important as a family member to be aware of the types, as you may be the only person who notices the abuse or only person your loved one confides in. Often, residents with severe debilitating medical conditions are unable to express the pain of abandonment and one must follow closely to notice the injuries occurring. Failing to give standard care happens more than one would like to think; surveys indicate that some residents see a head nurse as little as 12 minutes a day. That leaves more than 23 hours of a resident not being attended to.
Types of Abandonment
- Denying a resident medication when they need medication
- Not assisting a patient who needs help with certain daily activities
- Neglecting to put proper bedrails and leaving a resident unsecured for hours
- Even if a patient suffers from conditions where they do not want food, not ensuring they have proper nutrition is still considered abandonment
- Leaving a patient on the floor after falling or slipping
- Seeing a patient only once or only a few minutes a day
- Turning over a patient who may be bed ridden as this may cause bed sores
Abandonment is hard to detect but there are a few visible signs that may help:
- Bedsores
- Irritability
- Change in behavior - may seek more attention from a family member
- Sudden Decrease in health
- Sudden loss of weight
- Depression
- Detachment
Contact an Arizona Nursing Home Advocate Attorney
An Arizona lawyer can help if you know someone in a Maricopa County who would like more information about abandonment in nursing homes or assisted living centers. They can help you understand the liability and compensation you and your family deserve for emotional and physical suffering. For more information about how you can legally help your family member, visit a local Arizona Nursing home Advocate site at www.nursinghomeadvocates.com.
