Nursing home negligence isn’t something most people expect to see happening. Negligence tends to be a result of inadequate staffing, which is commonplace in America’s nursing homes.
Most of the time, negligence isn’t going to be intentional. For example, if there are only four nurses and 50 patients, you can see how quickly it would become overwhelming if only four or five of those patients needed extra help that day. Others, who are more or less doing well without support, would be pushed aside to help those who need it more.
Sadly, this is a commonplace occurrence in America’s nursing homes, and it’s normal to see people go far too long without responses to their calls for assistance. This can leave the elderly vulnerable to falls, poor hygiene, dehydration and hunger.
What can you do to make sure your loved one’s nursing home is doing all it can for them?
One of the most important things you can do is to look into how many staff members there are to care for everyone on the floor. For instance, a nursing home with one nurse and aid for every three to four patients is going to be in a much better position to care for your loved one than a nursing home with eight to 10 patients to a single nurse.
If staffing was not a problem when you chose the nursing home in New Castle but may be now, reach out to the director and ask for an explanation. If your loved one gets hurt, then you may be able to file a lawsuit for the nursing home’s negligence.