Nursing home malpractice can harm your loved one’s physical and emotional health. The nursing home has a significant role in the wellbeing of your loved one, but you also have a role to play. Below are some of the measures you can take.

Understand Nursing Home Malpractice

You can’t prevent something you don’t understand. Thus, the first step is to understand what constitutes nursing home malpractice. Nursing home malpractice arises if a nursing home’s act or omission leads to a resident’s injuries.

Below are some examples of nursing home malpractice.

Neglect

Neglect arises if the nursing home fails to do something in their mandate. Examples of neglect include failure to provide medical care, food, or help with personal hygiene.

Abuse

Abuse (physical and physical) is a classic example of nursing home malpractice. Assault and battery are classic forms of physical abuse. Examples of emotional abuse include yelling at, intimidating, or threatening a nursing home resident.

Medical Errors

Medical errors in nursing homes take different forms. Examples include wrong medication, inadequate medical care, and improper dosage of medicine.

Review and Compare Nursing Homes

Review available nursing homes and pick the safest one for your loved one. Some of the factors to consider in the comparison include:

  • The number and nature of complaints about nursing homes
  • The results of nursing home inspections
  • The staff-to-resident ratio
  • The quality of care as evidenced by different parameters, such as vaccinations (such as flu shots) the residents get

Online resources, such as the Medicare Nursing Home Compare tool, can help you with the comparison.

Communicate

You also need to communicate with both your loved one and the nursing home. Talk to your loved one so that you can:

  • Ask about their health
  • Gauge their tone of voice and emotional health
  • Ask about their nutrition
  • Ask about their feelings

Communicate with the nursing home so that you can:

  • Inquire about your loved one’s well being
  • Ask if they need anything from you
  • Air any concerns you might have about your loved one

The more you get involved in your loved one’s life, the easier you will be able to spot potential red flags.

Visit Your Loved One

Regular communication helps but might not be enough to prevent all forms of malpractice. Visit with your loved one to get a first-hand experience of their living conditions. During your visit, you may be able to:

  • Inspect your loved one’s living conditions
  • Check your loved one’s health, appearance, and hygiene
  • Gauge your loved one’s health via nonverbal cues
  • Confirm whether the nursing home addresses complaints or concerns

Say you noticed that the living quarters weren’t as clean as they could be during a visit to the facility. Use a subsequent visit to confirm whether the hygiene has improved.

Watch Out for Warning Signs

Lastly, you should watch out for signs of malpractice. Here are some of the warning signs you need to watch out for:

  • Poor hygiene that might lead to infections
  • Unexplained injuries that might indicate physical abuse or neglect
  • Unexplained treatments or medication that might mean poor nutrition, neglect, or abuse
  • Emotional problems, such as sadness, anxiety, or anger from your loved one
  • Absentee caregivers that might mean understanding

Don’t ignore any warning signs. Trust your instincts and seek clarification from the nursing home. Contact the authorities if you suspect criminal acts, such as assault and battery.

The authorities can prevent or investigate criminal acts against nursing home residents, but they can’t pursue compensation. You must file a malpractice claim to get compensation for your loved one. Contact Randall A. Wolff & Associates, Ltd., if you suspect nursing home malpractice. We will evaluate the case and advise you on the best way forward.