Nursing homes are supposed to properly care for the residents in their care. Unfortunately, there are many cases in which nursing homes put profits before patients. These facilities are often the site of neglect and abuse of residents.
Recently, it has come to light that a pair of nursing homes that are classified as for-profit have been associated with neglect. Nursing home neglect is a serious matter because the residents are often in fragile states and neglect can cause serious problems.
In one case, a woman got a call from her brother that he was in horrible pain and couldn’t get help at the facility. After hearing this, the man’s sister contacted someone who worked for a hospice program. That nurse visited the man and found that his bladder was distended and he had no urine output in the collection bag.
It is estimated that the man’s catheter hadn’t been checked for upwards of 12 hours or more. It was blocked. When the hospice nurse changed the catheter, she was able to remove more than a half gallon of urine from the man. This put the man at risk of a burst bladder or a bladder infection.
In another case, a female resident died of an infection.The cause of the infection was one that was likely preventable — a bedsore. The woman was only in the facility for 2.5 months. Her daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit that was later settled out of court.
If you think that your loved one isn’t being cared for properly in a nursing home, you should take action to find out what is going on. Ultimately, you might opt to explore seeking compensation for the horrid neglect or abuse your loved one endures.
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, “Pair of for-profit nursing homes have long history of neglect,” Thom Cole, July 25, 2017
