When Nursing Home Abuse is Medical Malpractice

When the elderly reach a stage where they need help to handle the daily tasks of taking care of themselves, many people turn to a nursing home for support. In some cases, the elderly person is unable to make the decision to move to a nursing home, leaving a grown child to make the choice. Either way, we expect that a nursing home will care for us or our loved one with competence, kindness and appropriate medical care. Unfortunately, some nursing homes fail to meet the “duty of care” expected of them resulting in two to four million personal injuries every year.

If your loved one was injured due to the medical negligence of a nursing home or nursing home employee, your first priority should be to get them out of the dangerous situation. Next, report the abuse: to find your state’s number, go to the National Center on Elder Abuse website and click on “Where to Report Abuse.” Third, contact a medical malpractice lawyer. He or she will help to gather evidence and fight for the justice and compensation your loved one deserves.

When nursing home abuse is medical malpractice

One of the biggest reasons that people move to nursing homes is because they are unable to take care of their increasing medical needs at home. As a result, one of the primary services provided by nursing homes is medical care. Your medical malpractice attorney understands nursing home liability and when a personal injury is medical negligence.

Common forms of nursing home abuse that fall under medical malpractice:

• Prescription drug errors
• Unsanitary conditions or equipment that lead to infections
• Poorly trained staff providing medical care
• Abuse of medical restraints
• Failing to call in a doctor or registered nurse to address a resident’s medical complaints or issues
• Mal-nourishment and dehydration
• Malfunctioning medical equipment

Because many nursing home residents are already in a fragile state, neglect or abuse can cause severe injuries including premature death. Understand that even if the nursing home administrators seem cooperative after your loved one was injured, they have their own interests at heart. In the worst situations, a nursing home may attempt to bill the patient for the extra services required to treat the injury caused by the neglect or hinder efforts to move the resident out of the home. In other cases, the nursing home may offer compensation for an injury and/or ask you or your loved one to sign documents releasing them from responsibility for the abuse. If you are faced with any of these situations, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer right away.

The Seattle personal injury attorneys at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC have years of experience representing families harmed by medical malpractice. We seek justice for patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors including birth injuries, hospital-acquired infections and wrongful death in Seattle and across Washington State. There are no fees or expenses to file a personal injury case as we only receive payment if we recover damages on your behalf. Do not delay; personal injury claims come with a Statute of Limitations, which means they must be filed within a certain time frame of the injury.

Call us now at (206) 752-4366 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate, experienced attorneys.