When a nursing home is understaffed, patients often suffer as a result. Many individuals who enter a similar facility in New Mexico require frequent monitoring and treatment, and if a facility does not have an adequate amount of care providers on hand, patients may go a long period without receiving medical attention. A facility in another state has recently been accused of nursing home neglect following the death of two separate patients.
Both individuals were residents at the facility in question, their deaths listed at around eight months apart. The first patient died of an infected ulcer near his tailbone, which staff was reportedly aware of, but failed to notify his physician and/or family. The second man also suffered an ulcer in this area and was apparently left alone to suffer. He was taken to a hospital after complaining of fever and pain and later died from a bone infection and pneumonia.
A lawsuit has been filed against the facility, claiming that it did not provide an adequate level of care to either of the patients. It is believed that the facility is constantly understaffed and the patients were allowed to suffer these infections as a result. Patients often suffer ulcers in this particular area when they are not moved on a regular basis.
If a facility is found culpable of nursing home neglect resulting in the death of a patient, surviving family members may seek to obtain a judgment for monetary damages through a wrongful death claim. When facing such a difficult situation, families often seek the advice of an experienced attorney for assistance in the process. An attorney in New Mexico can help a family pursue any financial compensation to which they may be entitled.
Source: times-standard.com, “Wrongful death suits filed against Eureka nursing homes“, Will Houston, March 29, 2017