Many people in New Mexico are concerned about the care their loved ones will receive in a nursing home. There have been lots of reports of abuse and neglect at care facilities, and people may find it difficult to determine if a particular facility will be a safe place. Many elderly people living in nursing homes are vulnerable, may have memory issues and find it hard to advocate for themselves. This can be especially troubling if relatives are unable to frequently visit their loved one in the facility.
One Ohio nursing home is facing two separate wrongful death lawsuits filed within a month. Family members of two different women living at the home say that the residents did not receive proper medical treatment and died as a result. In one case, a woman living at the home for six years had a skin deteriorating condition. The lawsuit alleges that employees at the home failed to follow a care plan for her condition, leading her skin to become infected, which eventually led to her death from sepsis. In the other case, a woman living at the home developed pressure sores, often referred to as bedsores.
The lawsuit in this case alleges that staff failed to diagnose the sores or provide proper treatment. In some cases, the sores themselves can develop through neglect, especially if patients are not moved frequently enough. The sores became infected, and the resulting infections caused the woman’s death.
Skin infections, pressure sores and similar injuries can be all too common at some nursing homes, especially for patients who are experiencing various types of mobility problems. They can also be a sign of insufficient staffing and personal care. A personal injury lawyer may assist a family whose loved one passed away following nursing home neglect to file a lawsuit and seek compensation.