Assisted living facilities are there to make sure people who need help with their own care can get it. The majority of nursing homes employ sufficient numbers of professional clinical staff to provide a good quality of care, but the workload can be enough to push facilities below an acceptable standard of care.
Lapses in nursing home care can be dangerous, causing serious illness or unexplained injuries through negligence or abuse. Nursing home residents may even die without the proper amount of care because of their needs for medication or other care. Chronic disease or depressed immune function may also lead to problems in seniors without proper care.
Former nurses and a former aide at a senior care facility were recently charged with the death of a senior in their care, as well as the possible cover-up of the death. An 89-year-old veteran allegedly died after requesting help while in distress, leading prosecutors to conclude that the caregivers failed to provide necessary medical care in a timely manner.
A video from a hidden camera in the victim’s room was released by his family as part of a wrongful death lawsuit against the nursing home. The suit was settled but provided evidence for criminal charges. The video shows the man gasping for air and calling for help six times.
Victims of substandard nursing home care, as well as nursing home abuse, have the right to seek financial damages through civil suits and the survivors of anyone who dies in a nursing home due to poor care also have this right. Legal representation may be recommended to help build a case and fight for restitution.
Source: ABC News, “3 nursing-home staffers charged in death of WWII veteran,” Enjoli Francis, Jenn Metz and Alexandra Faul, Feb. 22, 2018
