Nursing homes can only offer so much care on-site. When an emergency happens, the elderly people who are suffering need to be taken to a hospital so that they can get proper care from medical professionals. Of the utmost importance is getting to the hospital in a timely manner.
For instance, the National Center for Biotechnology Information studied the relationship between distance to the hospital and fatal incidents involving those being transported. Naturally, a greater distance meant it took longer to get the patient to the hospital. What they found was that the greater distances increased the odds of death notably.
Some patients were at greater risk than others. The highest level of risk included those with respiratory emergencies, which are common in the elderly. They said that there was no difference regarding things like illness severity or gender.
Of course, increasing the distance is not the only way to increase the time it takes to get to the hospital. What happens if your elderly loved one has a respiratory emergency, but the staff at the nursing home delays the transportation process? Even delaying for a short time could make a massive difference in the outcome. This could be an example of neglect, and this study shows that the delay could directly impact the odds that your loved one will pass away, rather than surviving the emergency.
It is important for nursing homes to offer proper care and take prompt action when they cannot provide that care at the home. If that’s not the level of care your loved one got, make sure you know what legal options you may have.
