Few people in Florida have not directly felt the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic in their lives, whether that be through their own personal dealings with the illness or the suffering of their family members or friends. This is especially true for those with loved ones in nursing homes and other facilities specializing in senior care (as the elderly are among those most vulnerable to the effects of the virus).
Yet when referencing coronavirus’s impact on nursing homes, most only limit it to residents of such facilities. There are, however, countless employees at such facilities who (due to their proximity to this particular at-risk population) came into contact with the disease and suffered because of it.
Facility sued for not providing PPE
A recent lawsuit filed by a family in New Jersey illustrates this point. According to information shared by NJ.com, a woman working at a local nursing home contracted the virus and subsequently died after her exposure to it at work. The lawsuit claims that the facility told employees that it did not have the resources to provide staff with personal protective equipment and that when such equipment did come, it was not given to employees. Rather, the family claims that the facility told employees that they needed to secure their own PPE. They believe that the failure to provide such equipment directly contributed to the woman’s death.
Legal action for a lack of protection
While it is true that a healthcare facility (which describes nursing homes) has an obligation to protect its residents, it also must provide its employees with a safe working environment. A failure to meet that expectation may be on par with any case of neglect for a resident in terms of negligence.