COVID-19 AND NURSING HOMES

THE ELDERLY & COVID-19 NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE

Taking care of the elderly in nursing homes requires special and dedicated care to enable them to live out their days as comfortably as possible. Sadly, the struggles the senior citizens and nursing home residents face can sometimes be a both physically and mentally arduous task. Though many find comfort and care, others may sometimes encounter situations of negligence and intentional wrongdoing. Today, the severe threat of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus, can lead to measures requiring extra special attention for the elderly in nursing homes. In Florida there are some 700 nursing homes operating in Florida, with Miami Dade and Broward having many populated facilities. At present, hospitals and healthcare workers are being pushed to the limit fighting the coronavirus infection as officials rush to find ways of dealing accordingly with COVID-19. The extent of the scope of Florida and state officials is so vast that areas may be neglected; and one of these is care for the elderly in nursing homes. In Miami, efforts are on the way to bring relief to elderly residents of nursing homes, many of whom may fall victim to negligence that can lead to personal injuries such as bedsores in bed-stricken residents. In nursing homes, some personal healthcare staff assigned to residents requiring special attention may not be able to perform that task, hence the nursing home resident may develop bedsores in the event he/she is bed-stricken or in a wheelchair. Though car accidents, pedestrian accidents and everyday accidents may come to a stand still during the coronavirus pandemic, private center healthcare and housing, such as nursing, physical or mental rehabilitation, or even correctional institutions will be facing tough times as the coronavirus spreads into their facilities (See Coronavirus Related Accidents).

THE ELDERLY AND COVID-19

Nursing homes in Florida and the US, are faced with the very great challenge of caring for the elderly. Anyone who’s had to decide on a nursing home for a loved-one such as a parent or grandparent might understand what a difficult decision it is. Though nursing home aim to provide responsible and qualified care to elderly residents of nursing homes, they can may sometimes be negligent and liable for wrongdoing that causes personal injury. There are many ways a senior citizen or elderly resident can fall victim to negligence and suffer bodily injury or mental harm.

Some of these can include:

• Bedsores
• Slips and Falls
• Medication Errors
• Physical or Mental Abuse
• Medical Malpractice
• Wrongful Death

NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE AND WRONGDOING

Nursing home residents can be exposed to a number of situations that can greatly impact their quality of life, and a bedsore from negligent nursing home staff can lead to infection and even wrongful death. Nursing home patients with limited physical ability and those confined to wheelchairs can easily develop bedsores if unattended to for an extended period of time by a nursing home staff member or doctor. Bedsores in nursing homes and physical rehabilitation centers can be quite common and sometimes very easily prevented. Slips and falls are also quite common among nursing home residents as the elderly may have difficulty walking or require crutches or a wheelchair. Negligence by staff to assist nursing home residents when moving about occurs can lead to a slip and fall accident. Slippery walking surfaces from spilled foods such as soups or beverages can cause nursing home residents to slip and lose their balance as medication sometimes causes dizziness. Poor lighting may also attribute to falls inside nursing homes in Miami-Dade and Broward. For the family members and for the victims involved, perhaps physical or mental abuse is perhaps the most difficult acts of wrongdoing by nursing home staff members or operators. The elderly may sometimes lack the ability to defend themselves or may be mentally unaware of the abuse being carried out by a nursing home staff member. Sadly many times is not easy to detect acts of abuse, especially those not physically evident. Situations of mental abuse must be detected early by communicating with the elderly loved-one residing in a nursing home or rehabilitation center. Many nursing home patients require medication, and proper administration or dosages of medications are fundamental for the well-being of nursing home residents. Errors or negligence when attending to the administering of medication to nursing home residents can justifiably merit an insurance claim for personal injury from pain and suffering, damages, or losses. Wrongful Death is perhaps the saddest and most unfair way for an elderly loved-one to end their days in a nursing home. Most wrongful death cases in nursing homes are because healthcare workers, staff or operators acted negligently. This can only be proven by way of an investigation by a highly dedicated and professional personal injury lawyer.

In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm serves nursing home residents that fall victim to negligence and wrongdoing.

THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM – DEDICATED TO PUTTING YOUR INTERESTS FIRST.

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