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You care about your elderly relatives, but sometimes their condition gets to be too much for you to handle by yourself. As much as it hurts to admit, you have your own obligations to deal with and do not have the time or energy to help someone get out of bed or make sure they take their medicine. So, you turn to the professional staff at an assisted living facility to care for your elderly loved one. Unfortunately, many organizations limit the number of people they hire to cut costs and save money.
Understaffing in Philadelphia nursing homes significantly increases the risk of preventable injuries to residents. If your elderly loved one has been hurt, come and speak with a nursing home abuse lawyer at Lowenthal & Abrams to learn about your legal options.
What Problems are Caused by an Understaffed Facility?
Elderly residents rely on the staff at their nursing home to help with everyday needs like getting dressed, standing up, and even eating. This is a highly specialized profession that often requires training on how to properly use equipment and safely provide assistance. Registered Nurses, or RNs, are even more important because they know how to administer medications and emergency treatment.
When a Philadelphia nursing home is short-staffed and unable to meet these needs, some residents can go unattended for extended periods of time. This can lead to bedsores because there was nobody available to move a resident who is unable to do so by themselves. A medical emergency can be missed because the nurse is off helping another resident.
Understaffing also leads to overworked and fatigued employees, which impairs their usual judgment and motor functions. A tired nurse can misread a prescription or give the wrong dosage, causing an adverse reaction in the patient. An orderly who has not gotten enough sleep because they have been working too much can accidentally drop someone while helping them stand up and walk, resulting in broken bones and other injuries.
Compensation That Victims Can Recover
When an assisted living facility in Philadelphia accepts a new resident, it is also accepting the duty to provide a high standard of care, which often requires adequate staffing. Being understaffed and unable to provide that standard of care can make the organization liable for injuries to its residents.
A resident can file a claim to recover compensation for costs related to their injuries. In general, this can include the extra medical treatment they needed to undergo, which was only made necessary due to the staff shortage, as well as mental anguish.
If the lack of trained staff resulted in a resident losing their life, the surviving family can file a wrongful death claim. Here, the family can seek compensation for medical bills, funeral costs, and the loss of companionship.
In either situation, punitive damages may be available when the facility’s administrators or corporate parent was grossly negligent in keeping the place properly staffed. Every case is different, and the exact types of compensation depend on the facts. An experienced attorney can review the situation and help elderly residents and their families understand what they can get in their case.
Talk to an Attorney If You Have Been Hurt in an Understaffed Nursing Home in Philadelphia
Understaffing in Philadelphia nursing homes puts a strain on existing employees and puts residents in danger. If you believe that you or your elderly loved one was harmed because of this, speak with a lawyer at Lowenthal & Abrams.
We can help you hold the organization accountable for prioritizing profits over the safety of its residents. Call Lowenthal & Abrams to schedule a consultation about your situation.
