Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Last month, a former resident of the Hickory Creek of Athens nursing home filed charges against several owners, operators, and supervisors of the nursing home, alleging inadequate care. Specifically that the nursing home and its employees caused him “to lose his personal dignity and extreme and unnecessary pain, degradation, anguish, and emotional trauma.” According to a report by AthensOhioToday.com, the plaintiff was admitted to the nursing home in September 2012 and was a resident until January 2013. While it is not known why the plaintiff entered the facility, he claims that he “suffered catastrophic injuries, extreme pain, suffering, and mental anguish” while a resident.
The plaintiff claims that the owners and management of the nursing home were aware of the dangerous conditions present at the time of his residency. While he cannot identify all parties in the suit—listing several “John Does” as temporary placeholders until their names are revealed—he explains that supply shortages and understaffing problems were the cause of the inadequate care. Specifically, the plaintiff’s claims against the nursing home are for corporate negligence, medical malpractice, premises liability, fraud, and breach of duty.
Similar Problems Maryland Nursing Homes
Like the nursing home above, Maryland nursing homes are notorious for providing inadequate care to their residents. The reasons for the inadequate care are numerous; however, all the reasons relate to one fact: nursing homes are for-profit enterprises. Because of this, nursing home administrators are often incentivized to provide as little as possible to the residents. As long as the beds are filled, nursing homes are getting paid.
Red Flags that Nursing Homes Are Providing Inadequate Care
In most cases, the person staying at the nursing home is in the best position to understand what kind of care the nursing home is providing. However, the reality is that many times residents of nursing homes cannot affect the change on their own. Therefore, they will often reach out to family members. Here are a few red flags that may indicate that a nursing home is not providing the necessary standard of care for your loved one:
- Noticeable changes in your loved one’s physical or mental condition;
- Staff members that appear frantic, rushed, overly stressed, etc.;
- High turnover in the nursing home staff;
- Requests from your loved one that they do not want a certain individual to care for them;
- Evasive answers from nursing home staff when asked questions; and
- A bad gut-feeling when you are in the nursing home. Although it may sound simple, often our gut instinct is correct.
What to Do if You Suspect Inadequate Care or Nursing Home Abuse
If you suspect that your loved one is being provided inadequate care, or is suffering from nursing home abuse, you should contact a Maryland personal injury attorney immediately. In many cases, resident or their families are able to recover monetary compensation when a nursing home breaches their legal duty to provide care for your loved ones. Contact the Maryland nursing home law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers at 410-654-3600 or contact the firm online.
More Blog Posts:
Central Texas Nursing Home Faces Wrongful Death Suit for Allegedly Providing Negligent Care, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published January 27, 2013.
Egregious Case of Nursing Home Neglect Leads to Federal Lawsuit, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published December 18, 2013.