When most people hear the term “nursing home abuse,” images of a callous, bitter nursing home employee come to mind. However, over the past several years, a new kind of nursing home abuse has been on the rise: resident-on-resident abuse.
Most nursing homes care for a large number of patients, each with different medical needs. While some residents suffer from dementia or severe physical limitations and require constant supervision and care, other residents are in better health and are able to maintain some level of independence. This creates a situation in which one resident may bully, harm, or take advantage of another resident. Indeed, recent studies show that 90% of those who commit nursing home abuse are known to the resident.
A Nursing Home’s Duty to Protect Residents
When a nursing home takes in a patient, the home assumes a duty to that resident as well as the resident’s loved ones. Of course, the nursing home is responsible to provide a certain level of care to the resident. However, a nursing home’s duty to its patients does not end there. Nursing homes must also act to affirmatively protect residents in certain situations.
When a nursing home fails to provide adequate supervision to residents, and one resident assaults another, the nursing home may be held liable through a Maryland nursing home abuse lawsuit.
Elderly Man Dies After Being Beaten by Fellow Nursing Home Resident
Earlier this month, a former nursing home resident died from injuries he sustained after being beaten by a fellow resident. According to a local news source, the victim was lying in his bed when another resident who suffered from dementia wandered into the resident’s room. The resident then began attacking the man, beating him about the face repeatedly.
A nursing home employee followed the resident into the man’s room but was unable to stop the assault. Eventually, the resident turned on nursing home staff and began assaulting them as well. It was later discovered that the resident had acted violently at least three times in the previous weeks. The victim of the assault spent several months in the hospital before passing away earlier this month.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the nursing home had no system in place to prevent resident-on-resident abuse. The home was cited for this deficiency.
Has Your Loved One Suffered from Nursing Home Abuse?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you suspect that they may be a victim of nursing home abuse, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. Of course, the first thing you should do is secure your loved one’s safety. However, do not wait too long to contact an attorney, since evidence may be lost or destroyed if action is not taken quickly. The skilled personal injury attorneys at the Maryland-based law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have decades of experience handling all kinds of personal injury cases, including those arising from instances of nursing home abuse. Call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with a dedicated personal injury advocate.
More Blog Posts:
Overworked and Overstressed Nurses Are More Likely to Make Serious Mistakes, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published April 14, 2017.
Nursing Home Arbitration Clauses Are Not Necessarily Binding, Depending on the Circumstances, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published March 31, 2017.