Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has combined with other economic factors to cause an employment shortage in hundreds of industries worldwide. Healthcare is most likely the hardest-hit industry by Covid-19 related staffing shortages. Within the healthcare industry, nursing homes and long-term elder-care facilities suffer from some of the worst staffing shortages on record. Understaffed nursing homes and long-term care facilities result in increased instances of abuse, neglect, and even sometimes-fatal medical malpractice. In an effort to address the chronic nationwide staffing shortages in nursing homes, the U.S. Federal Government has announced plans to enforce national minimum staffing guidelines for nursing homes and other similarly situated facilities.
According to a recently aired national public radio broadcast, the staffing shortages at several nursing homes have become a dangerous problem. The increased risks and workloads presented by the pandemic have made nursing home jobs less desirable. Employers nationwide, including nursing home administrators, are reluctant to increase employee compensation out of a fear that paying more will cut into the companies’ profits. In response to the shortages, the Biden administration has initiated plans to use the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement minimum staffing requirements to ensure that the staff is adequate to ensure quality. According to the report, the changes should go into effect within a year.
How Does the Nursing Home Staffing Shortage Impact Residents?
Nursing home residents and their families have the right to adequate care that meets industry standards for such care. The staffing shortages over the last two years have resulted in increasing instances of concern in nursing homes nationwide. Observers have noted increases in bedsores, excessive weight loss, high rates of Covid-19 infection, as well as widespread overprescription of antipsychotic medications to control resident behavior. Residents who have received these types of substandard care, or suffered other acts of neglect, abuse, or malpractice, may be entitled to financial damages for their loss and suffering. A qualified Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area medical malpractice attorney can help victims pursue a case for damages.
Holding Nursing Homes Accountable for Substandard Care
If you or a loved one has been injured or died in a nursing home or long-term care facility and you suspect that the death was a result of abuse or neglect, you may have a claim for damages against the nursing home employees and/or administrators. The qualified medical malpractice attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen are experienced with nursing home abuse and neglect cases, and we are prepared to argue cases involving substandard care given to residents as a result of staffing shortages. The attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen accept clients for most types of DMV region tort cases, including medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability, as well as other negligence claims. Contact our office at 800-654-1949 to schedule a no-obligation consultation with a dedicated lawyer from Lebowitz and Mzhen today. Calling to speak with a lawyer is free, and we will never bill you unless we can recover compensation on behalf of your family.