Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
Maryland nursing homes have never enjoyed a sterling reputation for the care they provide to residents. While there are many quality facilities staffed with caring individuals, unfortunately, they seem to be in the minority. More often than not, nursing homes are operated with their for-profit motive placed above all else. This means staffing homes with as few employees as possible, among other things.
When nursing home management tries to cut corners by reducing the number of nurses, the chance increases that those nurses who are on duty will be overworked. And while there is never an excuse for abusing a patient, research has shown that overworked nursing home employees are more likely to commit abuse or neglect than those who feel their workload is manageable.
For years, Maryland nursing home abuse went largely unnoticed. Certainly it was occurring behind closed doors, but since residents rarely have contact with the outside world, reports were rarely made. And when reports were made, they were too often brushed aside by family members. However, with the increased availability of video cameras, more families are able to place hidden cameras in their loved ones’ rooms. In many cases, the footage from these cameras is admissible in a lawsuit against a nursing home or employee.
Hidden Camera Catches Staff Member Abusing Resident
Earlier this month, a local news source published an article discussing the horrors one family discovered when they reviewed the footage from a hidden surveillance camera installed in their elderly father’s room. According to the report, the resident’s son installed the camera after noticing unexplained bruises on his father.
Evidently, the footage shows several nursing home employees yelling racial and ethnic slurs at the resident. It also shows the nurses jerking him around, pulling him out of his wheelchair and letting him slide onto the floor, and generally handling the man in a very rough manner.
The family of the resident soon afterward filed a personal injury case against the nursing home, but they were unable to disclose the facts giving rise to the case, due to a gag order issued by the judge. However, that order has recently been lifted, allowing the family to make the allegations public knowledge. The case, however, has yet to be resolved. According to the news source mentioned above, the family is not inclined to settle the case at this point.
Is Your Loved One at Risk?
If you have a loved one in a Maryland nursing home, and you believe that they may have been mistreated, you and your loved one may be entitled to monetary compensation. The dedicated Maryland personal injury attorneys at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have extensive experience in accident law, and they have devoted their practice to standing up for the rights of accident victims. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation with an attorney today, call 410-654-3600.
More Blog Posts:
Overuse of Antipsychotic Drugs in Nursing Homes Remains Problem, Putting Some Residents in Grave Danger, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published February 21, 2018.
Civil Lawsuits Versus Criminal Prosecutions in Nursing Home Abuse Cases, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, published March 7, 2018.