Each nursing home resident has a unique story, and each requires different standards of care. Nursing home facilities in Maryland and every state have protocols that should be followed to keep residents safe and in good health. When standards of care are neglected, accidents can happen that may injure vulnerable nursing home residents.
On April 6, a nursing home resident in another state was subject to a fall that resulted in head injuries because a nurse aide did not follow standard protocol procedures for moving the resident. The elderly woman's medical chart stated that she is a two-person assist for all transfers. The resident did not have the ability to move herself from her wheelchair to her bed.
Although the nurse aide was aware of the two-person assist protocol and trained in it, she attempted to move the resident from her bed to her wheelchair without assistance. As a result of the nurse working alone, the resident fell to the ground and sustained injuries to her head. The nurse delayed in getting medical assistance because she was afraid of getting in trouble. The nurse aide is being charged with caretaker neglect and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.
If a resident of a Maryland nursing home, or his or her family, has experienced nursing home neglect or believes that the home is lacking in its standards of care, the resident or concerned family member may choose to first file a complaint. Depending on the case, like the situation mentioned above where a patient is seriously injured because of a failure to administer proper care, a lawsuit might be an option. A lawyer experienced with medical malpractice issues like this can help elderly patients and their families deal with, and hopefully stop, the neglectful treatment.