Common types of nursing home injuries include falls and fractures, pressure ulcers, hospital-acquired infections, malnutrition, and physical abuse. If your loved one is a victim of these or other types of abusive practices, South Carolina law may allow them to file a claim and seek compensation. Taking the fight to court may empower your loved one to reclaim their agency and help put a stop to harmful conduct that hurts them and can harm others.
The nursing home abuse lawyers at Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm stand firm in its support of those injured while at assisted living centers throughout South Carolina. We understand its widespread impact on an individual, family, and community when those in positions of trust take advantage of others. We leave no stone unturned in our advocacy for victims of nursing home abuse and their right to justice.
Legal Rights of Nursing Home Residents
In South Carolina, nursing home residents have a host of rights outlined in the law. These rights include the ability to make decisions about their bodies and choice of healthcare during their stay. Additionally, the facility should thoroughly explain to the resident their diagnoses and the different recommendations available to them. Likewise, they can decline healthcare services — unless a power of attorney or other medical exception applies — and get a second opinion.
Nursing home residents also have the right to reasonable privacy while in their living quarters and during their time at the organization. They should also have their basic needs attended to, including assistance with using the restroom, showering, and moving around. Finally, the food, medication, and water given to them should be medically appropriate and free from contamination.
Identifying Common Types of Nursing Home Injuries
Assisted living centers provide vulnerable populations with around-the-clock support — medically and physically — so they can live healthy, safe, and enriching lives. Unfortunately, doctors, nurses, technicians, and other staff members may harm residents by engaging in abusive or neglectful behaviors.
Staff may purposely overmedicate patients on their floor to keep them quiet and compliant without medical justification for doing so. Or, they may not do their regular rounds to help residents use the bathroom, forcing the residents to try to make this trip on their own or soil themselves. As a result, the residents may get urinary tract infections or slip, trip, and fall while trying to go to the restroom by themselves. Additionally, patients with limited mobility or who cannot move on their own at all depend on staff members to help them rotate their bodies, which prevents pressure ulcers and bed sores from occurring.
Falls and Fractures: A Major Risk in Nursing Homes
Some of the most common nursing home injuries involve residents falling and fracturing something. They may lose their footing while walking through the hallways or when trying to use the restroom or shower. Or, they may trip on clutter left by staff in the walkways. Additionally, if nurses do not correctly install beds or guard rails, the resident can fall off the mattress onto the hard floor in their sleep.
Pressure Sores: Causes and Prevention in Nursing Facilities
Another common nursing home injury is a pressure sore. Bed sores — also called pressure ulcers — occur when a part of the body does not get enough blood, and the tissue starts to die off. People who are bedridden or who cannot move on their own — such as people who are in a wheelchair — are at a higher risk of developing these sores. Residents and staff can help prevent these types of injuries by shifting their bodies regularly to make sure all portions have equal access to nutrient-filled blood.
Infections in Nursing Homes: Symptoms and Treatment
People in long-term care facilities are also susceptible to getting hospital-acquired infections.
These include infections associated with catheters, central lines, ventilators, and surgical sites.
Additionally, people in nursing homes can also get a staph infection or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are both contagious and can impose serious health risks on those who have it. Infections may cause fever, confusion, rashes, nausea, or other symptoms. Antibiotics, rest, and other medically appropriate interventions may be necessary to stabilize the patient and slow or cure the infection.
Malnutrition and Dehydration in Elderly Care
Elderly and vulnerable patients in nursing homes depend on others to provide for their basic needs, including water and food. Unfortunately, some staff members neglect those in their care and do not give them enough food to keep them healthy and nourished. Likewise, nurses, attendants, and doctors may not continuously provide residents with the water they need to survive and stay hydrated. As a result, residents may become malnourished and dehydrated, placing them at an increased risk of death or severe illness.
Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes
Those who are at memory care centers and assisted living facilities may experience violent and dangerous situations. Nurses may resort to abusive physical force to make residents comply with unreasonable demands. Or, they may hit, kick, or spit on residents who speak out and request help with things they need, like assistance with going to the bathroom or showering.
Some who work at long-term care facilities may also use restraints — which can include tying a resident to a bed or using medication to subdue them forcefully.
Emotional and Psychological Injuries
People who live in nursing homes in South Carolina may also experience a host of emotional and psychological harm at the hands of those who took an oath to protect them. Staff may belittle or mock patients with dementia or physical disabilities.
Or, they may prevent a resident from visiting or communicating with their loved ones.
Medication Errors at Long-Term Care Facilities
Those who work at long-term care centers need to provide appropriate and regularly scheduled medication to people in their care. Unfortunately, staff may give patients the wrong prescription or dosage, which can have severe and even fatal consequences. Likewise, the provider may forget to administer the person’s medication that day or on the proper schedule.
In some situations, staff may illegally use sedatives or other drugs to sedate patients against their will or without medical justification for doing so.
Neglect and Its Impact on Nursing Home Residents
Neglectful practices can be incredibly impactful to the well-being of those who are staying at long-term care centers. When staff do not regularly provide for residents’ fundamental needs, the residents may experience preventable illnesses, infections, and injuries. For example, a patient with limited mobility may not be able to use the restroom unless they have help doing so.
Without this assistance, they may soil themselves or risk dangerous falls by trying to use the facilities on their own.
The Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm Can Assist You
Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm has helped dozens of victims of common types of nursing home injuries. We appreciate the vulnerability and courage it takes to speak out and acknowledge that something is wrong. We find inspiration in the realness of our clients and the journey they took to reach out to our office. When you are ready to take this step, contact our office by calling (864) 721-6885 to set up a no-obligation consultation with a member of our team.