One of the most difficult decisions that Missouri family members must make is when they decide to put a loved one in an assisted living facility or nursing home. They worry that their loved one will not be treated and cared for appropriately. This is especially true with as many individuals as there are who suffer from elder abuse and nursing home neglect every year. For one family, the realization of this is all too real.
A family from another state suspects that their loved one was neglected while in a nursing home facility. On Sept. 5, 2013, the woman was admitted into a nursing home because of her development of dementia. After she was admitted, her family says that she came down with pneumonia and suffered weight loss and bedsores. Her health deteriorated because of these things and other related issues.
The family claims that, aside from medical malpractice, the nursing home violated state nursing home laws. They say that there were staffing issues that should have been addressed. Further, the family asserts that they should have been informed of such deficiencies and were not.
Nursing home neglect is a real problem in today’s world, including here in Missouri. However, it may be possible to pursue a lawsuit against the nursing home if the gathered evidence suggests negligence, either actively or passively. A successful outcome may result in a monetary award for non-economic and economic damages while also exposing the individuals who acted negligently so as to ensure that future patients are not harmed in a similar manner.
Source: The West Virginia Record, “Family claims woman was neglected in nursing home”, Annie Cosby, Oct. 23, 2014