Massachusetts and Rhode Island Nursing Home Injury Attorney
Jeffrey Padwa works with other experienced nursing home attorneys in states across the country.
For more information about a nursing home injury, click on the heading.
Nursing Home Abuse
You should contact an attorney whenever you notice signs of nursing home abuse. Those signs may include unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains, or fractures in various stages of healing; unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; and staff refusing to allow visitors to see a resident, or delays in allowing visitors to see the resident.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect is a general term that covers many different kinds of injuries. Falls, bedsores, elopement, dehydration, malnutrition, and choking on food are all signs of resident neglect. If your family member has suffered an injury in a Rhode Island or Massachusetts nursing home or assisted living residence, it may be a sign of neglect.
Bedsores
Eighteen percent of Rhode Island's nursing home residents suffered a bedsore injury in 2001. The areas of the body at greatest risk for developing bedsores are the coccyx, hips, heels, and elbows. The most common cause is when an immobile nursing home resident is not repositioned or turned on a regular basis.
Falls and Fractures
Falls are the most frequent cause of bone fractures among the elderly. Fractures can lead to serious health conditions, such as a difficulty in clearing the chest by coughing (which can lead to pneumonia), a loss of appetite, bedsores, and infections. Twenty-five percent of elderly persons who sustain a hip fracture die within six months of the injury.
Dehydration
Since elderly persons often have a reduced sense of thirst, dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after age 65. Elderly dehydration is a serious health condition which can lead to death.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition, like dehydration, is a serious health problem among the elderly. Since the elderly have a reduced sense of taste and appetite, proactive steps may be required to prevent physical decline and wrongful death due to starvation.
Wandering/Elopement
Wandering by an elderly person with dementia or Alzheimer's can be a life-threatening situation. The elderly may wander into unsafe areas and be injured or killed. The most dangerous form of wandering is elopement in which the confused person leaves the protected area of the nursing home or assisted living residence and does not return.
Medication Errors
According to an article in the Boston Globe, nearly one out of every 10 nursing home residents suffers a medication-related injury each month. The risk of medication errors is much higher in nursing homes and assisted living residences than in hospital settings due to chronic understaffing.
Choking and Suffocation
Many nursing homes fail to assist or monitor residents, and the tragic result is a high number of deaths due to choking and suffocation. Much like children, many elderly persons who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's need assistance with eating so they do not put too much food in their mouth at once. Other deaths can be caused by strangulation from restraints.
Physical and Sexual Assault
Sexual assault statistics indicate the widespread problem of rape and sexual assaults in nursing homes and assisted living residences. In legal terms, sexual assault includes any forced sexual contact that can range from unwanted touching to sexual penetration. The impact left because of sexual assault can be physically, psychologically and emotionally damaging.
Side Rails and Bed Injuries
Side rails extend either the full length of the bed or part way. Most can be raised or lowered. Siderails are divided with slats spaced about six or more inches apart. This space can trap an elderly person's head, causing him or her to strangle. Often mattresses fit loosely in the frame, leaving gaps large enough to trap the resident between the mattress and side rail, also leading to suffocation and death.
Free Consultation: Concerned about your loved one's care in a nursing home or assisted living residence? Call Rhode Island nursing home injury lawyer Jeffrey Padwa.
