Florida Nursing Home Lawyer Blog
One of the major issues at many nursing homes around the country is when patients get what are known as catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). These CAUTIs have fallen 54 percent, according to a recent study discussed in an article from Infection Control Today.
CAUTIs are a type of infection that occurs in the healthcare setting, and for that reason they fall under a category known as healthcare associated infections (HAIs). The study is looking at how front line tools and education among healthcare professionals is about to take measures to make it less likely for patients in nursing homes to get these infections.It should be noted that, as in most nursing homes, staffers manage to do everything they can to make sure your family members will be taken care of and the risk for these types of infections is reduced.
However, there are many other ways in which your loved ones in nursing homes can be injured, and unfortunately, as our West Palm Beach nursing home injury lawyers have seen in far too many cases, sometimes people are working at nursing homes that really have no business being there. We also have cases where staff members are not properly trained, given proper equipment, or properly supervised.
The main claim in a nursing home injury case is often a negligence claim. This means that your nursing home injury attorney must prove the following four elements:
- Duty
- Breach
- Causation
- Damages
There is no question that a nursing home owes a duty of due care to its patients. This is a duty to act as a reasonable and prudent nursing home in taking care of its patients to prevent any foreseeable injuries. This duty is imposed by the contractual agreement between the patient and the nursing home, as well as by statute in many cases. Failing to act in this way constituted a breach of that duty of due care. If that breach causes an injury (damages) to your loved one, then you should speak with an experienced nursing home injury lawyer to assess your potential personal injury claim.
Another common claim is negligent hire or negligent retention. This means that the company hired an employee who had no business working there or found out an employee was likely to be a problem and did nothing to fix the situation. The latter would be an example of negligent retention of an employee.
In some cases, the facility is understaffed, and the people are overworked and simply lose control and harm a patient. This should never be allowed to happen, and, if it does, it can be the basis of your civil personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home.
The most important thing you should do after making sure your loved one is okay, is make sure there is a report generated for the injury. Some facilities will try to avoid creating a record. This also should not be allowed to occur, and you should contact your attorney as soon as possible to discuss this issue.
Call Freeman Injury Law — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights. Now serving Orlando, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie and Fort Lauderdale.
Additional Resources:
Study Shows 54 Percent Drop in CAUTIs Among Nursing Home Residents, May 22, 2017, ICT
More Blog Entries:
Report: Nursing Homes Taking on Younger Patients, April 11, 2017, Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Blog