Nursing Home Negligence

Over 1.5 million elderly and dependent adults now live in nursing homes throughout the United States. Abuse and neglect has become a widespread problem.Even though the majority of nursing homes provide good care, many are subjecting helpless residents to needless suffering and death. Many residents in nursing homes are largely, if not solely, dependent on the staff for most or all their needs such as food, water, medicine, toiletry, grooming, stimulation and turning – almost all their daily care.

Unfortunately, many residents in nursing homes today are starved, dehydrated, over-medicated, and suffer painful decubitus ulcers (bedsores). These people are often isolated, ignored, deprived of social contact and stimulation and, sometimes, physically abused. These abhorrent living conditions cause suffering, injury and even death.

A basis for much of this negligence arises from corporate owners who are more concerned about their bottom line than the adequacy of the care they should be providing. As a result of this, staff at nursing homes are often insufficiently and poorly trained, overworked and grossly underpaid. This often results in rude and abusive behavior to vulnerable residents who beg them for simple needs such as water or to be taken to the bathroom. The most common nursing home claims are based on bedsores, falls, abuse (sexual or physical), and residents who are allowed to wander away from the nursing home due to inadequate security.