A new report entitled Trends in Nursing Home Deficiencies and Complaints was released September 28, 2008 by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This report is the product of the Government’s attempt to address the chronic and systemic problem with nursing home care.
Unfortunately, Arkansas nursing homes did not do well in the report. According to the Inspector General, 97.9 percent of the nursing homes in Arkansas were cited for deficiencies. The most common deficiency categories were quality of care, resident assessment, and quality of life. The government report also found that for-profit nursing homes were more likely to be cited than non-profit or government homes.
Although this report is not surprising, it shows that nursing home patient families must keep a watchful eye on the care given to their loved ones. Some of the most common injuries and signs of neglect concern pressure sores(also known as bed sores), dehydration, malnutrition, infection, falls, hygiene, elopement, medication errors, assault and death.
If any of these occur or if a family suspects nursing home abuse or neglect, they should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so that an investigation of the care can take place. Personal injury lawyers who handle nursing home abuse lawsuits hold the nursing home owners and nursing home corporations accountable for their negligence. If you would like to talk with a lawyer who handles nursing home negligence and abuse cases, please contact me as soon as possible.