Massachusetts Nursing Home Resident Neglect Claims
Inadequate nursing home supervision and staffing can lead to serious problems for patients who can no longer take care of their own needs. If you have reason to believe that a nursing home resident in your family is not receiving the care necessary to maintain basic health and dignity, contact a Greater Boston nursing home liability attorney at Kenney & Conley.
Most instances of patient neglect at nursing homes reflect any of several problems with the institution's administration and hiring policies, which themselves usually indicate budget or cost control problems. Poor treatment of nursing home residents can be the expected consequence of the following conditions:
- High patient-to-staff ratios
- Frequent staff turnover
- Language barriers between attendants and residents
- Insufficient training
- Inadequate understanding of residents' rights
- Staff morale problems due to long hours, low pay, and insufficient supervision
Where these staff and administrative conditions prevail, and where the residents themselves due to Alzheimer's or dementia are incapable of expressing their own needs clearly, it should not be surprising when residents suffer injuries due to falls, inadequate medication, insufficient food or water, and other indications of plain neglect. Prescription mistakes and inconsistency in the times of medication and meals can worsen preexisting conditions and defeat the purpose of a therapeutic course or strategy for managing a condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, or even bedsores.
Our nursing home neglect lawyers evaluate these claims not only in the light of your parent or relative's immediate problem, but also on the basis of the institution's history of violation notices, hiring and training practices, and previous problems encountered by other residents.
One of the best ways to protect your elderly parent's interests in an institutional setting is to visit frequently and pay close attention to the quality of interaction between residents and staff. Contact a Massachusetts nursing home negligence attorney at Kenney & Conley for a free consultation about your legal options and your ability to intervene effectively to protect your relative's welfare.
