It’s never an easy decision to put your loved one in a nursing home. When you do, you expect that their needs will be met. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are inadequately staffed, leading to staffing shortages and resident neglect.
If your loved one has suffered neglect in a nursing home, a nursing home abuse attorney can help get answers and justice for your loved one.
Why Staffing Shortages Matter In Nursing Homes
Residents rely on nursing home staff for their basic needs, including food, water, assistance, and medical support, including medication delivery. But when a nursing home doesn’t employ enough caregivers, daily care may be rationed to those the staff can reach in a day.
Without enough caregivers, individual residents may be open to nursing home neglect. This can happen quickly when too few caregivers are responsible for more residents than they can handle daily.
How Understaffing Leads To Neglect
Neglect may not be intentional. It occurs simply because there aren’t enough caregivers to go around. Understaffing can keep caregivers busy, but unable to handle all of their residents. Neglect can include:
- Missed meals and hydration
- Delayed help with toileting or mobility
- Failure to reposition residents
- Missed medication or improper care
- Poor monitoring of residents with dementia or serious health conditions
Without help, some residents will attempt to take care of themselves. Those with limited mobility may get out of bed alone, fall without help, and become seriously injured.
Signs A Loved One May Be Suffering Neglect
Because neglect takes many forms, it may be difficult to determine. However, there are signs, including:
- Bedsores
- Weight loss or dehydration
- Poor hygiene
- Frequent falls or unexplained injuries
- Emotional withdrawal or fear of staff
Residents may not understand why they are neglected, and may believe that they have done something wrong. For residents who receive little social interaction, this can also lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Why Nursing Homes Become Understaffed
Nursing homes are understaffed due to intentional cost-cutting, severe employee burnout, and uncompetitive wages. Because labor is the home’s biggest operating expense, many facilities intentionally operate with minimal staff to boost profit margins and keep labor costs low. This creates conditions such as:
- High turnover
- Low wages
- Poor training
- Weak supervision or unrealistic staffing ratios
Without adequate staffing, residents may regularly suffer neglect. If family or friends don’t notice the neglect, a resident could suffer long-term consequences.
Injuries And Complications Caused By Neglect
Without adequate staffing and medical care, nursing home residents can suffer issues such as:
- Infections
- Broken bones
- Worsening medical conditions
- Hospitalization for injuries or worsening medical conditions
- Wrongful death (severe cases)
A family member can step in and determine if their loved one is not getting the care they need.
Who May Be Responsible For Nursing Home Neglect
In the event of neglect, multiple parties may be held responsible for a resident’s injury or illness, including:
- The facility.
- Corporate ownership.
- Administrators or managers.
- Third-party staffing agencies, if applicable.
A Charleston nursing home abuse attorney can determine all of the parties responsible to help you recover compensation for your loved one.
What Families Should Do If They Suspect Neglect
If something doesn’t feel right about your loved one, don’t ignore the signs. Your loved one needs you to speak up for them, especially if they can’t or won’t. Your priority is for your loved one, so you need to:
- Document the condition of the resident
- Report concerns to the facility
- Seek medical care right away
- Request records if possible
- Contact a lawyer quickly
The sooner you act, the sooner you can get justice for your loved one.
How A Charleston Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer Can Help
Neglect is not a normal state, and family members should not accept it as normal. A Charleston nursing home abuse lawyer can:
- Investigate staffing patterns and records
- Gather evidence of neglect
- Work with medical experts
- Pursue compensation for your loved one
West Virginia’s personal injury law allows just two years to file a claim. Because investigation and preparing a case take time, it’s important to start as soon as possible so that your lawyer has the time they need for your case.
Let The Love Law Firm Help Your Loved One Seek Justice
If a loved one has been harmed because a facility was understaffed, a Charleston nursing home abuse lawyer can investigate and help pursue accountability.
The Love Law Firm is Charleston, West Virginia’s personal injury law firm with extensive experience handling nursing home neglect and other types of personal injury cases. Call us today at 304-344-5683 (or use our online contact form) and schedule your free consultation. There’s no charge for your initial consultation. Our contingency fee arrangement means you won’t pay unless we win your case and recover compensation for you. If a facility was understaffed, a Charleston nursing home abuse lawyer can investigate and help pursue accountability.
The Love Law Firm is Charleston, West Virginia’s personal injury law firm with extensive experience handling nursing home neglect and other types of personal injury cases. Call us today at 304-344-5683 (or use our online contact form) and schedule your free consultation. There’s no charge for your initial consultation. Our contingency fee arrangement means you won’t pay unless we win your case and recover compensation for you.
