New York, NY 8/13/2008 3:00:00 PM
IQ Nursing Homes Offers Information for Nursing Home Neglect Victims
IQ Nursing Homes has announced that its website will offer informational resources for victims of nursing home neglect, concerned family members, and nursing home staff members. Nursing home neglect is the failure of a nursing home to provide the basic care for residents. Basic care includes providing adequate food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene assistance, and medicine, as well as ensuring the personal safety of the residents.
Nursing home negligence and neglect can take many forms, and elderly victims of neglect may be physically or mentally unable to report the problem. It is important for friends and family members of nursing home residents, as well as nursing home employees, to be aware of the symptoms of nursing home neglect so that the legal rights of nursing home residents can be protected.
Signs of nursing home neglect include rapid weight loss due to malnutrition or dehydration; poor grooming and hygiene; soiled clothing or bed sheets; unsanitary conditions in the resident’s room or bathroom; improper medication or dosage; frequent falls due to lack of supervision or appropriate safety devices, such as bed railings; persisting viruses and/or infections; and wandering, which occurs when inattentive staff members fail to notice that a disoriented patient has wandered off the premises. Inadequate staffing or poorly trained staff members are two primary causes of nursing home neglect.
One of the most common results of nursing home neglect is a bed sore injury, also known as a decubitus ulcer or pressure sore. Bed sores are caused by constant pressure on an area of skin. Poor nutrition, dehydration, failure to move patients regularly, failure to keep incontinent patients clean, and failure to treat bed sores in their early stages are among the factors that contribute to the development of serious bed sore infections. If left untreated, bed sore infections can advance and eat through to the bone, leading to agonizing pain, infection, amputation, even death.
The damaging results of nursing home neglect can range from discomfort to serious personal injury and wrongful death. Visit www.iqnursinghomes.com to learn more about signs of nursing home neglect and the proper steps to take if nursing home neglect is suspected.
IQ Nursing Homes offers a free nursing home neglect case evaluation form on their site, which will be reviewed by a qualified nursing home neglect attorney within 36 hours. Nursing home employees who have witnessed neglect can report it anonymously. IQ Nursing Homes has partnered with nursing home lawyers and nursing home negligence law firms throughout the country with the goal of putting a stop to the victimization of the elderly. By holding negligent staff members accountable for their actions and making it financially devastating for nursing homes to allow neglect to occur, this pattern of nursing home neglect can be put to an end.
