Thursday, July 28, 2016

What you should know about burn injuries and choking at a nursing home?

The bitter truth is that nursing home abuse is not something which is blown out of proportion. It is a real problem that occurs way more often than one would think. It is not as bad as ISIS, millions unemployed, and the national debt but it is an issue nonetheless.  

Nursing home abuse can come in many forms such as financial abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, etc. and furthermore, nursing home abuse lawyers say that the numbers actually don’t paint the whole picture since most instances of abuse and neglect goes unreported.

What we need to understand is that the victims of nursing home abuse are often frail, weak, and helpless elders who really do not have the means or resources to ring the alarm bells if and when they are abused.

In this article, we will focus on burn injuries and choking which may occur in nursing homes as a result of negligence on behalf of the caregivers/nurses/nursing assistants.

If you need legal assistance though, press right here Nursing-Home-Abuse.USAttorneys. Legal help is right around the virtual corner.

Nursing home abuse lawyers believe that if a nursing home does not want to do its job then perhaps it should not be open or it should have different management.  
Common causes for burn injuries

Some of the common reasons why nursing home employees become inflicted with burn injuries according to nursing home abuse attorneys are things such as their food or beverages being served way too hot, and being exposed to extremely hot water in the bath or in the shower.

Now if you watch the fabulous movie 13 Hours which depicts the Benghazi attack and America’s neglect of its own people in 2012 you will know that Ambassador Stevens and a couple of others did not die of burning to death but smoke inhalation. This may not happen too much or at all in an elderly care center but burning is more common and if the elderly or the patient does not receive the proper treatment and care, there is something wrong.

Some mentally or physically challenged residents are sometimes allowed to operate appliances such as microwaves, cookers, stovetops, coffee makers, hair curlers, iron boxes, etc. while some residents end up as burn victims as a result of an accidental fire.

Safety standards in long term nursing homes

According to law, any long term caring facility is subjected to specific safety standards and is expected to comply with life safety codes which stipulate terms such as acceptable temperatures for water for bathing, air conditioning temperatures, electrical code compliance, and so on. If you believe that the care facility that is supposed to be caring for your elderly loved one has violated any of these safety standards then you should reach out to a nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible and have them look into the case.

If the nursing home is found to be negligent then your legal counselor will be able to help in filing a compensation claim via a personal injury lawsuit.

Choking accidents in a nursing home

Instances of residents dying in choking accidents are on the rise in nursing homes across the country and negligence (or sometimes downright malice) seems to be involved. If your loved one passed away as a result of brain damage because of a choking accident then you should seriously start looking into what exactly transpired.

Not all choking situations are amusing as it was in the movie Dumb and Dumber.

You will need to undertake a detailed investigation to get answers to several questions. This includes whether your loved one received proper supervision considering his or her disabilities or condition. Another vital factor is whether the choking incident occurred at the dining area which could have been understaffed or in the resident’s room or apartment after being left alone to eat.

There are several more issues when it comes to identifying abuse and neglect at a nursing facility. Just make sure to consult a nursing home abuse lawyer right away and get started working on your lawsuit. 

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