Responsibility of Nursing Homes to Prevent Self-Induced Injuries

Nursing homes have a responsibility to keep their residents safe. Part of this safety practice is to prevent a resident from harming themself due to a self-induced injury. Nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys can provide relief for the pain and suffering that a negligent facility may have caused. We also know that our nations’ elderly are fragile and are facing multiple end-of-life and often serious medical conditions.  A common, but serious act of nursing home residents is to remove important tubes that stabilize serious medical conditions. This is because sometimes tubes will feel uncomfortable, cause increased anxiety, anger and even confusion in a resident. When tubes are removed by residents, it is up to nursing home staff to make an informed decision to prevent the serious and fatal accidents that can occur due to an improper removal.

For example, a nursing home was held responsible for the death of a resident due to negligent plans to prevent self-extubation (removal of tubes). The resident initially entered the nursing home due to a stroke and was to be closely monitored. While there were other major factors in the case, including the resident to be a misfit for that nursing home, the major neglect on the part of the nursing home staff was the lack of use of mittens, or restraints. The patients was charted to be at a high risk because of the attempt to remove medical tubes 6 times in a 5 week period. While the restraints were ordered, they were never used. Such neglect can put a resident in a dangerous situation, and the nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at Malman Law do not tolerate such negligence.

If you or a loved one experienced a similar incident, call our office today to learn if your treatment has the groundings for a nursing home abuse case. Malman Law’s attorneys fight aggressively and diligently to help you and your family recover from medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even emotional distress. By filing a claim with one of our dedicated attorneys you can also help in Malman Law’s mission to advocate for fair treatment in nursing homes. We believe that our elderly deserve the very best when they are cared for while remaining in comfort and safety. 

Learn more about nursing home abuse by downloading our ebook "6 Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse"