Medical Malpractice

Nursing Home Malpractice

People often believe that because a family member is in a nursing home that he or she will receive constant medical attention. Sadly, this is seldom true. Physicians seldom see patients more frequently than every 30 days. Worse than lack of medical visits is negligence on the part of nursing home staff and even the attending physician. However, if there is no obvious and urgent negative outcome, treatment problems may go unobserved and unreported.

It is important for people to monitor loved ones in nursing home situations to be sure they are receiving adequate and correct medical treatment. A nursing home will almost never report negligence in their own facility. It is up to patients and their families to be alert to signs of medical malpractice.

Examples of medical malpractice common to nursing homes

Medical malpractice and negligence can take many forms. Patients can experience:

• Medication errors, such as the wrong dosage or the wrong medication because the order was incorrectly recorded or read
• Failure to diagnose common nursing home conditions such as malnutrition, dehydration and the symptoms of abuse, infection of bedsores and pneumonia
• Nurses failing to report changes in patient’s condition to the physician

Be alert to medication errors and other problems

If family members suspect that a loved one is not receiving adequate medical care or that medication errors or other mistakes have been made, it is vital to pursue the matter. If you don’t receive an adequate response quickly, seek legal advice to discuss your options.

Consult with a lawyer who has nursing home experience

At my Seattle law office, I use my knowledge of nursing home practice gained through fourteen years as a registered nurse in institutions caring for seniors. I am able to obtain and review medical records quickly and determine whether the patient may have experienced medical negligence such as medication errors or a failure to report condition changes. Contact me, Catherine S. Strong, RN, BSN, JD.