Different Types of Orange County Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect, Part 4

In the final article of this series, Orange County nursing home attorney Samer Habbas will discuss three more issues that are commonly encountered in nursing home neglect/abuse cases: medical errors, inaccurate clinical records, and pressure sores.

Medical Errors

Due to financial considerations, nursing homes sometimes hire staff members who are poorly educated and poorly trained. It is bad enough when these people are in charge of feeding residents and making sure they are hydrated, but the situation gets much worse when they are in charge of handing out medications that can cause injury or death if inappropriately administered. In a case involving medical errors, your Orange County nursing home attorney will first want to get the name and qualifications of the person dispensing medication and try to find out if any supervision exists.

Inaccurate Clinical Records

Nursing homes need to maintain patient records, just like hospitals do. However, nursing home records are frequently inaccurate, either due to record-keeping mistakes or deliberate errors. In some extreme cases, records will be so bad as to show treatment occurring several days after a patient has passed away. Your Orange County nursing home attorney will want to carefully review any records in your case, looking for possible inaccuracies.

Pressure Sores

Decubitus ulcers, commonly called “pressure sores,” are lesions caused by unrelieved pressure on one part of the body. They can result in severe damage to underlying tissue. Federal regulations require that patients be cared for to avoid pressure sores, but understaffed nursing homes do not always take the appropriate precautions. Patients should be repositioned at least every two hours, using pillows, cushions, or blankets. Measures should also be taken to keep their blood circulating. Nursing home staff need to take extra precautions to make sure that incontinent patients are kept clean and dry.

An Orange County Nursing Home Attorney Can Help

If you or a loved one have been injured due to medical error, inaccurate record-keeping, pressure sores, or any other form of nursing home neglect or abuse, you may be able to recover damages for your medical costs and pain and suffering. Please contact Orange County nursing home attorney Samer Habbas at (888) 848-5084 for a free case evaluation.

Go back to <Different Types of Orange County Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect, Part 3>.