Was a Loved One Harmed in a Nursing Home Due to Medication Errors?
Do you have a loved one who is residing in a nursing home? If so, you are not alone; Well over a million people currently reside in nearly 16,000 care facilities across the country. While many of these places provide sanitary, safe, and loving homes for the elderly and impaired, there are, unfortunately, some that are less than stellar. If you find that the negligence or recklessness in such a facility has led to serious harm to your loved one, it may be worthwhile to consult with a local attorney.
Maryland’s Record
Unfortunately, Maryland leads the pack when it comes to nursing home complaints in the United States. Not only that—the state has failed to conduct timely investigations of complaints within federal guidelines three–fourths of the time. That means complaints are often left unsubstantiated and uncorrected for far too long, if at all. With over 200 facilities in the state, and over 1,000 complaints, that adds up to a serious problem.
Is it Malpractice?
When mistakes are made, it could very likely lead to accusations of malpractice. Some issues are particularly reckless, including:
- Purposely or blatantly disregarding medication orders;
- Managing medications improperly in terms of recording, refilling, or substituting medications;
- Using prescriptions that are intended for a different patient;
- The diversion of medications for the personal use of staff.
Potential Medication Errors
While it’s true that occasional minor errors related to medications occur in any facility, serious or repeated mistakes pose a great risk to residents, and cannot be tolerated. Some errors that might have severe consequences include:
- Ignoring medication instructions indicating that a capsule or tablet should not be crushed;
- Neglecting to provide fluids with the medication, leading to associated dehydration and other risks;
- Taking medications on an empty stomach when it should be taken with food;
- Improperly combining medications;
- Failing to assure that eye drops are indeed placed in the eye, and remain for the prescribed time period;
- Neglecting to monitor dose inhalers properly;
- Ignoring complications related to sublingual tablets that are swallowed;
- Double dosing of medications;
- Omitting medication doses;
- Providing expired medications;
- Failing to properly document the dispensation of medications.
It’s a Serious Matter
If medication errors have led to serious consequences for your loved one, you may be feeling angry, confused, and helpless. At the Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes, we understand your consternation, and we know how to help. Our experienced Baltimore personal injury attorneys will investigate, knowing the right places to look and the right questions to ask in order to get to the bottom of it. If negligence or recklessness is found, we will fight for justice on your behalf. Schedule a confidential consultation in our Baltimore office today.
Resource:
wtop.com/congress/2019/06/federal-list-of-troubled-nursing-homes-revealed-by-senators/
https://www.hbarneslaw.com/workplace-fatalities/
