Unfortunately, falls are not uncommon in nursing homes. Patients often fall out of bed, in the shower, or just from lack of balance. Nursing home neglect is a serious issue that can lead to severe injuries or even death. Falls are terrible accidents for the elderly and their families, but there are things nursing homes and long-term care facilities can do to prevent them from happening.
Alzheimer’s Patient Climbs Out Window
OzarksFirst.com reported, in Springfield, Missouri, about a woman with Alzheimer’s who fell from a window of the Springfield Skilled Care Center where she was living. Mary Bebee was 81 years old and living in a secured unit of the facility. According to Cpl. Matt Brown of the Springfield Police, “It appears she tried to crawl through the window, attempted that, and at some point expired.” Ms. Bebee fractured her neck and died because of the fall.
The Springfield Skilled Care Center has had previous issues with inspections. The nursing home has been cited for violations in the past year including failure to prevent falls, failure to properly refrigerate some of their medications, safety code violations in the special care unit and fire doors not opening properly when fire alarms were tested. According to the Medicare Nursing Home Compare System, Springfield Skilled Care Center ranks one out of five stars in terms of health inspections, which is well below average.
Accidents like this one can be prevented. Patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia need to be watched more carefully because they can be unpredictable. These residents should not be given the opportunity to hurt themselves in this way. Windows should be securely shut, sharp objects should not be left out and nursing home staff should be present for daily tasks such as bathing and eating. Alzheimer’s and dementia patients are especially vulnerable and need a specialized form of care.
Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If you believe your loved one has been abused or neglected in a nursing home, please contact our professionals at the Mininno Law Offices. We are dedicated to eradicating the current trends of abuse and neglect found in the nursing homes across the country. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Through a series of questions and a physical examination, a physician can get a better sense of the strength and nutrition an individual is receiving. After the test, if the doctor believes that a patient may be malnourished, tests should be run to monitor the serum albumin and lymphocyte counts. Dietary supplements and nutrients should be prescribed for a patient who is at risk for malnutrition. Possible supplements and nutrients can include Vitamins A, B, C, and E, arginine, glutamine, magnesium, selenium, manganese, and zinc, among others. If a patient is assigned to take these vitamins and minerals, it is imperative that a physician’s instructions are strictly followed. Bed sore lawyers believe that the strength of these minerals and vitamins can lead to severe issues regarding health if they are taken in improper dosages. They also believe that high protein diets increase the speed and effectiveness regarding pressure ulcers. 
In early March 2011, the FDA issued an alert regarding the dangerous risks of certain oral defects that may derive from the use of Topamax during pregnancy. Additional warning labels have also been added to the Topamax bottle. The 
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Sustained pressure occurs when the skin and tissue are compacted between the bone and an outer surface. Surfaces such as beds and wheel chairs are the most common. The pressure may over power the blood, flowing through the capillaries, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching the skin tissues. Bedsore attorneys believe that regions of the body that are not protected by fat or muscle tend to be at the greatest risk of bedsores caused by sustained pressure.
The lawsuit, filed by the estate of Ms. Farrell, charged the hospital and Dr. Shander with negligence, but a Superior Court jury found that neither was liable for any form of malpractice. Nearly three years later, the appellate court put a halt on the lower court’s ruling because the trial judge should have asked potential jurors if they had read a New York Times Article before the trial began. The article could have potentially swayed the emotions and prejudices of the jurors which could have led to an unfair influence on the verdict. 
Wheelchairs are a necessary means of mobility for many people worldwide. Although wheelchairs allow individuals to move freely from place to place, the extended period of time in the same position could lead to pressure ulcers. Those who rely on wheelchairs need to be weary of this potential. People who frequently use wheelchairs often suffer from pressure sores in a few sites in particular. The tailbone or buttocks, the shoulder blades and spine, and the backs of the legs and arms are common sites for bedsores to form. These areas of the body rest against the wheelchair for a prolonged period of time, creating a wound which slowly evolves through the bedsore stages.
As people age, their skin becomes thinner, less elastic, and much more fragile than their younger days. The skin will also seem to be much drier in people of increased age, making it difficult for skin to heal. It takes significantly longer for new skin cells to generate which is another reason that people who are older are more susceptible to skin damage.
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The legal system uses money damages in many different ways. Compensatory damages are generally used to compensate the plaintiff for any harm that the defendant has caused. Punitive damages are used to set an example and punish a defendant for particularly egregious harm. One particular portion of the legislation in North Carolina that has medical malpractice attorneys “up at arms” is the $500,000 cap on non-economic money damages. This means that damages that go beyond mere lost wages and the cost of medical care that were caused by medical negligence would now be limited. This is a debatable position for the legislature to take because many cases involve specific circumstances in which pain, suffering, loss of consortium (spousal loss of companionship and affection), hedonic damages (loss of life’s pleasure), and many other non-economic losses will far eclipse the proposed cap.