Have you placed your aging parents in a nursing home because they are unable to properly care for themselves? When you chose the home, you probably investigated its reputation, safety record and licensing, hoping that your loved ones will be safe and well cared for.
Unfortunately, accidents happen. Whether the nursing home is at fault or not, you should know what steps you need to take if a loved one gets hurt in an accident.
Get medical help
As soon as you learn about the accident, take your loved one to the doctor or hospital so that the damage does not get worse. Make sure the doctor does a thorough exam in case there are other wounds. If the incident results in the loss of life, find out how from the coroner.
Gather evidence
Ask both the nursing home and patient what happened, and write it down. Ask what each staff member was doing at the time of the event. Look for signs of negligence or abuse. Take photos of the area where the incident occurred as well as the injuries you can see.
Keep a list of the medications the victim was taking, and gather any medical records associated with the injury, including the doctor’s recommendations for physical therapy or further treatment.
File a claim
The nursing home should have immediately documented the incident. Contact the nursing home about filing an accident claim. Through this process, you may receive compensation for medical bills, funeral costs and other losses as a result of the accident.
To identify early signs of abuse or neglect that can cause nursing home accidents, visit your loved ones regularly and speak with the facility about any signs you see.
