Families Need To Be Aware Of Understaffing In Senior Living Facilities
When placing a loved one in a nursing home, it's important that you trust that he or she will receive the best possible care. However, when nursing homes in West Virginia are understaffed, residents' needs are less likely to be met.
At Mani Ellis & Layne, PLLC, we've seen the pain and suffering nursing home neglect has caused to residents and their families. We fight for the rights of victims throughout the state of West Virginia.
When Inadequate Staffing At Nursing Homes Goes Under The Radar
Recent data reported by PBS shows that most nursing homes have exaggerated their number of employees when reporting to government agencies. However, payroll records reported by Medicare from more than 14,000 nursing homes found that most facilities were understaffed. Some nursing homes that may have been had adequate staffing and received a 5-star rating from Medicare, have failed to report when their number of employees declined.
Too many cases go unreported and unaddressed because the providers have a built-in excuse. “That person is elderly and in declining health,” they say. “That’s why they got sicker. There’s nothing we could do.” But too often, there was something they could do. Their job is to protect their patients’ health, and too often, they fail.
The truth is most elderly people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities can still look forward to years of healthy, meaningful living. Understaffing steals those years from them. In our experience, understaffing is a factor in the vast majority of neglect and abuse cases.
Holding Negligent Nursing Homes Accountable
If you have a parent, grandparent or loved one in a nursing home, here’s our advice: Stay involved. Visit as often as you can, ideally on different days and at different times. Go to their treatment meetings. Review their records. If something goes wrong, don’t just accept the facility’s excuses. Demand detailed answers about what exactly happened.
If it turns out that the nursing home isn't taking measure to meet your loved one's needs, they should be held accountable.
If a loved one suffered an injury or illness due to nursing home negligence in West Virginia, it's important that you seek legal representation as soon as possible. The attorneys at Mani Ellis & Layne, PLLC will fight aggressively for you and your family. Contact us today and find out what we can do for you.