How Nursing Home Neglect Can Lead to Deadly Infection Outbreaks
Nursing homes need to protect their residents from all types of hazards
Nursing homes have a responsibility to protect their residents from health risks, and among the most significant are infectious diseases. Because nursing home residents usually have weakened immune systems and pre-existing illnesses, a spreading infection can cause serious illness or death.
Last month, infection control experts published updated guidelines for long-term care facilities to prevent and control infections. The new guidelines highlight the need for nursing homes to be diligent in implementing infection control programs and practices.
Why the new guidelines?
As McKnight's Long-Term Care News reported, the new guidelines, published by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, are the first update since 2008.
The new guidelines are based on several factors, including the increased medical needs of residents, the threat of drug-resistant pathogens, and the emergence of other pathogens. There are a number of reasons nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases, including:
- Use of intravenous (IV) needles
- Presence of wounds (including bedsores)
- Frequent use of ventilators
The new guidelines reiterate that nursing home staff must follow good infection control practices, including hand hygiene and cleaning and disinfecting equipment. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of providing sufficient staff and infection control supplies.
How nursing home neglect can lead to the spread of infections
Unfortunately, the reality in too many nursing homes is that infections spread far too easily among residents. There are several reasons nursing home negligence can lead to the spread of infections, including:
- Understaffing: Infection control protocols are labor-intensive. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and equipment takes time and effort. In an understaffed facility, those protocols often fall by the wayside.
- Basic needs neglect: Failing to bathe and change residents can lead to the development of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Failing to turn residents in bed can lead to bedsores that become infected. Those infections can then spread from resident to resident.
- Medical neglect: It’s not possible to eliminate all risk of infection in a nursing home, but it’s absolutely possible to monitor residents for warning signs of infection and intervene promptly when they emerge. When residents’ medical needs are neglected, infections can go untreated for days, weeks, or longer, dramatically increasing the risk to residents.
It's not an excuse that nursing home residents are already in frail health; if anything, that’s why there is such a strong duty to protect them. When nursing homes fail to keep their residents safe, lives can be lost. We hold negligent facilities accountable.
Talk to an experienced nursing home neglect attorney
Holding nursing homes responsible for the harm they cause their residents is a difficult task. Investigating nursing home neglect can be challenging because facilities are often tight-lipped about what happened, and residents may have trouble remembering or articulating what they saw.
At Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C., we know how to overcome those difficulties, find out what happened, and build the case for the compensation your family deserves. It’s an approach that gets meaningful results, including a $1 million wrongful death settlement for a resident who died due to bedsores.
If your loved one was harmed in a nursing home, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your options. Schedule your free consultation with Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C. today.
"From the beginning of the case to the very end, Perry, Misty, and the staff kept us fully informed of the process. They were very helpful, thoughtful, compassionate, and knowledgeable. If you're in need of a great attorney, I recommend Shuttlesworth Law Firm." – Sandra C., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐