When loved ones are no longer able to care for themselves, many Maryland residents make the decision to seek care from skilled nursing facilities. Certainly, the expectation is that their family members will receive appropriate medical treatment, assistance in daily life activities and respect from all staff members. Sadly, this is not the case for some facilities. In fact, the incidents of reported nursing home negligence and abuse has prompted a recent hearing before a Senate committee.
The nation’s Senate Committee on Finance heard detailed accounts of neglect and abuse that had occurred at nursing homes from several states all across the country. One woman shared how her mother, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, had been sexually assaulted. Another woman testified that a skilled care facility had received high rankings from their state, yet had to pay fines for verbally and abusing patients just one year before her mother passed away there.
Patients who reside in these types of facilities are often uncommunicative and cannot clearly express what happens there on a day-to-day basis. That makes these scenarios even more heartbreaking, particularly when people have trusted these facilities to provide care for their loved ones. Lawmakers were troubled by the reports and stated that greater oversight was necessary for these services. Some suggestions included were more frequent inspections of the homes and a formal system of reporting incidents of abuse or neglect.
When families have lost loved ones due to nursing home negligence, they may decide to pursue wrongful death litigation against the facility or specific physicians or other medical professionals. A Maryland personal injury attorney can help clients with these legal claims. If successful, a lawsuit can provide survivors compensation for funeral costs and other related expenses, as well as possible awards for loss, pain and suffering.
