Reasons Why Wrongful Deaths Go Unnoticed at Nursing Homes
If you have a loved one in the nursing home, you should be able to assume they are getting the appropriate care and attention they need to stay healthy and live the best quality life possible. However, the reality is many nursing homes neglect their residents and can lead to deteriorating health in those residents. And in some cases, neglect can lead to premature death which doesn’t get investigated.
Wrongful death is defined as an incident where a person dies because of negligence or an intentional act. This can also include inaction that leads to harm in a person or simply carelessness. Too many wrongful death cases go unnoticed at nursing homes because of the assumption that the person had an underlying medical condition that primarily caused the death. A NY bedsore lawyer in Nassau County might suggest asking a few more questions to the nursing home about the death of your loved one to ensure nothing is being withheld. Here are some of the main reasons why nursing home wrongful death cases go unnoticed.
Physicians Assume Medical Conditions Caused The Death
Older people are usually in a nursing home because they have an existing medical condition or they simply can’t take care of themselves at home. The assumption physicians often make when evaluating a death is the underlying medical condition that caused it. Then when the physician tells the family this information, they have enough trust in them that they should believe what they say.
A bedsore attorney in Manhattan, NY might view this perspective from physicians as being lazy and not wanting to perform a full investigation into the reason for the death. Determining the actual cause of the death is critical so families can determine whether it truly was caused by a medical condition or if negligence played a factor. But since physicians are often assumed to be trustworthy, wrongful death cases often go unnoticed when families believe what they say.
Fear Of Entering A Civil Lawsuit
Nursing homes sometimes cover up the cause of death when they know negligence could have played a role in the death. Entering a civil lawsuit is expensive and can severely damage the reputation of a nursing home, so they sometimes go to great lengths to ensure the actual cause of death is not revealed. While it might be true that a medical condition caused the death, being dehydrated or malnourished may have been major factors as well. And those are signs that the patient had been neglected, which is what nursing homes don’t want families to know about.
Families Often Don’t Ask Enough Questions
Every bedsore attorney will suggest to families to ask a lot of questions about the death of their loved one. Too many families assume they can trust the words from the nursing home staff and physicians, but that’s often not the case. When you get suggestions from a NY bedsore lawyer in Nassau County, they will tell you never to assume anything you hear is true, especially when you know your loved one wasn’t in poor enough health to die prematurely. And if you don’t get the answers you need to hear or have any doubts that the staff or physicians are telling you the truth, it’s time to get a bedsore attorney in Manhattan, NY involved.
What To Look For In Wrongful Death Cases
Negligence can take many forms. When you visit your loved ones in the nursing home, observe their behavior and take note of any changes they might be showing. Chances are your loved one doesn’t realize they are being neglected, so if you don’t say something, then the neglect could continue. Consider some of these conditions that your loved one may have experienced while being in a nursing home prior to their death:
- Malnourishment
- Bedsores
- Medication concerns
- Dehydration
Malnourishment and dehydration are two of the most common factors that lead to wrongful death, but they are also easy for nursing homes to cover up. Older people experiencing medical conditions might not eat or drink as much as they should, but that’s not an excuse for nursing homes to fail to provide them adequate nourishment. These two factors can lead to serious complications and potentially death if not treated soon enough.
Bedsores are also common causes of death, and they are easy to prevent when treated early enough. A bedsore attorney will suggest asking the nursing home staff what they are doing to treat bedsores when your loved one experiences them. These often get neglected or ignored, which can lead to infections and create major complications. So if your loved one experienced bedsores in a nursing home and died prematurely a few weeks or months later, speak with a bedsore attorney as soon as possible.
Sinel & Olesen, PLLC is here to help in the event of a wrongful death case in your loved one. You need an experienced bedsore attorney to evaluate your case since nursing homes often go to great lengths to cover up their negligence. An experienced bedsore attorney knows the tactics and strategies nursing homes use to cover up wrongful deaths and can point out any red flags quickly. We are here to help you receive justice and any damages for the wrongful death of your loved one, so contact us today to receive a free case evaluation.