Inattentive Staff in Denver Nursing Homes

Nursing homes have a duty under both federal and state law to treat their residents with respect and dignity. While most Denver-area long-term care facilities abide by that duty and provide standard care to their residents, some nursing homes fail to protect their residents from preventable harm. When nursing home employees fail to watch their residents or attend to their needs, serious problems can occur.

Learning that your loved one has sustained harm due to inattentive staff in Denver nursing homes can be devastating news. Fortunately, there is legal assistance available. A seasoned nursing home abuse attorney at our firm could help you take action to protect your loved one and hold the responsible parties accountable for their wrongful actions.

How Does Inattentiveness Contribute to Accidents in Nursing Homes?

The physical and emotional frailty that comes with age makes nursing home residents especially vulnerable to accidents and abuse. Many nursing home injuries can be avoided with attentive care and forethought on the part of staff members.

Inadequate staffing can make the staff inattentive if there are not enough employees to watch the residents. Additionally, when a nursing home does not adequately train its staff, those employees may not pay proper attention to their residents. A skilled Denver attorney could determine whether the nursing home in question had an adequate number of employees and evaluate their level of training.

Nursing Home Accidents Commonly Attributed to Inattentive Staff

Some of the more common accidents and injuries resulting from inattentive nursing home employees include slips and falls, residents wandering off, infections, and bedsores. It is advisable to enlist the help of a Denver attorney when an elderly loved one exhibits any indications of neglect.

Slips and Falls

Elderly individuals often have trouble seeing – as our eyesight declines with age – making them particularly susceptible to suffering serious injury by tripping on foreign objects on the floor or walking into unexpected obstacles. Nursing homes are expected to anticipate those risks and have plans in place to prevent such accidents. Good care facilities keep the hallways well-lit and the floors and walkways free of debris and obstacles.

After cleaning the floors, staff members should return things to their original positions to avoid confusing residents who have difficulty seeing or remembering. Nursing home residents who suffer from mobility impairments may find it difficult to walk unassisted or transfer themselves from the bed to a walker or wheelchair. Good nursing homes have plans in place to address these concerns before problems arise. Our attorneys could review a Denver nursing home’s employee manual and other procedures to see if they have reasonable training programs and fall avoidance protocols.

Residents Wandering Off

Residents with dementia who are able to walk can sometimes walk right out the front door and wander away from the facility. If staff members are inattentive and allow a resident to wander off, the resident can suffer injuries in many ways while outside the nursing home, such as from:

• Extreme cold, heat, or other weather conditions
• Falling
• Car accidents
• Criminal activity

Nursing home staff members are responsible for preventing residents from leaving the facility unattended. Trained employees must watch the exits and keep watch of residents who have a tendency to leave.

Infections and Bedsores

Residents who are infirm cannot always advocate for themselves. This can make them susceptible to infections and bedsores if they are unable move. Employees must frequently rotate the positions of non-ambulatory residents to prevent bedsores from developing, as well as regularly check any known injuries. When left unattended, minor injuries can lead to major infections.

Our well-versed lawyers could use their knowledge and experience to investigate a nursing home’s staff for patterns of inattentiveness to determine whether a resident and their family have a viable claim for damages.

Call a Denver Attorney to Hold Inattentive Nursing Home Staff Accountable

Nursing homes are supposed to care for people who are no longer able to care for themselves. When staff members do not pay adequate attention to their residents, accidents can occur. If you think that your family member suffered a serious injury at the hands of inattentive staff in a Denver nursing home, let a local attorney help you pursue compensation from liable parties. Call today to get started.