Charleston is home to many different nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Recently, U.S. News and World Report produced a list of all eighteen Charleston nursing homes along with their official grades from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). CMS grades all nursing homes comprehensively on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, just two of the city’s nursing homes, White Oak Manor and NHC Health Care, received the highest available rating (five stars), while three other facilities Riverside Health and Rehabilitation, Mount Pleasant Manor and Life Care Center of Charleston, all received one-star ratings. It is always important to research a nursing home before moving your loved one into it, but it is also important to remember that injury can occur at any facility. Even the top-rated five-star nursing homes sometimes have problems. If your loved one suffered an type of injury at a nursing home, please contact an experienced Charleston nursing home abuse attorney immediately to discuss your legal options.
Top Five Nursing Home Injuries to Watch Out For
- Bed Sores: Bed sores and other similar injuries are major problems at nursing homes. Do not be fooled by the name, a bedsore is a very serious and very painful condition. Bedsores are also known as pressure ulcers and they can literally tear the skin off of a victim. Further, they can usually be prevented and nursing homes have an obligation to work to keep them from occurring.
- Dehydration and Malnutrition: Nursing home patients are especially vulnerable. As such, they must be treated with the highest level of care and attention. After all, the main point of moving a person into an assisted living facility is to ensure that they are protected. Unfortunately, far too many of South Carolina nursing homes fail to keep a close eye on their patients. This can lead to serious dehydration and malnutrition occurring. A vulnerable person, when subject to either of these conditions, may suffer severe complications, possibly including death.
- Severe Infections: Infections threaten all people, especially vulnerable nursing home patients. The good news is that the vast majority of infections can be quickly healed if they are caught early on in the process. Early diagnosis is critical because, when left untreated for too long, an infection can result in severe complications and can permanently disable or kill a person. For example, when relatively common eye infections are left untreated, permanent eyesight loss can be the result.
- Broken bones: Nursing homes must also do what they can to protect their residents from fractures and broken bones. Most often, these types of injuries occur because of falls. It is important to assess why a fall happened. In many cases, falls are entirely preventable. Nursing homes must adequately supervise patients and ensure that the premises are in safe condition.
- Psychological Distress: Finally, it is also important to consider the mental aspects of living in a nursing home. Psychological abuse is a real threat. Mental and emotional harm can occur in a number of different ways, from general neglect to active abuse by the staff or other residents. Once again, nursing homes have a legal obligation to protect the wellbeing of all of their patients. If a facility fails to do so, protective legal action must be taken.
My Loved One Suffered a Nursing Home Injury, What Now?
In the unfortunate event that your loved one has been seriously injured, you must take action. Please remember this important concept: nursing home abuse and neglect is notoriously difficult to prove. This means that you need to get your case into the hands of an qualified Charleston nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible after an injury has occurred. Your attorney can make sure that your loved one is fully protected. For example, if your loved one still lives in the facility, your attorney can help you get them to immediate safety. In some cases, this will require filing a report with the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS). DSS is an agency that can use its considerable resources to provide fast protection. Once your loved one is safe, your attorney can help you assess the available legal options. If the nursing home’s negligence contributed to your loved one’s injuries, that facility must be held accountable. Our nursing home abuse team can help your loved one seek full and fair compensation.
Contact an Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
At Joye Law Firm, we have helped protect the legal rights and financial interests of many South Carolina nursing home injury victims. If your family member was injured in an assisted living facility, please do not hesitate to contact our Charleston nursing home abuse lawyers to set up a free review of your case.
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