Nursing homes are places where residents should feel safe and taken care of. However, facilities may cut corners or fail to take proper care of the people they are responsible for. When this happens, residents may be at risk of harm.
If you fear that a nursing home is failing to take adequate care of a loved one, it is important to familiarize yourself with the ways negligence can manifest. You can accomplish this by taking note of the patterns and problems that often appear in complaints and injury claims.
Common patterns that may indicate nursing home negligence
In Tennessee, the laws set clear expectations for resident care in nursing homes. If a caregiver violates the rights of a resident, the state also provides tools for families to act if the standard of care is not met. Bear in mind that nursing home negligence cases are seldom built on a singular instance, but rather from behavior or treatment with patterns. Exceptions are made, however, for single serious failures. Common examples of negligence include:
- Falls from poor supervision or unsafe conditions: Lack of fall precautions, wet floors, missing handrails or delayed response to call lights
- Bedsores: Failure to reposition residents, poor skin checks or inadequate wound care
- Improper medication: Wrong dose, skipped doses, dangerous drug interactions or poor monitoring after administration
- Dehydration or malnutrition: Missed meals, ignoring swallowing risks or failure to track intake
Infections from poor hygiene: Inadequate handwashing, improper catheter care or unsafe wound care - Abuse or neglect: Rough handling, verbal intimidation, isolation or ignoring basic needs
- Failure to obtain medical care: Delays in calling a doctor, slow emergency responses or poor follow-ups after hospital discharge
As decreed by the Tennessee Nursing Home Residents’ Rights Act, negligence is a direct violation of resident rights. As a result, facilities must also comply with licensing and operational rules under Tennessee Code Annotated Section 68-11-201 et seq.
If a nursing home and its staff consistently fail to provide adequate care and display patterns of negligent behavior to its residents, families can file lawsuits against them and seek financial compensation.
What should you do if you suspect nursing home negligence?
If you believe that a loved one is suffering from negligence in a nursing home, it is important to document any injuries, ask for care records and file a report with the Tennessee Department of Human Services or Adult Protective Services.
However, if a caregiver’s negligence leads to injuries or health concerns, it may be time to take legal action. Many people consider speaking to an attorney for guidance on how to proceed, potentially deepening their understanding of their rights and how they can help their loved ones receive financial compensation for pain or harm.