Neglect in Florida Nursing Homes

The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) defines neglect as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder. In Florida nursing homes, neglect can take many forms, including failure to assist in personal hygiene, such as bathing, grooming, and general cleanliness; failure to provide adequate food, hydration, or other nourishment; failure to treat physical and mental needs with proper and timely medical care; and failure to protect residents from health and safety hazards.

Unfortunately, neglect is often overlooked, as the signs may be subtle. But for the same reason, it is likely the most pervasive form of nursing home abuse in Florida. According to the Nursing Home Abuse Center, watch for these signs and symptoms of neglect if your relative or loved one resides in a nursing home:

• Falls – Neglect can result in falls, as in cases where an elder attempts to do something without aid because a caregiver fails to respond to a call for assistance; or neglect can exacerbate trauma experienced in a fall if an elder lies on the floor for an extended period of time without help from nursing home staff.
• Bed-Related Strangulation & Suffocation – If an elder is left in bed for a long period of time, and especially if other issues such as malnutrition or dementia are also present, the possibility that a resident will become trapped between nursing home bed rails increases. The federal government estimates that 20 to 30 deaths occur in nursing homes each year because of strangulation or suffocation associated with bed rails or falling between a poor-fitting mattress and bed frame.
• Bedsores – Bedsores are another result of spending long periods of time in bed. Not all bedsores indicate neglect, however, and if they are discovered in a timely manner the sores are merely easily treated red irritations. But if a nursing home resident is not given proper attention, bedsores can go unnoticed, becoming very serious and even lethal.
• Dehydration & Malnutrition – If nursing home staff fails to regularly address the dietary and hydration needs of residents, dehydration and/or malnutrition can result. Dehydration and malnutrition are not only serious problems in themselves, but can also cause other traumas, such as falls and bedsores, to be more severe because of a compromised immune system.

Experienced Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Serving Southeast Florida

If you believe that your relative or loved one has suffered from neglect in a Florida nursing home, contact Fetterman & Associates – The Law Team at (866) 865-1244. With offices in North Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, we serve Palm Beach County, St. Lucie County, and Martin County.