Admitting a loved one to a nursing facility involves a difficult decision, and you want to feel assured that they receive good care. You hope that they will experience the respect and dignity that they deserve and have caretakers who meet their daily needs.
Unfortunately, nursing home neglect occurs and qualifies as a form of elder abuse. Many elderly and frail residents of nursing homes are suffering from abuse and neglect despite several state and federal laws regulating nursing home care standards comprehensively, reports the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).
Those most at risk from neglect are elderly persons with cognitive impairments and conditions such as dementia. Have you noticed that your loved one in the nursing home is looking neglected, wearing soiled clothes, or lacking basic personal hygiene? They may also live at risk of generally unhygienic conditions, leaving them vulnerable to a series of health problems, including infectious diseases and premature death.
If you have reason to believe that your loved one suffers from poor hygiene due to neglect in a nursing home or has already sustained injuries as a result of poor hygiene, you can speak to a member of our team to consider your legal options. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for a free consultation. Reach us. We can tell you more about how a Riverside poor hygiene lawyer can help you.
Warning Signs of Poor Hygiene in Nursing Homes
Elderly adults in nursing homes cannot manage their personal hygiene by themselves and need help with basic tasks, including going to the bathroom, bathing, changing their clothes, dental hygiene, and other personal grooming needs. Bedridden residents may need frequent wound care and changing of diapers.
If you suspect a nursing home of practicing poor hygiene on the premises and neglecting residents’ personal hygiene needs, some other red flags and warning signs to watch for include:
- Soiled clothes and bedding
- Dirty rooms, bathrooms, and common areas
- Unwashed and unkempt appearance of residents
- Odors of urine and/or feces
- Deteriorating dental health of your spouse or parent
Poor hygiene may manifest in additional ways or may not appear when you visit your loved one. Food hygiene and basic safe food preparation techniques, for example, count just as much as the personal care of residents and general cleanliness.
If the nursing home staff is not following hygiene protocols—for example, not wearing gloves when appropriate or not washing hands when moving from one resident to the next—they may endanger all residents of the home. Poor personal hygiene, poor food hygiene, and a lack of general cleanliness in and around a facility can all signal neglect.
Consequences of Poor Nursing Home Hygiene for the Elderly
The immune systems of elderly persons in nursing homes, some of whom have ongoing medical conditions, do not function as well as those of healthy adults. Poor hygiene in a nursing home proves not only unpleasant, but also poses a real danger to an older person.
An unclean and unhygienic environment directly contributes to the presence and spread of bacteria and viruses in a long-term care facility. Infections, often spread through poor hygiene, contribute to many deaths in nursing homes, according to Aging Health.
If a nursing home resident is suffering from poor hygiene in the nursing home, they may pick up infections that result in them needing medical treatment and maybe even hospital stays. This can cause spiraling medical bills for the resident and their family, and contribute to future expenses for ongoing health problems caused by infections and illnesses that developed from their poor hygiene.
For a free legal consultation with a Poor Hygiene Lawyer serving Riverside, call (800) 794-0444
Nursing Homes Have to Abide by Laws
Nursing homes do not just have a moral responsibility towards their residents but also a requirement by law to provide a certain standard of care. This includes providing a hygienic and safe environment for their residents, as well as making sure all personal hygiene and cleanliness needs of the residents receive attention.
Illinois’s Health Facilities and Regulation (210 ILCS 45/) Nursing Home Care Act mentions specifically the regulation of “all sanitary conditions within the facility and its surroundings.” The act also describes the vetting of staff and qualifications necessary for those dealing with personal care and hygiene of residents.
A nursing home can potentially prove negligent and owe you compensation if they practiced poor hygiene and it led to your loved one’s injuries. The facility has to ensure enough staff on the premises to guarantee general good hygiene, as well as meeting every resident’s personal hygiene needs.
If your loved one sustained injuries or suffered a wrongful death due to the lack of personal hygiene or general hygiene in a facility, the nursing home might have broken the law, and you may qualify to receive compensation.
Riverside Poor Hygiene Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Get Help from a Riverside Poor Hygiene Lawyer Today
A nursing home may bear liability for any shortcomings, but the laws surrounding neglect and poor hygiene in the nursing home are complex. Consider your option of speaking to a Riverside poor hygiene lawyer to help you fully understand your case. We may discuss your legal options, build a case, and hold the responsible parties liable.
You may receive compensation for medical bills, transportation costs, and other expenses relating to an injury or death caused by the negligence of a nursing facility. You may also receive other awards, for example, for the physical and mental pain suffered by your loved one.
Let us work for you and your loved one. We do not charge attorney’s fees upfront and work on contingency only. Speak to Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to find out how our dedicated team of professionals may help you with your case. Call us.
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