Many seniors in nursing homes rely on wheelchairs and staff members to help them get around. Many of them cannot transfer between a wheelchair and a bed on their own. Even with the help of staff members, this is a risky maneuver as seniors could potentially get hurt.
Staff members help seniors transition from one position to another often. According to MedlinePlus, there are procedures established for transitioning patients between locations to ensure that everything goes smoothly. It is when nursing homes fail to adhere to these standards that patients are injured and need medical attention.
If your loved one was injured while being moved to or from a bed or wheelchair, you may be able to take legal action against the care provider for the cost of recovering from injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), injuries to an elderly patient can be considered a form of physical abuse. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 for a free consultation about your case.
Moving Patients from a Bed to a Wheelchair
Moving patients from a bed to a wheelchair is particularly risky because the patient cannot complete the process on their own. In some cases, the patient is not able to contribute at all due to muscle weakness or other issues. This means that the caregiver of the facility must move them through the process. There are procedures established to help make this process easier.
These procedures are also designed to improve patient safety as much as possible. When the proper guidelines are in place, accidents rarely happen, meaning that the procedures are effective in improving safety. However, not every facility is so strict with following the rules. When they do not follow the appropriate procedure guidelines, accidents are more frequent. This also opens the facility up to possible liability lawsuits for not providing better care and enforcing care guidelines.
Elder Abuse Prevention Strategies
The best method of dealing with abuse is prevention. There are steps that you can take to reduce the chances that your loved one will be abused. Close attention to his or her care is one of the best methods of preventing abuse. Keeping a close eye on your loved one’s care may make it too difficult to get away with abuse and may discourage the abuser.
Nursing home facilities should also implement abuse prevention strategies. They are required to keep a closer eye on their staff members to make sure that they are not abusing seniors. If you feel that the facility may be experiencing issues that others are unaware of, you can report it to the facility’s manager. If the manager fails to act on it at that time, you can consider taking legal action by contacting Pintas & Mullins Law Firm.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-934-6555
Medical Expenses
A loved one’s injury from being moved to or from a wheelchair or bed can have a serious impact on your finances. Medical treatment is needed, and you may have a lot of medical expenses to deal with afterward that can impact your finances for years. Some of these expenses include:
- Hospital stays: Your loved one may need to stay in the hospital for their recovery or may need specialized care.
- Diagnostic tests: Your loved one may need specialized diagnostic testing to determine the extent of their injuries.
- Recovery therapy: They may need different types of recovery-focused therapies to regain functionality.
- Disability care: Your loved one may need specialized disability care after they develop a disability due to a head injury.
There may be other expenses not covered on this list. You may be able to claim all of these expenses in the lawsuit. If you have any questions about what you can claim in your personal injury lawsuit, talk to the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, who can give you more guidance relative to your specific case.
Your Next Steps
Once you discover that your loved one was injured, the first thing to do is make sure that they are getting the right medical care. Effective medical care can make a significant difference in their outcome. Then, figure out why this happened. There may have been a problem on the facility’s part. If so, decide if you are willing to keep your loved one in the same facility or if you need to help your loved one move.
Throughout this process, think about taking legal action. You only have a limited amount of time to do so according to the statute of limitations, which varies based on which state the incident occurred in. Reach out to a lawyer’s office as soon as possible for legal advice. If you wait too long, you could lose your chance to file your lawsuit and collect compensation.
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If your loved one was injured while being moved to or from a bed or wheelchair in a nursing home, they could be entitled to compensation related to their injuries. You can contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 for a free consultation about your case. We can answer any questions about the legal process that you might have. We are here to help you so that your loved one can get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Call or text 800-934-6555 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
