There are several documents you need to prove medication errors at a memory care facility, including:
- Official lists of prescribed medication
- Records of health care appointments during which a clinician prescribed medication
- Medication order records
- Receipts and records from your loved one’s pharmacy
- Records kept by the memory care facility related to dispensing and administering your loved one’s medications
- Medical records kept by the facility showing your loved one experienced an adverse reaction to a medication
- Medical records related to treatment your loved one received for a medication error
- Toxicology reports
- Autopsy or post-mortem toxicology reports
Our team of attorneys can help you gather the appropriate documentation to hold the memory care facility accountable for your family’s losses.
How to investigate medication errors
If your loved one in a memory care facility had an adverse drug reaction, it is in your best interest to investigate why.
Caregivers responsible for administering medication must ensure the correct patients are given the right drug, on schedule, and in the proper dosage. If your loved one lives in a memory care facility, it is the staff’s job to notice and address the signs of a medication error.
You can investigate the medication error by speaking to the staff about how they administer medication and why your loved one had a bad reaction. Other residents can also shed light on their experiences with medication in the nursing home.
You can also speak with a physician about your loved one’s medication error. They can confirm that your loved one:
- Took the wrong medication
- Received an incorrect dose
- Was administered the drug improperly
- Did not receive their medication at all
From when a health care provider prescribes a medication to the point when an error occurs, there are records. These are the documents you need to prove medication errors at a memory care facility. Obtaining these documents may involve contacting multiple doctors, health care facilities, and the memory care home’s administrators.
A lawyer from our firm can secure all of the necessary documents and conduct our own investigation into your loved one’s medication error.
Medication errors can be accidental or intentional
When you decide to put your family member in a memory care home, it is because they need assistance with daily living and someone to monitor them. If the facility’s staff made an error in the medication process, it could be that they were not properly executing these duties.
Alarmingly, some medication errors could be the result of a deliberate attempt to use mediation to control residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Some facilities give patients the wrong drugs to subdue them, according to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. This is called chemical restraint and is often done without the patient’s family’s knowledge or consent.
The wrong medication or too much of the right medication can lead to:
- Overdose
- Death
- Injuries due to contraindicated medications
At best, medication errors may be the result of unintentional neglect. At worst, the facility’s staff intentionally committed a medication error to harm, control, or punish your loved one.
Whatever the cause, medication errors should not happen to anyone in any care setting.
For a free legal consultation, call (800) 794-0444
What to do after a medication error
If a memory care facility staff’s negligence or wrongdoing caused your loved one’s medication error, we can help you seek compensation for their medical care and other damages.
You should first ensure your loved one is safe. If this means moving to another facility, you might be entitled to compensation for their relocation through an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Next, call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. We can help you investigate your loved one’s medication error, gather all the proper documentation, and hold the parties responsible for your loved one’s injuries accountable.
Our team is waiting for your call
If your loved one suffered from a medication error while living in a memory care facility, we can help you get compensation for their injuries or death. To win financial awards, you need to prove the error was a direct cause of their injuries and that the facility was negligent in their level of care.
An attorney can handle every aspect of your case. To learn more, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 for a risk-free consultation.
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