There is a sense of pride associated with how the elderly and handicapped are cared for in a nursing home in New Mexico and other parts of America. The care of those admitted is a matter of special consideration in which no negligence is tolerated. Given that members of nursing home staff are usually trained professionals, any negligence on their part can be construed to be in bad faith and a breach of workplace ethics. In New Mexico, nursing home neglect is punishable as a misdemeanor and, in serious cases, even a felony.
In a recent incident, 10 staff members, including six nurses employed at a nursing home in New York was charged with a slew of crimes relating to the repeated neglect of a patient, now deceased. The accused employees had, on multiple occasions, missed supplying medicines to the patient, not examined his blood sugar levels and let him lie motionless for a long time.
The patient had earlier undergone a double-amputation and was partly paralyzed, besides suffering from other complaints, including Type-2 diabetes and glaucoma. His death was investigated following a phone call from the deceased patient’s son. Examination of footage recorded on hidden cameras showed the patient being neglected frequently. The employees are also accused of falsifying relevant documents to avoid being discovered.
Neglect of this kind violates a certain intrinsic trust reposed in the nursing home and its employees. It is also traumatizing for the families of patients who suffer due to such negligence. Apart from seeking legal compensation and thereby also ensuring that there is no repeat instance of such an act. Nursing homes are expected to abide by federally-legislated requirements, and their failure to even provide a reasonable standard of care poses a serious risk for patients admitted to such nursing homes.
Source: WROC, “10 Nursing Home Employees Charged,” Vanessa Herring, Mar. 25, 2014