Nursing homes are meant for our beloved seniors but over the years, many people in New Mexico and the rest of the country have expressed their concerns about the reasonable standard of care in nursing homes, both in the state and across the rest of the country. The concerns are likely genuine because, every now and then, one comes across news reports about an injury or death in a nursing home.
One such example is the death of a 68-year-old resident at a state-run nursing home. According to reports, the victim was a resident of that nursing home for 14 years before the state announced in 2012 that the nursing home would be shutting down. Apparently, the problems began after that announcement because of the lack of staff and their inability to keep an eye on everybody at the same time.
According to the victim’s sister, who has now filed a lawsuit over nursing home neglect, the victim sustained a number of injuries when another resident entered the victim’s room and hit her several times with a chair, which broke the victim’s nose and eye sockets and caused internal bleeding.
A few months later, the victim choked on food at the nursing home. The incident allegedly happened when nursing home staff attempted to feed the victim while lying down, which they were not supposed to do. The victim contracted pneumonia after the choking incident and died.
Incidents such as this are unwarranted but sadly, they are a reality. However, a victim of nursing home neglect or that victim’s family members have the option of seeking legal recourse after such incidents, but since the process is often complicated, it may be a wise decision to have experienced legal representation.
Source: NBCNewYork.com, “Woman Sues NJ Nursing Home for Alleged Neglect,” Brynn Gingras, Jan. 30, 2015