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Nursing home malpractice is any intentional act or negligence committed by a nursing home professional which causes injury to residents. In the last few decades, government and other professional investigations have found alarming rates of nursing home malpractice throughout the United States. A 2003 USA today report found that approximately one half of the 1.6 million nursing residents in the United States suffers from untreated pain. The failure to properly address a patient's pain is just one of the many forms of nursing home malpractice.
One comprehensive federal government study found that approximately thirty percent of all nursing facilities have committed acts of nursing home malpractice against the residents they exist to care for. The prevalence of nursing home malpractice prompted the federal government to pass the Nursing Home Reform Act in 1987. This federal law created a number of standards for the quality of life and care that nursing homes must provide to each and every one of their residents.
The government acknowledged that simply creating these standards is not enough to prevent the occurrence of nursing home malpractice. As a result, the government also established regulatory bodies that conduct routine investigations of all nursing homes, initiate corrective action for minor violations, handle nursing home malpractice complaints, and functions similar to this. Because this is a large task, most states have their own regulatory bodies to handle cases of nursing home malpractice. The results of their investigations are public information and these agencies can be contacted for information about nursing home malpractice.
Families should not have to worry about nursing home malpractice when they make the decision to place a loved one under the care of nursing home professionals. However, it is important for loved ones to be aware of this problem and the signs that may indicate that their loved one is the victim of nursing home malpractice. The following is a partial list of factors that may indicate nursing home malpractice: sudden social or emotional withdrawal of a patient, a drastic change in the resident's health, rapid weight gain or loss, malnutrition, dehydration, unexplained injuries, bed sores, broken bones, understaffing, nursing home professional's incompetence, or any other unusual sign or event that occurs within a nursing home environment.
By law, anyone can report a case of nursing home malpractice to government authorities. State agencies are geared to handle these complaints, but are not always able to handle nursing home malpractice cases as they need to be handled. A caring and competent nursing home malpractice attorney can be a very valuable asset to the victims of nursing home malpractice.
A knowledgeable and highly qualified attorney can evaluate your nursing home malpractice case to determine the best way to protect and maximize your legal interests. You may be eligible to file a nursing home malpractice claim to seek relief from the damages caused by nursing home malpractice.
If you feel that you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home malpractice, you may wish to contact an attorney who is trained and experienced in identifying cases of nursing home malpractice. A nursing home malpractice attorney can build a strong case in your favor while protecting and maximizing your legal interests.
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