Nursing Home Attorneys in Phoenix AZ

According to national statistics, there are more than one million residents in nursing homes. As the country continues to age – and the average life expectancy rises – the need for more of these facilities will also increase. The fear, however, is the high number of nursing home abuse and neglect cases that nursing home attorneys continue to handle. If your elderly loved one has been a victim, contact one of the Phoenix nursing home attorneys at Rispoli Law, PLLC.

 

One of the major problems nursing home face is inadequate staffing. Many facilities are either understaffed or poorly trained staff. This can lead to many tragic issues, including medication errors. A medication error can put any individual at risk but can be particularly dangerous to an elderly patient who is likely already suffering from fragile or failing health. The horrific irony is that many nursing home patients are placed in nursing homes or assisted living facilities because they are unable to keep track of taking their medication because they suffer from cognitive and/or physical conditions that interfere with their ability to care for themselves.

 

Some of the most common types of medication errors that nursing home attorneys see in the cases they handle include:

 

•        Incorrect medication: This is when a nursing home resident is given medication that is actually prescribed for another resident. Depending on what type of interaction the drug can have, the result of this type of error can be fatal.
•        Improper medication administration: This is when the way the medication is administered incorrectly. Many medications need to be administered in certain ways. When taken incorrectly, it can affect the effect the medication is supposed to have. One of the most common reasons this happens is that staff who give the medication to residents are not adequately trained.
•        Undermedication: If a resident’s scheduled medication dose is missed, their health is put at risk. A resident suffering from chronic pain who is not given the scheduled medication to treat that pain can experience immense suffering.
•        Overmedication: Studies have found that far too many nursing home facilities use drugs to overmedicate residents as a method to keep them restrained. One study found that 180,000 residents were being kept drugged up on antipsychotic drugs despite the fact they had no medical condition that warranted them taking these medications. Instead, these dangerous drugs are given to residents to keep them quiet.

Contact Nursing Home Attorneys for Assistance

Medication errors happen every single day and put nursing home residents at severe risk of injury or death. If your elderly loved one has been a victim of medication error or some other form of abuse or neglect at the hands of the facility that is supposed to be caring for them, contact Rispoli Law, PLLC. We will set up a free and confidential consultation with one of our nursing home attorneys in Phoenix AZ who will discuss what your legal options may be.