By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on September 22, 2011 -
Nursing home neglect is a regular concern, especially for families that want to ensure their loved ones are receiving the care they need to be as comfortable as possible in the last days of their lives. Palliative care, or medical care that makes patients comfortable as they struggle with terminal or incurable illnesses or injuries, is generally considered part of proper and ethical medical care and is often part of the care that nursing home residents should be receiving. Unfortunately, it is also one of the necessary medical treatments that falls by the wayside when a nursing home is understaffed or residents are being neglected.
In order to help patients, families, and caregivers understand the need for palliative care and the risks of nursing home abuse, the National Council on Elder Abuse (NCEA) provides resources that explain what palliative care is and analyze the problem of inadequate palliative care in nursing homes in Tennessee and other U.S. states. According to the NCEA, data collected on palliative care in U.S. nursing homes indicates that such care is often “grossly inadequate,” which means that many nursing home residents aren’t receiving the care they need to be comfortable while living with a chronic illness or a terminal condition such as cancer or heart disease.
A family member who complains of regular pain or discomfort, or a nursing staff that doesn’t seem to notice or care when residents complain of pain or discomfort, may be signs of nursing home neglect of palliative care needs. If you have a loved one who has suffered due to nursing home neglect, please don’t hesitate to contact the experienced Chattanooga nursing home neglect attorneys at Massey & Associates. Our number is (423) 697-4529, and we encourage you to call us today for a free and confidential consultation.
By Chattanooga Personal Injury Attorney on July 1, 2011 -
State prosecutors have decided to drop a charge of criminally negligent homicide made against a Chattanooga nursing home worker in 2008. However, prosecutors are still planning to try the man on three counts of making a false statement to police.
The nursing home worker, a certified nursing assistant, was charged with criminally negligent homicide after a 33-year-old man in his care was found dead. The CNA had indicated that the patient had slipped from his shower chair and hit his head as he fell. However, other workers at the nursing home stated that no one had reported the shower chair tipping over.
After reviewing the case, a medical examiner stated that he believed the patient had been killed, since he had very little ability to control his own muscle movements and the medical examiner did not believe that the man had in fact slipped or fallen out of his shower chair and banged his head on the shower wall or nozzle, leading to his death.
Attorneys for the family have filed suit on behalf of the deceased patient’s sister, who is seeking $35 million in damages. To add insult to injury, the man’s sister had no idea about the homicide investigation until long after her brother’s funeral and burial.
A criminal case tries to answer the question whether someone has committed a crime and therefore owes a debt to society. A civil case for negligence or wrongful death, however, seeks to hold negligent people responsible for their actions by seeking money damages to pay the costs of the injuries they caused. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Tennessee nursing home accident, the experienced Chattanooga nursing home abuse attorneys at Massey & Associates, P.C. may be able to help. Call us at 423-697-4529 for a free consultation.
