In Ohio and beyond, family members sometimes find themselves in need of assistance for medical or daily living care. Some take up residence in a nursing home. Though many facilities provide quality, thorough care, some assisted care residents suffer from nursing negligence that results in injury or illness. In worst cases, some victims of negligence have died.
In another state, a recent incident occurred that involved a 24-year-old nursing aide and an elderly resident in a nursing home. Spokesmen for the facility have stated that each resident room in the building is equipped with a coded chart that is posted and specifies the required amount of assistance the resident needs when being moved or transferred to another location. In this case, the resident was reportedly a “two star” patient, which meant that she was never to be moved or transferred unless two staff members assisted her.
The nurse’s aide is said to have been aware of the coding system and further aware that the particular resident involved was not to be moved unless two staff members assisted her. Nursing home officials also said that the aide was properly trained and has fully admitted that she was aware of the protocol and of the resident’s needs at the time. The woman was injured in a fall when the nurse’s aide attempted to help her transfer from her bed to her wheelchair without another staff member present.
It was reported that a housekeeping supervisor, whom the aide summoned after the woman had fallen, insisted that the nurse’s aide report the injury and the incident to the proper authorities. In similar circumstances, a person in Ohio who believes that his or her injury or illness was caused by nursing negligence can pursue legal action against the party or parties deemed liable by filing a personal injury claim in a civil court. In a successfully litigated case, a compensatory award may be issued that can be used to help absorb costs that a victim incurs during or in the aftermath of the injury or illness.
Source: 1600kush.com, “Nurse Aide Accused Of Caretaker Neglect At Cushing Nursing Home”, Patti Weaver, Aug. 4, 2015
