Columbus Assisted Living Accidents Attorneys

Assisted living provides an option for elderly patients who do not quite need the constant care of a nursing home, but who still require some form of assistance. Assisted living allows patients to receive care within the comfort of their own homes. However, negligent caregivers may fail to provide the supervision or quality of care that is promised to patients and this can lead to serious injuries.

The same types of accidents that occur in nursing homes can also occur in assisted living environments. There is a difference, however, in state and federal laws regulation. The main difference is due to the lower amount of care and supervision required in assisted living situations.

Caregivers in assisted living situations are often responsible for providing residents with meals, making sure the environment is safe, and providing medical assistance when required. Most assisted living injury cases involve a failure of staff to properly supervise residents.

Slips, trips, and falls account for the majority of accidents and injuries in assisted living situations. One out of every three elderly adults will fall each year in the United States, and these falls can result in serious injuries that limit or impair mobility and, in extreme cases, can lead to death. Unfortunately, many of these falls could have been prevented by simply making sure that furniture and other objects were not placed along high-traffic walking paths and assuring that wet floors are clearly marked and that residents are provided with any assistance needed.

Medication errors are also common in assisted living situations. Doctors prescribing medication to elderly patients who are often already taking multiple medications must take the time to ensure that the new prescription will not interfere with the patient’s preexisting medications. It is also the responsibility of the assisted living staff to ensure that patients receive the proper medication and the proper doses. While most medication errors are harmless, others can be severe or fatal.

Often times, when an assisted living facility is understaffed, patients receive a diminished level of care. In some cases, residents are not provided with the nutrition or hydration that they require to maintain adequate health, and they may suffer severe medical complications as a result.

Although assisted living is not full nursing care, the staff still has a responsibility to supervise their residents. When there is inadequate or undertrained staff to supervise residents, injuries occur that could have been easily prevented. To balance your loved one’s independence with wanting to protect them from injury, the best first step that you can take is to communicate with your loved one and his/her doctor about the risks that may be associated with the desire for independence.

No one deserves to be neglected or injured while under the care of an assisted living facility. If you or a family member has been abused, neglected, or injured while living with a care-giver, you may be able to receive compensation. Contact the Columbus assisted living lawyers at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation.