We’re all familiar with the numerous prescription medications that older adults must take to maintain their health. Most nursing homes and assisted living facilities dispense these medications to patients, and thus are legally charged with using the utmost care in prescribing and giving out prescriptions.
But as many of us have come to know, nursing homes do not always use the proper discretion in performing their duties. If your loved one was adversely affected by a prescription medicine error, whether overmedication, undermedication, or the administration of the wrong medication, their nursing home or assisted living facility may have engaged in negligent conduct.
Medical Malpractice In Nursing Homes: A Growing Epidemic
In a 2014 study by the US Department of Health and Human Services, roughly a third of patients in nursing homes were harmed by their medical treatment. The researchers report that 60% of this harm, which resulted from “substandard treatment, inadequate resident monitoring, and failure or delay of necessary care,” were “clearly or likely preventable.” Which means that most of these events would fall under the category of “medical malpractice,” when a medical professional, like a nurse or doctor in a nursing home, fails to perform their duties as a rational professional would in a similar situation.
Common Types Of Medicine Error In Nursing Homes
In our many years of service representing the victims of elder care facility negligence, the attorneys at PA Nursing Home Lawyers have seen numerous examples of medicine error in nursing homes. Our professional experience encompasses:
- Administering the wrong prescription
- Prescribing a medication with dangerous side-effects
- Giving the wrong dosage of a prescribed medicine
- Avoidable drug interactions causing harm and, in some tragic situations, death
Contact Pennsylvania’s Elder Care Abuse And Negligence Lawyers
If you suspect that your loved one was harmed by a medication error while under the care of a nursing home or assisted living facility, your situation may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Our team of medical professionals will work closely with you to determine the exact facts in your situation, and help us determine whether a medical professional’s negligence was to blame.
Nursing homes should be held responsible for their actions, and you and your loved ones deserve justice. Contact us immediately for a free consultation by calling (215) 563-2499 or completing our online contact form.
