As the global COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the U.S., nursing home facilities are struggling to keep their health and safety procedures in place to keep the virus from infecting their residents, who at their old age are at higher risk of infection and death. Dallas County alone has reported that at least eight facilities have COVID-19 cases. One of these facilities, Skyline Nursing Center in Oak Cliff, has 30 cases alone, following by Brentwood Place One in East Dallas with 17 positive cases.
The number of COVID-19 cases at Skyline isn’t surprising to those who know about the facility’s reputation. Skyline is considered a one-star facility, according to a government website, and has been fined more than $27,000 in the last two years. Just this past November, the facility listed 20 health citations for offenses including consistent shower or bed baths for residents.
The Director of Texas Advocates for Senior Care, Marjorie Sullivan, said that one of the reasons for this low rating comes from low staffing.
“The bottom line is when you don’t have enough staff to care for your seniors, then when something like this happens the outbreak is going to go through the community like wildfire,” Sullivan said.
These 8 facilities have been added along to the many other senior living and long-term care facilities in Texas that have reported coronavirus cases. At a state-supported facility in Denton, 50 residents and 23 employees tested positive. A former employee reported that his coworkers told him they weren’t being given the proper protective equipment needed to do their jobs without getting sick.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
According to the Nursing Home Abuse Center, nursing home neglect is a type of elder abuse that involves the poor care of a resident. Nursing home neglect can occur both intentionally and unintentionally.
The four main types of nursing home neglect include:
- Social or emotional neglect, which can involve ignoring residents, treating them unkindly, and other failures to provide them with emotional care
- Neglect of basic needs, which is a failure to provide residents with adequate food, enough water, or a safe and clean environment
- Medical neglect, which can occur when staff fails to address resident medical concerns and can result in infections, bedsores, and mobility problems
- Neglect of personal hygiene, which describes a failure to help residents maintain hygiene such as laundry, bathing, and dental care
As a result, neglect can produce negative symptoms that may impact your loved one’s health and cause serious illness or injuries. Neglect can cause conditions that include skin infections, urinary tract infections, dehydration, influenza, malnutrition, respiratory infections, and sometimes even wrongful death. Hiring a nursing home abuse lawyer is important if you want to investigate your family member’s environment and determine whether neglect or abuse is taking place.
Millions Recovered for Families in Need
When you search for a nursing home for a loved one, a major deciding factor is finding a home with a staff you can trust. When a nursing home is found to be in violation of this trust, you may feel betrayed and helpless, but you can turn to our nursing home abuse attorney. We have decades of experience seeking justice for families who have been harmed by the same people they’ve trusted to protect and care for their loved ones. Our team has been able to recover millions of dollars for clients who have faced expenses from injuries and illnesses including hospital stays, surgeries, prescription medications, and more. After all your family has been through, you deserve to rest – trust us to handle the rest.
If you fear for the safety of your loved one, call our experienced and caring nursing home abuse lawyer today at (877) 976-8411, or contact us online for a confidential case evaluation. Smith Smith Clinesmith LLP is ready to answer your calls 24/7 because we know you may require assistance at any time.