Residents of nursing home facilities are entitled to quality care based on their assessed needs and the care plan. There needs to be regular assessments for changes in condition or any new risks that appear. Interventions or safety plans must be created to reduce the risk of any harm or injury.

Many forms of nursing home neglect are preventable and stem from a lack of well qualified trained staff. Some injuries occurred directly as a result of a negligent staff member such as a fall from an improperly operated patient lift aka Hoyer lift. Other types of elder neglect are the result of a failure to notice a resident’s decline or new medical condition. Facilities are required to maintain regular records and monitor and assess each resident to determine when there has been a significant change in their condition. A delay and needed medical care or treatment can result in significant injury or death.

Care facilities must provide the highest care practicable. Nursing home neglect occurs when a facility fails to meet a resident’s needs as set forth in the care plan. Injuries related to elder neglect or abuse are often significant and include hip and pelvis fractures, skull and head injuries, urinary tract infections, wound infection or sepsis and many other injuries often leading to death. The common factor in many cases is that the injury or death could have been prevented with early intervention or proper care.