At Ashby Thelen Lowry, our Atlanta personal injury attorneys know nursing homes are vital in providing care for Georgia’s elderly and vulnerable populations, offering the support and assistance many families cannot provide alone.
However, when these facilities are understaffed, the quality of care often suffers, putting residents at serious risk of injury, neglect, and even death. Here, we’ll dive into the issues surrounding nursing home understaffing, explore liability, and explain how our Atlanta personal injury law firm can help families seek justice for their loved ones affected by negligence in these facilities.
The Impact of Understaffing on Nursing Home Residents in Georgia
Understaffing in Georgia nursing homes can have devastating consequences for residents who rely on frequent and attentive care.
Common outcomes of understaffing include:
- Neglect of Basic Needs: Without enough staff to care for each resident, basic needs like hygiene, nutrition, and hydration can be neglected. Residents may go without bathing, suffer from dehydration, or develop malnutrition—all of which severely impact their health and well-being.
- Increased Risk of Falls and Injuries: When staff are stretched too thin, they cannot adequately supervise residents needing help moving or preventing falls. This can lead to falls, fractures, and other preventable injuries.
- Pressure Sores and Infections: Insufficient staffing often means residents are not turned or moved frequently, leading to pressure sores that can become infected. Lack of timely care and cleanliness can lead to severe infections, some of which may be life-threatening.
- Delayed Medical Attention: Nursing home residents frequently require immediate medical care for various health issues. However, with too few staff, emergencies can go unnoticed or be addressed too late, worsening the resident’s condition.
Legal Responsibilities of Georgia Nursing Homes
Nursing homes have a duty of care to their residents, meaning they are legally responsible for providing a safe and healthy environment. Federal and Georgia state laws require nursing homes to maintain sufficient staffing levels to meet residents’ needs. Failure to do so can constitute negligence, especially if understaffing directly contributes to injuries or harm.
Some key regulations include:
- Federal Standards: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates minimum staffing levels, requiring each nursing home resident to receive at least a specified amount of care daily.
- Georgia State Laws: Georgia law echoes the federal standards and further mandates that nursing homes provide enough staff to ensure each resident’s safety and health. Failing to meet these standards can be grounds for legal action, as it places residents at undue risk.
Determining Liability for Understaffing in Georgia Nursing Homes
When understaffing leads to injury, illness, or death, the nursing home can be liable for failing to provide adequate care. To prove liability, it’s necessary to establish that the facility’s negligence directly contributed to the resident’s harm.
This typically involves showing:
- Duty of Care: The nursing home had a legal duty to provide proper care and supervision.
- Breach of Duty: The facility failed to meet the required standard of care, often by not employing enough staff to care for residents safely.
- Causation: The understaffing directly caused or contributed to the resident’s injuries or decline.
- Damages: The resident suffered harm as a result, which can include physical injuries, emotional distress, or even wrongful death.
How the Atlanta Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys at Ashby Thelen Lowry Can Help
Nursing home neglect cases are complex, often involving detailed investigations and expert testimony to prove that understaffing directly caused harm.
Our experienced Atlanta personal injury attorneys can:
- Investigate the Nursing Home’s Practices: We can obtain staffing schedules, turnover rates, and incident reports to uncover any patterns of understaffing.
- Consult Medical Experts: By working with healthcare professionals, we can demonstrate how adequate staffing could have prevented the resident’s injuries or decline.
- Navigate Insurance and Corporate Defenses: Nursing homes and insurers often attempt to minimize or deny liability. A seasoned attorney knows how to counter these tactics and advocate aggressively for fair compensation.
- Pursue Compensation for Damages: Families deserve compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and, in some cases, punitive damages to hold the facility accountable and prevent future harm.
Bringing a claim against a nursing home for understaffing and neglect is not only about justice for your loved one—it also serves to raise awareness and push for safer practices. Facilities liable for negligence may face financial penalties, leading to reforms that improve conditions for current and future residents.
We understand the pain and frustration families face when a loved one suffers from nursing home neglect. We are dedicated to holding negligent facilities accountable and fighting for the dignity, safety, and rights of your loved ones.
If you believe that understaffing contributed to your family member’s injuries or decline in a Georgia nursing home, contact us for a free consultation. We’re here to provide answers, guidance, and strong representation to help secure justice and compensation for the harm caused.
Understaffing is not just a management issue—it’s a threat to the safety and well-being of vulnerable residents. By taking action, you can help ensure that nursing homes prioritize their duty to protect and care for those who rely on them most.