When elderly Americans are cared for in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, the risk of infections is greater than what it would be in a single-family residence. This can be due to the fragile immune systems among older people as well as inactivity when patients are bedridden or use a wheelchair. Facility staff members are responsible for preventing and treating infections promptly when they spread.
Although some infections in Toledo nursing homes are inevitable, the care staff’s course of action can make the difference between professional response and negligence. If your loved one’s infection is untreated, worsens due to inadequate treatment, or causes other health issues, a diligent nursing home negligence attorney from Zoll & Kranz, LLC, could investigate the matter and explain your legal options.
Common Infections in Toledo Nursing Homes
Many infections occur in nursing facilities because of staff inattention, patients’ compromised immune systems, and invasive medical procedures. For instance, frequent use of indwelling catheters can put a patient at increased risk for urinary tract infections. Over the past few years, respiratory infections attributed to COVID-19 have run rampant in nursing homes. Other infections skilled nursing facility patients in Toledo are commonly subjected to include:
- The flu
- Scabies
- Bedsores
- Pneumonia
- Sepsis, or infection of the blood
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a staph infection
- Staphylococcus infections from unsanitary surroundings, implantable devices, or overuse of some medications
Under state law, all assisted care facilities in Ohio are expected to adopt protocols to counteract infections. If they fail to do so, residents harmed by infections may be entitled to compensation. Contact a Toledo attorney specializing in infections in local nursing homes to discuss a loved one’s predicament.
Ohio State Law Requires Certain Precautions
According to Ohio Administrative Code Rule 3701-17-11(D), nursing home attendants must employ preventive methods to combat infections residents may be exposed to. One of the simplest requirements is for caregivers to wash their hands vigorously after using the toilet, before handling patients or their food, immediately after touching a resident or contaminated substances, and after removing protective gloves.
Federal Guidelines Concerning Infections
Federal law also requires skilled nursing and other long-term care facilities to implement an infection program that allows for investigating, controlling, and preventing infections, through the use of adequate record-keeping. Nursing homes must actively look for infectious outbreaks and determine if they could spread.
Staff must also be educated to spot infections in compromised residents. For infections linked to airborne illnesses, staff should isolate and monitor patients when transported within the facility.
Failing to safeguard residents from infections or allowing infections to spread unnecessarily can be grounds for a negligence or medical malpractice lawsuit. When the situation becomes dire, a dedicated attorney can guide a resident’s family through the legal process.
Contact an Attorney if Your Loved One Suffers from an Infection in Toledo Nursing Homes
Nursing home residents generally have immune systems compromised by age and medical conditions, which can lead to infections that may not be totally preventable, but that should be quickly identified and controlled. Failure to follow the correct protocol for an infectious outbreak leaves long-term care facility residents at even greater risk and the facility vulnerable to lawsuits.
If your loved one is a resident of a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, assisted living center, or memory care unit, ask the staff if they have adopted a protocol for handling infections, including record-keeping. If infections plague your loved one, contact our compassionate team of lawyers at Zoll & Kranz, LLC. Your loved ones should not have to tolerate infections in Toledo nursing homes, and our skilled attorneys can ensure they do not.
