Skip to content
The concept of for-profit nursing homes raises an inherent tension in healthcare. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are the weakest link in our healthcare system, explains Virginia nursing home attorney Jeffrey Downey. For profit chains like ManorCare, Infinity Healthcare, Consulate and Promedica have some of the worst track records, especially when compared to non-profit facilities.
While providing essential care for the elderly and vulnerable, these facilities often operate as businesses driven by financial goals. This model can create a conflict where the pursuit of profit overshadows the fundamental needs of those entrusted to their care.
Neglect
A pervasive issue within for-profit nursing homes is the insidious problem of neglect. This arises from chronic understaffing and insufficient resources– direct results of a profit-driven mindset. Here’s a breakdown of its most common and damaging forms:
Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers)
Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure. They frequently develop when residents are left immobile for extended periods.
Bedsores can range from minor irritations to deep, infected wounds. In severe cases, they can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection, or even require amputation.
Due to understaffing, for-profit facilities often lack the personnel to provide regular repositioning and hygiene care, drastically increasing the risk of bedsores. A 2017 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that nursing homes with lower staffing levels had significantly higher rates of pressure ulcers among their residents.
Falls and Fractures
Frail elderly residents require assistance with mobility and transfers. Inadequate supervision and a lack of assistance when moving substantially increase the likelihood of falls. For-profit nursing homes frequently minimize available staff for fall prevention, making these incidents more common.
Falls among the elderly frequently lead to life-altering injuries. Hip fractures are particularly devastating, often resulting in chronic pain, long-term disability, and loss of independence. Head trauma from falls can cause cognitive impairment, brain bleeds, or even death.
Elopement Risks
Danger for residents with cognitive impairment: Nursing home residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are particularly vulnerable to elopement, or wandering away from the facility unsupervised. They might be disoriented, seeking something familiar from their past, or simply agitated.
Exacerbated by inadequate supervision: Understaffed and poorly secured for-profit facilities make elopement a significant risk. Residents may wander unnoticed, putting themselves at risk of traffic accidents, exposure to harsh weather conditions, dehydration, or getting lost in unfamiliar environments.
Mismanagement
Beyond direct neglect, for-profit nursing homes often display patterns of mismanagement that compromise resident care. This stems from resource constraints and a focus on cost-cutting over quality. Two particularly dangerous areas include:
Medication Errors
How overwork and lack of training contribute: Overworked and under-trained staff in for-profit facilities are prone to errors like misidentifying residents, administering incorrect dosages, missing prescriptions, or failing to monitor for dangerous drug interactions.
Potential Dangers
Medication errors can have devastating consequences. They can cause severe side effects, organ damage, worsen medical conditions, and even contribute to death.
If you suspect that your loved one has suffered harm due to a medication error or any other form of neglect in a nursing home, call a Virginia Nursing home attorney to discuss your legal options, and advocate for your loved one’s rights.
Consequences
The neglect and mismanagement prevalent in for-profit nursing homes have far-reaching and often devastating consequences for residents. These consequences fall into two main categories:
Physical Harm
Untreated pressure ulcers can rapidly progress from minor skin irritations to open wounds and become infected. These infections can lead to life-threatening sepsis or may even necessitate amputation.
Falls can cause debilitating injuries like hip fractures and head trauma. Many residents never fully recover, leading to chronic pain, permanent disability, and a significant loss of independence.
Medication mishaps can cause serious health complications, organ damage, or even death. When medical conditions are overlooked or incorrectly diagnosed, vital treatment is delayed. This delay can lead to a worsening of the underlying condition, causing unnecessary suffering and potentially irreversible damage.
Wrongful Death
Sadly, the patterns of neglect and mismanagement within for-profit nursing homes frequently culminate in the preventable and tragic death of residents. These wrongful deaths can occur due to a variety of factors:
- Advanced bedsores
- Complications from falls
- Medication errors
- Failure to diagnose or treat medical conditions like diabetes or other chronic illnesses
“It’s no surprise that for profit nursing homes have significant problems with patient neglect,” explains nursing home attorney Jeffrey Downey. “Large fines become a cost of doing business, which make it even more important to hold such facilities civilly liable in malpractice suits when they cause injury or death to a loved one. Many for profit facilities are the weak link in our healthcare system, causing our elders to suffer significant neglect and abuse. Such neglect can take the form of pressure sores (bed sores), falls, fracture injuries, elopements, medication, misdiagnosis, physical or mental abuse, resident on resident assaults and wrongful death.”
If you or a loved one has suffered neglect in an nursing home or assisted living facility, call the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey now.
Call today for a free consultation.
We handle cases in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey
8300 Greensboro Drive, Suite 500
Mclean, VA 22102
Phone: 703-564-7318
Email: jdowney@jeffdowney.com
On the web at jeffdowney.com