Understaffing Of Nursing Homes In Buffalo, New York

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Recognized as a Best Lawyer of America, and His Elite Team at the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Fight to Obtain the Best Result for Nursing Home Patients Who Suffered Serious Injuries Due to Nursing Home Understaffing in Buffalo, New York.

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Many nursing homes throughout the United States are considerably understaffed. More than half of all nursing homes are well under the suggested minimum staffing levels. When facilities have insufficient staff to meet the needs of patients, it is the patients that suffer. As a result, neglected patients may experience malnutrition, dehydration, bed sores and preventable accidents.

According to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, nursing home understaffing is directly related to inadequate care, which has led to increased hospitalization of patients. In addition to physical effects, patients could face emotional distress in the form of fear, loss of dignity, loneliness and lack of social relationships. The pain and suffering caused by nursing home understaffing issues can result in severe injuries and substantial medical expenses. Nursing home negligence claims related to insufficient staff often involve numerous medical and legal issues; therefore, hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is crucial to ensuring that justice is served and, more importantly, that proper future care is provided.

Every day the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. strives to provide the highest level of personal injury service to nursing home patients who suffered injuries as a result of understaffing or neglect at nursing homes in the Western New York area. Our team of highly experienced Buffalo, New York nursing home understaffing injury attorneys fights for the compensation that your loved one deserves for the unnecessary injuries suffered due to insufficient staffing in nursing homes. Since 1999, Jed Dietrich, Esq. has exclusively handled serious personal injury cases and insurance companies have paid him over $175,000,000.00 in verdicts and settlements to compensate his clients for their serious personal injuries.

Although there are various reasons why nursing home understaffing issues occur so frequently, none of them are excusable. By simply implementing some proactive measures, nursing homes could easily increase staff totals and greatly enhance patient care. Below are the most common causes of nursing home understaffing:

1. Profit margins: Most nursing homes are run to make money, just like other businesses. The more staff members working, the more wages that needed to be paid. If nursing home owners and management companies believe that patients are being sufficiently cared for, even if they are not, they may refrain from hiring more caregivers to boost their bottom line.
2. High turnover rate: Being an employee at a nursing home can be strenuous and challenging. When nursing homes are understaffed, the effects can be even more demanding physically and emotionally. Many facilities have relatively low wages and caregivers with higher levels of training are more likely to work in hospitals and private practices. Consequently, many nursing homes experience high turnover rates.
3. Excessive hours: Some nursing home staff are regularly asked to work long hours due to staffing issues. Without any time off or having long enough breaks, workers can get burned-out. Additionally, it may be difficult for some facilities to retain adequate staff numbers for late-night shifts.
4. Rural locations: Many facilities located in smaller rural towns may be unable to find and keep qualified nurses and other medical professionals.
5. Lack of regulations: Although Medicare has taken measures to improve understaffing issues, there is still not a required minimum staff-to-resident ratio. Registered nurses are only required to be present for 8 hours per day.

Common Signs Of Nursing Home Understaffing

Unfortunately, many nursing home patients do not receive the treatment, attention and care that they rightfully deserve. In many cases, patients may not be able to complain about the types of neglect and abuse that stem from understaffing. Some warning signs that may indicate a loved one is suffering from neglect or abuse resulting from understaffing at the nursing home include:

1. Poor personal hygiene: Understaffing gives caregivers little time to provide residents with proper personal hygiene. This may cause staff to ignore showering residents or changing their linens and clothes. When personal hygiene is ignored, residents can develop infections. If your loved one smells bad, has oily hair, stains on their bedsheets or is wearing the same clothes, this may indicate that he or she is not receiving basic personal hygiene care.
2. Wandering: One of the main duties of staff is to supervise residents that may have dementia or be disoriented. Patients may wander around or run off without sufficient supervision. In cases where residents leave the facility, their safety may be placed at risk. Additionally, patients are more likely to roam if they are experiencing neglect or lack of social interaction.
3. Falls and other accidents: When there is not enough staff to monitor all the patients, they may suffer multiple falls. Many nursing home patients require help going to the bathroom and getting out of bed. If caregivers are not routinely checking in on patients, they may attempt to walk around without help and fall.
4. Weight loss and deteriorating health: While health problems come with old age, a swift decline in a patient’s health can be an indication of neglect. Health problems like bedsores, muscle weakness, malnutrition, dehydration, weight loss or untreated illnesses can all demonstrate that there is not enough staff to properly care for your loved one.
5. Emotional distress: Nursing home patients can easily become withdrawn, experience severe depression, agitation or develop mood swings due to neglect or lack of adequate social interaction. Inadequate social interaction is another common sign of insufficient staff.

If you, or a loved one, were seriously injured in an understaffed nursing home, our team of highly experienced and top rated Buffalo, New York nursing home understaffing injury attorneys will fight for the compensation that you deserve for all injuries suffered. This may include monetary compensation for all past and future medical expenses, permanent disabilities, pain and suffering and any other damages. View our Google 5 Star rating and our clients’ testimonials by clicking here. Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today at 716-839-3939. We are available 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, and there is never a fee unless we WIN for you!

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Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!

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