According to the Florida Health Care Association, there are 697 licensed nursing homes in Florida, and they serve over 70,000 residents. These homes provide acute care, rehabilitative treatment, and convalescent services to older adults and those suffering from disabilities. Despite the startling frequently of Florida nursing home abuse cases, families do not always have many options when it comes to the long-term care and treatment of their loved ones. If a family member suspects that their loved one is experiencing nursing home abuse, they should immediately contact law enforcement and seek the assistance of a Florida nursing home abuse attorney.
Nursing home abuse, neglect, and exploitation is a pervasive, long-standing, and frequently unreported problem. Nursing homes may be criminally and civilly liable when they willfully inflict physical injury or mental harm to a resident. Abuse includes depriving residents of appropriate care and services and sexually, mentally, or physically abusing them. Neglect occurs when a nursing home provider or their employee fails to provide services and treatment that is necessary to avoid physical or emotional harm to a resident. Finally, exploitation arises when a provider takes advantage of a resident by manipulating, intimidating, or threatening them. Many times, nursing home abuse and neglect cases involve injuries from falls, pressure injuries, choking, medication errors, infection, dehydration, malnutrition, and unsafe elopement. These incidents can cause significant long-term damage or death to a resident.
There are several laws in place to address concerns regarding patient underreporting. Nursing homes must notify a resident’s treating physician and family if there are any significant changes in the resident’s condition. Further, before 2013, many nursing homes adopted “no CPR” policies, and would not perform life-saving measures on residents who were pulseless and not breathing. However, facilities must now provide essential life support treatment while awaiting emergency personnel, following the resident’s directives, or when they do not have one on file.
In addition to these safety and reporting laws, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) modernized and restructured their nursing home evaluation tool. The tool provides consumers with an easily accessible way to access up-to-date Florida nursing home health and safety ratings. Recently, news reports revealed that the new website indicates that the federal government cited 25 Florida nursing homes with severe safety violations. These Florida nursing homes were cited with a safety violation if a patient was harmed or suffered potential harm in the last year. In addition to the red flag warnings, the website rates all of the facilities on a 1-5 scale.
Have You or a Loved One Suffered Injuries at Florida Nursing Home?
If you or a loved one suffered injuries or wrongful death because of the negligence of a Florida nursing home or their employee, you should contact the Miami nursing home abuse attorneys at Friedman, Rodman, & Frank, P.A. The attorneys at our law firm understand the duty nursing homes owe to their residents, and that residents must be treated with the utmost care and respect. However, we recognize that nursing home abuse, neglect, and exploitation is a tragic and all too common occurrence, and it essential that these facilities are held responsible for their negligence. We have helped countless families get the compensation they deserve for the damages that they sustained because of this abuse. Contact our office at 877-448-8585 to schedule a consultation with an attorney at our office.