Medication Errors Harm Nursing Home Patients In New York
When a nursing home makes a medication error and injures you or someone you love, you may be able to collect damages for negligence or abuse.
Nursing home neglect is a widespread problem in New York, and neglect caused by medication errors are extremely dangerous. Nursing home caretakers have responsibilities to care for their residents in a way that complies with the law. When nursing homes provide the wrong medication to patients, the results can be disastrous. People who depend on the nursing home for their safety and well-being can become sick, suffer permanent injuries or die.
Medication Mistakes in Nursing Homes Cause Thousands of Injuries Annually
Mismanagement of medication or medication errors is one of the leading causes of injuries to nursing home patients. There should be strict supervision of the protocols that control the administration of medications to nursing home residents. Even the slightest mistake can cause serious harm. Serious illness or death may result from medication errors. When negligence or abuse causes these errors, and those errors cause injuries, there should be accountability.
If you or someone you love suffered an illness or injury because of a medication mistake in a nursing home, contact Alonso Krangle, LLP. We will listen and help you determine if you have a claim for monetary damages. Our lawyers are here to help you seek all available remedies allowed by law should a medication error in a nursing home cause an injury to you or your family member.
Medication Errors of All Types Occur In New York Nursing Homes
The amount of medication that caretakers dispense in nursing homes is tremendous. A single patient is likely to be receiving multiple prescriptions. Each one has its own dosage instructions, administration protocol, interaction warnings, and side effects. Nursing homes should have exact methods for accurately dispensing and administering medication to their patients.
When a worker is negligent, mistakes happen. When those mistakes happen, there can be serious consequences. In these situations, you may have a cause of action and recover monetary damages from the nursing home.
The most frequent types of medication error in nursing homes include:
- Failing to administer medication
- Giving the wrong medication to a patient
- Giving too much medication
- Giving too little medication
- Administering medicines at the wrong time, not following dosage schedule
- Failing to heed warnings about dangerous drug interactions
- Providing medication to the wrong patient
- Using medication to sedate or control a patient (“chemical restraint”)
- Not giving the medicines according to instructions (for example, with food)
If you suspect that a nursing home has been abusive or negligent in the way they are administering medication to you or a loved one, contact our New York nursing home abuse lawyers to get help.
Often times nursing home patients can’t or won’t speak up for themselves because they are afraid of the consequences. Get assistance from our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys at Alonso Krangle today.
Who Causes Medication Errors When They Harm Nursing Home Patients?
Medication errors may occur because of the negligence or abuse of a particular caretaker or staff member. For example, someone may not like caring for a “difficult” patient and misuse that patient’s medication to keep that person calm. In other cases, the staffer may not read a patient’s chart and administer the improper dosage of medicine.
Nursing home medication errors may also result from systemic problems within the facility. Negligence or abuse in the nursing home can be caused in many ways:
- A nursing home operator may have a duty to do background checks on employees. When a nursing home fails to do an adequate background check, it may be placing residents in danger. For instance, a drug-addicted caregiver or convicted drug dealer may steal medication from a patient.
- A nursing home operator must make sure their employees are trained in the proper protocols involved in dispensing and administering medication. If they are not properly trained, they can provide the wrong doses or medications.
- A facility must train employees to be aware of dangerous drug side effects and interactions. Without this training, they can cause serious injury by providing dangerous combinations of medications.
- A nursing home must adopt proper policies and protocols. Without these, each employee will “do things their way” causing serious problems for residents.
- A nursing home must provide adequate supervision of people administering drugs to patients. Otherwise, mistakes will not be detected until serious injury or death occurs.
- Supervisors and other responsible parties must monitor and address problems as they arise. They may also have a duty to take care of problems they SHOULD anticipate
Our experienced New York nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers know what duties exist, what violations or obligations look like, and who is ultimately responsible for medication errors that harm you or your loved one. It is essential that you have someone available to help you investigate and pursue legal remedies if you or a family member is the victim of a dangerous medication mistake in a nursing home.
Injuries Resulting from Medication Mistakes in Nursing Harms
Medication errors can cause horrible illness and even death to a patient, especially when that patient’s health is already compromised. Many nursing home residents are elderly, frail, and have underlying medical conditions that make a living independently impossible. These people are very susceptible to the slightest change in their medication regimen and may not be able to express the symptoms that result.
When you look at some of the most common medications that nursing home residents take, you can draw a link to the severe consequences that can occur. Some of these medicines treat:
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Constipation
- Diabetes
- Blood Clots
- Diuretics
- Anemia
- Seizures
- Psychosis
If an elderly patient does not receive his or her antidepressants, the incorrect dose of insulin, anticoagulants or other medications, this can cause:
- Stroke
- Diabetic coma
- Heart attack
- Untreated
- Suicide
- Sepsis
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
- Coma
- Death
If You Suspect Medication Errors Are Causing Harm, Get Help from the Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Alonso Krangle, LLP
If you or someone you love is being injured in a nursing home because of medication errors, don’t wait. Tell a supervisor at the nursing home right away – if you feel safe doing so. Then contact our nursing home abuse lawyers at 800-403-6191 and let’s discuss your case. Let’s find out how Alonso Krangle can help investigate and help you pursue available legal remedies against the nursing home.