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Negligence and Abandonment by Nursing Home Caregivers
Whether you have suffered negligence and/or abuse at the hands of nursing home staff, or you suspect that your elderly loved one is a victim, please get in touch with Tad Thomas, compassionate Louisville, KY nursing home abandonment lawyer at Thomas Law Offices. Abuse of the elderly should not be tolerated, ever. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and negligence are rampant in the state of Kentucky. If you want an attorney who will aggressively fight in pursuit of justice for you and your family, call (877) 955-7001. Our lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
With years of practice in various legal positions of prestige under his belt, Attorney Tad Thomas can provide you with the insightful and resourceful representation you need to achieve an optimal outcome in your case. He and his associates are devoted to helping heal the lives of those who have suffered trauma and abuses. We will strive to get you not only financial support but also mental and emotional support. At the Thomas Law Offices, we treat clients like family.
What Is Patient Abandonment?
When a nurse or other health care provider (HCP) accepts a patient (or resident) care assignment, s/he becomes responsible for the patient’s continuing needs, such as hygiene and nutrition. If the HCP discontinues or transfers care without first notifying management or at least attaining the patient’s consent, the patient may not have his/her essential needs met, putting him/her in a potentially dangerous position. Such a wrongful action on part of the HCP would constitute abandonment, which is a form of negligence.
What Is a Nurse’s Duty of Care to a Patient?
According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics, nurses have the duty to provide optimum patient care. This duty includes protecting the safety and rights of patients, identifying and reporting issues with the staff, maintaining safe environments and assuming accountability for one’s practice.
Most importantly, nurses must remember to check in on their assigned patients and address their needs on a frequent basis. Furthermore, nurses who decide to transfer patients or quit should give early notice so the appropriate measures are taken to reassign a HCP to the affected patients.
What Is an Employer’s Duty of Care to a Patient?
Employers and general management have the duty to hire a sufficient number of nurses and other staff to meet the needs of the patients, to provide adequate training to the staff and to establish protocols that promote the safety of both patients and staff. First and foremost, they must ensure that each and every patient is receiving the care they need. Mismanagement and even simple bureaucratic errors can lead to abandonment.
Proving Liability in an Abandonment Case
In order to establish the liability of the negligent HCP in an abandonment case, the plaintiff must be able to show that the HCP had the duty to provide care to the patient, that the HCP committed a breach of duty by neglecting the patient’s continuing needs, that the patient suffered considerable damages, and that the damages were directly caused by the HCP’s negligence.
Contact Thomas Law Offices Today
To speak with a Louisville, KY nursing home abandonment lawyer about your case, you can call our office, start a live chat or submit an online contact form. We will listen closely to your demands and provide you with reliable legal counsel on how to best achieve your top goals.
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