The decision to place your loved one in a nursing home can be incredibly difficult. Once you find the right home, you trust that the staff will provide the proper level of care and treatment for your loved one’s needs. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Nursing homes often fail to provide the proper training to staff members which can lead to unsafe situations such as having unsupervised residents.

The Dangers of Unsupervised Residents

Nursing homes have a responsibility to use proper methods to help protect their residents from harm.  A patient that is improperly supervised or unsupervised altogether becomes vulnerable to a variety of serious injuries. Some examples of the most common injuries a resident may receive when they are not properly supervised are:

• Dehydration
• Heat stroke
• Falls
• Hypothermia
• Assault
• Escape
• Traffic Dangers

Using the proper techniques becomes especially important when a resident is a known fall risk or has dementia. Without supervision a resident with dementia may wander outside of the facility. While wandering outside unsupervised residents may not only seriously injure themselves, but also may create dangerous situations for others. A resident that is a noted fall risk and not receiving the proper level of supervision may attempt to move around on their own and suffer a fall. Each of these problems are preventable with the proper level of supervision and care.

If your loved one has suffered a serious injury due to improper supervision, the nursing home may be at fault. Contact the attorneys at Powers Taylor today. We have extensive experience handling all types of elder abuse and neglect cases and will help you fight to get justice for your loved one. Our attorneys will evaluate your potential case and help you decide what your next steps may be. Contact Powers Taylor today for a free consultation.