Pleasant Law Blog (Insurance Claims, Medical Misakes, and Nursing Home Claims)

Nursing Home Worker Shortage Expected (Expected to Get Worse, In My Opinion)

By North Carolina Nursing Home and Medical Negligence Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney Thomas Pleasant. Toll Free 888.435.7156. McKnight’s recently reported on the anticipated shortage of nursing home staff, and possible legislative efforts designed to combat this anticipated understaffing. (See Legislation to Boost Caregiving Workforce Introduced) While a future shortage appears likely, it’s important for people to recognize that this is, in my opinion, an expected worsening of an already-existing problem. For those lawyers who handle nursing home injury and wrongful death claims, it seems clear that there is already an understaffing problem in nursing homes in North Carolina and elsewhere. Truly, this seems to be (at this particular time) an epidemic problem. It is also critical that the public understand that a future understaffing problem caused by an increase in the elderly nursing home population does not change the other nursing home understaffing root causes (too much focus on profits over people).  I expect that that understaffing, and resulting injury and wrongful death, will indeed get worse. Considering what appears to me to be the sorry state of so many nursing homes at present, a worsening of understaffing really does, and should, raise concerns. I am reviewing a case right now involving a rehabilitation stay that was to be relatively short (a couple of months), where the nursing home resident died due almost completely to dehydration; and this gentleman had a feeding tube (in other words, the nursing facility was controlling, mechanically, how much nutrition and hydration this man was receiving). Yet, his dehydration became so severe due to the neglect of the nurses and nursing staff at this nursing home, that his body eventually shut down. This kind of neglect is not usually the result of the evil intent of nursing staff. Rather, it results from understaffing. The nursing assistants simply cannot take care of all the residents, because there are not enough of them. Budget constraints set by owners and executives are often the root problem. If you or someone you care about is in a nursing facility; and not getting the care they deserve, contact my office for help. A lawsuit is often not the appropriate solution, but you might consider getting legal help to evaluate your case and help you determine what you should do. We handle nursing home abuse cases in Raleigh, Wilmington, Fayetteville, and other areas of North Carolina. And generally we will come to you to assist you with your case.