Nursing Home Wrongful Death Questions

    PHOENIX, AZ, October 02, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- How many elders experience mistreatment by a caregiver?
The National Research Council Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect reports that "between one and two million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited, or otherwise mistreated by someone on whom they depended for care or protection."

How common is mistreatment of elders in nursing homes?
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports as many as 30% of all nursing facilities are cited each year because of reports of elder abuse. But this number only reveals the tip of a much bigger problem. For each reported case, five or more incidents of elder abuse go unreported.

What are causes of nursing home-related wrongful death?
- Bed sores
- Falls
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Wandering or leaving the premises
- Excessive or otherwise improper use of chemical or physical restraints
- Medication errors

Is it difficult to prove nursing home responsibility in a loved one's death?
Many abusive nursing home employees are never found out, and never face any penalties for their reckless endangerment of our country's most defenseless human beings. In some cases, it is apparent the abuse has occurred, but the elderly patient cannot or will not explain details of the incident. However, your loved one has rights that protect their health and welfare.

How do I prove a nursing home is responsible for the death of my loved one?
An autopsy provides you and your attorneys with a clear explanation of the cause of your loved one's death. This is the place to begin unraveling the details of abusive events that may have contributed to death. If the death was not caused by cardiac arrest, cancer, or some other medical condition, a more suspicious cause may be uncovered. Depending on the manner in which your loved one passed away, an autopsy may or may not be indicated.

Who should perform an autopsy?
If an autopsy is indicated, insist the procedure is performed at a facility different from the facility where your loved one died. Select the autopsy physician very carefully, to ensure the medical professional who performs the autopsy is able to offer objective results that do not favor the nursing facility.

If you live in the Phoenix, Arizona area and are in need of a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney, please visit the website of Cullan & Cullan M.D., J.D. today at www.stopnursinghomeabuse.org.

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