Infections in Nursing Homes

Because of the nature of nursing homes – full of frail, elderly patients, often with compromised immune systems – infections can be a serious problem. The seriousness of such infections in nursing homes can range from a mild skin infection that heals with minimal treatment to a life-threatening situation in which urgent care is needed in order to save the patient from death or permanent injury. If you have a loved one who has been confined to a nursing home in and has suffered a serious, life-threatening infection as a result of the facility’s failure to properly care for him or her, Rockland County nursing home negligence lawyer Valerie J. Crown can help you explore your legal options regarding a nursing home negligence claim.

At its crux, a negligence claim is simply an allegation that the defendant failed to carry out a duty of care that was owed to the plaintiff, thus proximately causing damages such as pain and suffering or increased medical expenses. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care establishments owe patients a wide variety of duties, but the particular duty owed to a given patient can vary depending upon several circumstances. Generally speaking, the standard of care that is expected of a Rockland County nursing home and its staff is higher when a patient’s ability to care for himself or herself decreases. For instance, while ambulatory patients are certainly owed certain duties, those who are bed ridden must receive even more specialized care, such as to prevent bedsores and infections resulting therefrom. Infections in nursing homes, involving the urinary tract, are common in patients with limited mobility. Sepsis, a very serious condition that can lead to shock and even death, is also a possible result from an infection contracted by a nursing home patient.

There are many steps that healthcare providers can take to prevent or limit patients’ exposure to bacterial and viral infections in nursing homes, such as influenza, pneumonia, COVID-19, gastrointestinal infections, and skin/soft tissue infections. These include measures such as limiting direct contact between residents, staff members, and/or patients’ family members in certain situations; using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and gloves; frequent handwashing; and, of course, keeping all areas of the nursing home (patients’ rooms, common area, medical treatment areas, and the like) as clean as possible.

If you suspect that your loved one’s facility in Rockland County did not do all that it could to prevent an infection such as the one suffered by your loved one, you may have a viable negligence case and should speak with a lawyer. However, simply suspecting that there has been wrongdoing and achieving a favorable result in a court of law are two very different things. Under New York law, the plaintiff has the burden of proving each and every element of his or her case by a preponderance of the law. Hiring an experienced attorney who can help you gather the necessary evidence, consult and retain expert witnesses, and engage in effective pre-trial discovery is a crucial first step in achieving justice for your loved one.

At The Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, P.C., we represent those whose loved ones have been abused or neglected in a nursing home setting, resulting in serious personal injury or wrongful death. To schedule a free consultation to learn more about our services, phone us at 845.708.5900. Someone is always available to take your call – 24/7. If you prefer, you can call Valerie’s cellphone directly at 845.598.8253. In addition to handling nursing home cases from Ulster to Suffolk Counties, we also represent individuals in the Rockland County and greater New York metropolitan area who have been the victims of medical or dental malpractice, those who have been hurt in car, truck, or motorcycle accidents, and people who need to file claims for or need information about pursuing a Workers’ Compensation, Social Security Disability or ERISA disability case.