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Nursing Home Medication Errors

27. Nursing Home Medication Errors1Nursing homes are entrusted with loved ones because caring for the elderly is what they are designed to do. Because families do a lot of research when it comes to where their elderly loved one should live, it is shocking when the chosen nursing home engages in some kind of neglect that leads to the serious injury or death of their relative.

Of the different types of neglect that can occur in nursing homes, a medication error is one of them. There are many reasons behind why medication errors happen. Nonetheless, these reasons aren’t always a case of the wrong medication being administered or a resident not getting their medication at all. Sometimes other factors can be at play.

At Brotherly Law, we have seen the results of medication errors and they can be devastating. The wrong medication or failure to administer can result in very serious consequences for the nursing home resident. Because a senior’s health is already fragile, the error can be deadly. That is why when your loved one becomes ill or dies due to this error, it is important to seek compensation for monetary damages and suffering. With the help of an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer in Philadelphia, you can do just that.

Medication Errors are Preventable

Medication errors are preventable because of the human error involved. For instance, simply double checking that the medication the nurse is about to administer to a resident is the right medication can save that resident’s life. It helps for nurses to be educated in the medications they are administering so they are familiar with them. If something isn’t right, they can seek the correction on behalf of the patient and avoid a major health issue.

Different types of medication errors include:

  • The dispensary dispensing the wrong medication for a patient.
  • A patient receiving another patient’s medication.
  • A patient not being administered all of their medications.
  • A patient not being administered any of their medications.
  • A patient being administered the wrong dose.

Not making sure a patient has the right medication in the proper dose can be deadly to that patient. All it usually takes is verification of what the patient should be taking, the type of drug being administered, and the quantity for the medication to be administered correctly.

Reasons for Medication Errors

A medication error is considered a type of neglect, as the errors are usually due to not verifying the medication being given. Reasons for not verifying include not having time because of short staffing, not being trained to recognize when a medication is not correct, poor documentation of what medication a patient should receive, and failure to check the dose. Nonetheless, these are all highly manageable issues, thus making them not valid reasons to keep a nursing home from being liable for the consequences of a medication error.

27. Nursing Home Medication Errors2Another reason for a medication error is when a member of the staff steals patient medication for their own use. Unfortunately, there has been an issue throughout the country where a staff member has stolen IV drugs and replaced the contents with saline, pain medications have been stolen from a patient’s room, or a shortage of certain medications has occurred due to stealing from the dispensary.

Many nursing homes have been encouraged to update their medication administration practices. They have been advised to improve their documentation, improve training of all employees handling medications for patients, and enhance the oversight of their dispensaries. In the meantime, these errors lead to justifiable lawsuits because the consequences of these errors can be dire.

A Qualified Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer in Philadelphia Who gets Results

Nursing home medication errors can cause serious illness or death, which is why nursing homes are charged with the responsibility of ensuring every resident receives the right dose of the right medication at the right time. Anything done otherwise can be devastating for the resident, their family, and even the nursing home. If you have an elderly loved one who has fallen victim to a negligent nursing home medication error, you may have a personal injury or wrongful death claim against them. To learn if you have a case and what your options are, call Brotherly Law at (215) 545-8500 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.

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If you have been injured due to no fault of your own, you may be able to hold the responsible party accountable for the monetary damages resulting from the accident. Fill out the form below to request a free consultation so we can evaluate your case.

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