Pennsylvania Nursing Home Staff Shortage Places Residents in Harm’s Way:
Over 250 doses of medication for 14 residents were missed at the Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cumberland County, thanks to the Pennsylvania nursing home staff shortage that amounted to nursing home malpractice.
A Pennsylvania nursing home has been declared to be in “immediate jeopardy” by the state health department after having placed residents in harm’s way, says a Fox 43 article. In an inspection report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cumberland County is said to have failed in two separate incidents late last year to ensure residents received their medications. The issue, according to the report, was staffing levels that did not meet state and federal regulations and that impeded the facility from properly dispensing medications, a clear circumstance of nursing home malpractice.
In the two incidents of inadequate staffing at Claremont—once on November 6, 2022, and again on November 24, 2022—269 doses of medication for 14 residents were missed. Despite the low nursing home staffing that contributed to this incidence of nursing home malpractice, says the Fox 43 article, Claremont continued adding to its resident population, even after the “Immediate Jeopardy” declaration was made.
Failure to provide a nursing home resident with medication in accordance with doctor’s orders is a common type of nursing home medication error that can and does occur in nursing homes, particularly when there are improper staffing levels. When a nursing home fails to provide adequate nursing staff and medication errors occur as a result, nursing home malpractice has occurred in the form of neglect. Nursing home residents who do not receive the correct medications at the correct dosages at the specified times are in danger of suffering serious illnesses or injuries, such as strokes, heart attacks, choking, fractures and head injuries, and even death, which would necessitate the involvement of a wrongful death attorney.
There are certain indicators that a nursing home medication error has occurred. Most typical is that your loved one is behaving differently or does not seem to be him- or herself. Such behavioral changes could involve heightened aggressive or violent behavior, or the exact opposite: they could be withdrawn and uncommunicative, or even confused and incoherent. These or any indication your loved one is suddenly behaving out of character could mean nursing home malpractice in the form of medication errors has occurred.
If you are worried about staffing levels at your loved one’s nursing home, or you suspect medication errors are happening there, it is important to reach out to a nursing home malpractice or wrongful death attorney right away.
Holding Nursing Homes Responsible for Inadequate Staffing
Your loved one living in a Philadelphia/PA or NJ nursing home should feel secure in the knowledge that an adequate number of trained nursing professionals and other staff are provided by the home to ensure resident safety. No one should tolerate circumstances of nursing home malpractice that compromise the health and safety of residents or subject them to the possibility of wrongful death. As a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, Brian P. Murphy is committed to fighting for the health and safety of Philadelphia/PA and NJ nursing home residents. With extensive experience as a wrongful death attorney fighting negligent nursing homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Brian Murphy is committed to successfully resolving his clients’ nursing home malpractice cases. Should you find yourself needing to contact a nursing home malpractice and wrongful death attorney, call Brian Murphy today to discuss your legal options.
