Medical negligence of elderly people can be very serious, even leading to death in some cases. Whilst some stories do make the national news, many significant events involving medical negligence and elderly people don’t make the headlines. The way elderly people are treated is constantly discussed in the media, and various well-known figures have used their fame to raise awareness about medical negligence of the elderly.
Encouraging elderly people to talk
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Some problems with medical negligence can arise when elderly people aren’t able to voice concerns about health issues. Many old people have complex medical histories, which means may miss out on the care that they need. Elderly people shouldn’t have to accept a lower standard of care because of their location or unique circumstances. Negligence often occurs in nursing homes and can even happen in hospitals. Many care providers have had action taken against them after failing to give elderly people the quality medical care that they require. Claims for medical negligence in care homes have been on the rise in recent years. Medical negligence can cover various forms of poor treatment. If someone isn’t given the medication they need when they need, isn’t fed at the right times or isn’t given help with going to the toilet and suchlike, they can be deemed as victims of medical negligence.
Examples of medical negligence
If a person has a fall that could have been prevented, suffers from nutrition or dehydration, is not washed properly whilst in hospital or in a nursing home, this is medical negligence. If this has happened to you or a loved one, it may be time to start thinking about taking legal action. Other examples of medical negligence might include a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia being left unsupervised. As people live for longer, it’s predicted that the number of medical negligence cases will rise further.
Further types of poor treatment
Other examples of medical negligence can include GPs failing to make an accurate diagnosis or referral. If staff at a nursing home don’t seek medical assistance when they need to, this is medical negligence. Inadequate risk assessments, facilities like bed pans not being made available or monitoring not taking place can also come under the medical negligence umbrella. Falls are a common occurrence for elderly people. You may be able to make a claim if fractures are not diagnosed in a timely manner following a fall. Poor decisions about medication are another common reasons for claims. An elderly person could be prescribed the wrong kind of medication, or they may be given pills that react badly with other medications.
Act as soon as you can
If you do need to speak to a legal professional about medical negligence, it’s a good idea to ask for recommendations or speak to three or four different law firms so you can come to an informed decision on who to work with. Make sure the legal professional you work with has experience in dealing with cases similar to yours. Elderly people can take much longer to recover from trips, slips and falls than other people. Accidents can cause existing problems to worsen. By taking action over medical negligence, you could be helping other elderly people avoid mistreatment. It’s best to act as soon as possible if you do have reason to believe that an elderly person has been mistreated by someone with a duty of care to them.
One way to keep the need for medical negligence claims to a minimum is to ensure communication between doctors and care providers is of the highest possible quality. Elderly people should be made to feel welcome to express concerns about the treatment they are receiving. Abuse is another common problem in hospitals and care homes. It’s though that around 1 in 25 elderly people face negligence or abuse during old age. Abuse of the elderly can involve people being threatened, hit, taken advantage of or being sworn at. Once elderly people are unable to see, hear or think as well as they once could, they may become more likely to become victims of abuse or medical negligence. There are many quality law firms on the market that can help you if you or a loved one have been on the receiving end of medical negligence.
Find the right law firm
It’s vital that you work with a quality company to get the best legal representation possible. Your chosen law firm should fight tirelessly in order to deliver the best possible outcome and help you gather together as much evidence as you need to make your case a success. It’s important that elderly people and their families get justice and compensation following cases of medical negligence. Abuse and neglect should always be reported to the police. Medical negligence doesn’t just happen in nursing homes and hospitals – it can also happen in the home. Many family members have been prosecuted for failing to give their elderly relatives the treatment they deserve. If you or a loved one have been the victim of medical negligence, you could be entitled to a great deal of compensation so get in touch with quality medical negligence solicitors.
Do they have enough experience?
It’s vital that medical negligence lawyers you choose have enough experience with dealing with neglect and abuse claims. The results of neglect can include broken bones, falls, pressure sores, slips and malnutrition and death. Most care homes and hospitals have a good reputation, but sadly there are still far too many cases of abuse and neglect of the elderly in the UK. The topic of medical negligence has been given a great deal of exposure over recent years, and has been the subject of various high-profile documentaries showing the horrifying extent to which abuse and neglect can take place. It’s essential that elderly people are given the opportunity to speak up about abuse. If you suspect a loved one has been subjected to illegal treatment, encourage them to open up to you so you can find out more and take legal action if necessary.
Have you or someone you know suffered from medical negligence? Personal injury solicitors such as Kent Compensation in Maidstone Kent, can provide specialist advice and information and guide you throughout the stages of pursuing a claim. For more information or to contact a medical negligence solicitor for immediate advice visit the Kent Compensation website.