Nursing homes that have lower rankings by federal agencies have been much more likely to have resident deaths related to Covid-19.
According to the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nursing homes ranked low by the agency’s nursing home ranking tool have seen higher numbers of Covid-19 deaths, compared to nursing homes that were ranked higher by the ranking tool.
This information provides valuable inputs for families who are now looking for nursing homes for their loved ones in a post -pandemic world. By now, it’s clear that many nursing homes were ill-equipped to handle the patient care challenges resulting from the pandemic. Understaffing is a chronic problem in nursing homes across the country, and has already been blamed for the explosion of cases in nursing homes.
While these problems have always resulted in abuse and neglect, they became especially dangerous during a pandemic. The state of many of Georgia’s nursing homes was clear to see during the earliest days of the pandemic, when deaths from Covid-19 at nursing homes across the country began to skyrocket.
For family members who have been looking at the deaths in Georgia’s nursing homes with a wary eye, the task of choosing the right nursing home for their loved one during this time is fraught with anxiety. Loved ones still need to be placed in nursing homes, but for family members who have seen how the disease has ravaged residents of nursing homes across the country, the thought of placing a loved one in a facility is now a worrisome one.
Your hunt for a nursing home for your loved one must be based on the same criteria that families follow even during non- pandemic times. As we move through 2020, it becomes noticeably clear that the nursing homes that were worst prepared to deal with the consequences of the pandemic were those with poor rankings. In other words, if a nursing home has always been ranked poorly based on a number of factors, including the number of complaints involving the nursing home, it is very likely that that the same facility would also see a higher number of Covid-19 deaths. This kind of nursing home would do a shoddy job of caring for your loved one.
Ask the right questions before you choose a nursing home for your loved one.
What are the staffing numbers?
Are staff well-trained?
What is the staff- patient ratio at the facility?
How many doctors and registered nurses does the facility staff?
These are important questions that could make the difference between care for your loved one, and neglect, or even worse, abuse.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect, talk to an Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers about filing a claim for damages. Your loved one may be eligible for damages that include medical expenses and pain and suffering. Talk to an attorney at our firm, and discuss your legal options.