What To Look Out For In Care Homes

When we think about people who need to live in a full-time care home, we normally think about the elderly or the vulnerable.

It can be difficult for both the family and the person going into care to adjust to the new living situation and it can be difficult for the family or friends of the loved one going into care knowing that they were unable to look after them anymore and feel an element of guilt. But it’s important that they’re given assurance that the care home will be able to look after them.

In some circumstances, the care has been seen as unacceptably poor, resulting unfortunately in injured residents’ due to medical negligence. Fortunately, there’s solicitors who specialise in medical negligence that can help the family in taking the appropriate action to ensure that the loved one is safe whether this be moving care homes and claiming negligent compensation. Below are a number of areas to look at if the loved one has been neglected.

Some of the following common claims are caused from poor care homes:

  • Bed sores.
  • The loved one been given the wrong medication, whether that be dosage, drug or failure to administer a drug.
  • Injuries from falling/handling errors.
  • Injuries after not being referred to a doctor in an appropriate time frame.
  • Misdiagnosis of medical conditions.
  • Injuries which have been caused by the failure of correctly monitoring a patient, or maintaining them with an adequate nutrition and hydration.

By claiming for compensation, it can:

  • If any surgery or remedies are required, instead of going through the NHS and being on their waiting list, you’ll be able to pay for it through a private capacity.
  • If your claim is successful, it could benefit everyone currently at the care home and potential new residents with a better quality of care.
  • The compensation could be used to move your loved one from their current care home into a better one.
  • Help fund any out of pocket expenses that the family may have paid for due to their loved ones’ injuries.
  • If the patient unfortunately passes away, the compensation can then be put forward to funding the funeral expenses.

If you’re in a good care home, they will do the following:

  • Offer the new residents and families a care guide that provides information on what care should be expected whilst they’re living in this care home.
  • Have a good number of staff who have worked there for a long time, know the residents well and are respectable, friendly and supportive.
  • Involve residents and families in decisions through regular staff meetings.
  • Offer a great variety of nutritional food and drink.
  • Listen to all the residents and provide numerous leisure and social activities.
  • Ensure it’s a clean, hygienic and bright environment.
  • Having staff who respect residents’ privacy.
  • Ensure that all residents look respectable, whilst recognising residents’ choices on what to wear.

Whereas, bad care homes may do the following:

  • Have a code of practice and set aims, but don’t make them a priority.
  • Offers minimal opportunity to listen to residents and families.
  • Resident care plans that are out of date. This would mean that some residents aren’t getting the correct support they need.
  • Very little privacy. Staff do not knock before entering into residents’ rooms, and leave them sat in front of a TV all day.
  • The staff make very little effort to interact with the residents’.
  • Have a poorly maintained building, that has the same mundane furniture in every room.
  • Unhygienic showers and washrooms that aren’t cleaned regularly.
  • Refuse to give any residents any independence, by not allowing someone to feed themselves because it takes too long.