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Does your loved one’s senior care facility have a "no lift" policy?
If you have a loved one in a nursing home or other senior facility, you have a right to assume that those who care for them and others who work there do their best to prevent falls. Regardless of how much help your loved one needs on a daily basis, you likely expect that if they were to fall, there would be plenty of trained staff around who can safely get them back on their feet and determine whether they’ve been injured.
In fact, a number of facilities don’t allow staff members to pick up residents when they fall but instead require them to call 911 – even if the resident insists that they’re fine and just need a hand getting up. These "no lift" polices were the subject of a recent investigation by The Washington Post.
3 labor and delivery mistakes that can lead to birth injuries
Giving birth is one of the most dangerous human experiences. Even in a modern medical setting, women are at risk of severe injury or death during labor. Their unborn child could also be at risk in many cases.
Birth injuries can have a profound impact on a newborn and their parents. Factors outside of a mother’s control could lead to permanent injuries that affect a child’s development and prospects in life. Some birth injuries are unpredictable and unpreventable occurrences, but many birth injuries are the result of medical mistakes. The following are three of the most common errors in labor and delivery settings that can lead to preventable birth injuries.
Failing to monitor the fetus
An unborn child could be at risk of permanent brain injury within minutes of something going wrong during labor. It is therefore crucial for healthcare professionals to consistently monitor the status of both the mother and the unborn baby. Current best practices in obstetrics include consistent fetal monitoring after admission to the hospital during labor. Failure to use a fetal heart rate monitor, to check it regularly or to react to concerning heart rate changes in a timely manner could lead to preventable injuries to an unborn child.
Bed sores can be a warning sign of neglect in a care facility
Pressure ulcers can be incredibly painful. Also known as bed sores, pressure ulcers develop when people remain in one position for extended amounts of time. Someone who cannot get out of bed or out of an armchair without support is at risk of developing bed sores.
People tend to associate bed sores with life in nursing homes. After all, older adults often live largely sedentary lifestyles. Despite that association, bed sores are not actually an inevitable aspect of aging. Many of them are preventable if workers in nursing homes pay proper attention to residents. Oftentimes, a loved one who is developing multiple bed sores, experiencing an infection related to bed sores or suffering from later-stage bed sores may have been subjected to neglect at the facility where they live.
Bed sores take time to develop
Someone has to remain in the same position without movement or cushioning for long periods of time for significant bed sores to develop. An early stage or topical bed sore can potentially develop in just a single day in some cases. Still, the resident could recover from that bed sore just as quickly with the right support.
Challenges for blue-collar workers hurt in car crashes
Many people who are the primary wage earners for their families in Maryland have blue-collar jobs. Blue-collar workers often receive more competitive wages than those in less-demanding professions. They may also receive better employment benefits because of how hard their jobs can be.
A blue-collar worker on their way to work or back home at the end of a long shift might end up involved in a car crash. The injuries caused by a motor vehicle collision can be a major concern for people of all professions. For blue-collar workers, injuries can be more than just frustrating, painful or inconvenient. They can potentially lead to major financial hardship.
Why do car crashes often result in disproportionate impacts on blue-collar workers?
They may not be able to work while injured
Someone working in the retail sector or an office setting might be able to do their job despite having significant physical injuries. Even if they cannot perform their standard job responsibilities, their employer might be able to move them to a cash register or a reception position where they don’t have to worry about triggering their injuries. Such accommodations may not be realistic for blue-collar workers. Any role they might fill could require manual labor. Someone unable to stand for hours or who cannot use their hands because of an injury may require an extended leave of absence from work until their condition improves. Perhaps someone is a welder who can’t use their equipment.
Are serious falls just part of aging or a sign of neglect?
Getting older inspires certain safety concerns. Older adults often find that they are not as strong as they were when they were younger. A decrease in immune system function is also common. People become more susceptible to infectious diseases and may take longer to heal from physical injuries as they age.
Therefore, the prospect of falling is a significant concern for those over the age of 55. Someone who falls might be more likely to break a bone and to have a hard time recovering from that injury. Families often move vulnerable older adults into nursing homes after a fall to prevent further injury.
Hearing from a nursing home that a loved one fell can be a disconcerting experience. Especially when someone has significant injuries after falling, family members may question whether or not the nursing home is to blame for the incident. Is a fall all but inevitable as someone grows older, or is it a sign of neglect at a nursing home?
Falls are predictable and are, therefore, usually preventable
The possibility of an older adult falling is a well-known risk. Nursing homes should evaluate incoming new residents to determine their risk level for certain common types of injuries, including falls. They should then structure the support that someone receives according to their risk levels. Providing someone with a walker and ensuring that they have support when they need to groom themselves or head to dining facilities can reduce their risk of a fall.
When is a dog owner responsible for injuries that their animal causes?
Dogs are among the most popular companion animals in Maryland. They are also one of the only animals that people regularly rely on for work. Dogs can assist by providing security support or helping manage livestock on a farm. They can benefit families by providing entertainment, opportunities for exercise and companionship.
Unfortunately, they are also a source of injury risk for members of the general public. Any dog could potentially become aggressive. Canines of all breeds, ages and sizes occasionally attack humans and may cause massive injuries when they do so. Those injured by dogs might worry about paying for their medical care and other expenses. When is an animal’s owner responsible for the injuries it inflicts on another person?
Maryland has a strict liability statute
In some states, a dog has to display aggression at least once before it attacks and injures someone for the owner to have liability for the incident. One-bite rules reduce the economic risk associated with animal ownership, but they leave victims of dog bite incidents in very difficult situations.
Workers’ comp and third-party claims: Understand the options
Workers’ compensation is one of the most important safety nets in existence for employees who are injured on the job – but it’s also somewhat limited. Many times, it’s not nearly enough.
If you’ve been hurt at work, workers’ comp is usually the only course of action you have – even when your employer was negligent. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue a personal injury claim against any third party who has also contributed to your injuries.
How do third-party claims differ from workers’ comp claims?
A successful third-party claim can provide additional compensation above and beyond the wage replacement benefits that workers’ comp provides. In addition, a successful third-party claim can provide additional compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress and other non-economic damages.
When is a third-party claim possible? Consider these examples:
Misdiagnosis: Delayed treatment and unnecessary interventions
Accurate and timely diagnoses are critical when it comes to making sure that patients get the best possible care.
Unfortunately, misdiagnoses are not uncommon. Every year, roughly 371,000 people die due to misdiagnoses and 424,000 are left with permanent injuries and disabilities. Roughly 6% of the 130 million people who seek emergency care – or 1 out of every 18 patients – get a wrong diagnosis. In the words of one researcher, "Diagnostic errors are, by a wide margin, the most under-resourced public health crisis we face…" There are two main ways that diagnostic errors can lead to patient harm.
Delayed treatment
Perhaps the most significant (and obvious) danger of misdiagnosis is the delay that the patient suffers in obtaining the care they need for their actual condition. For the 17% of stroke victims who are misdiagnosed every year, a delay in treatment could easily mean the difference between life and death. Even in less dire situations, however, a diagnostic error can have serious consequences. For example, if a patient with cancer is misdiagnosed with gastrointestinal issues and treated for those instead, they may lose the last clear chance they have of recovery as their cancer progresses.
The most dangerous times for driving
Most people spend a lot of time on the road. Whether you are commuting to work or picking up your children from school, driving is essential in modern life. Unfortunately, driving comes with risks, and every time you get behind the wheel, you risk getting into an accident.
While accidents are never completely preventable, there are ways to lower your chances of being in one. One way is by understanding that there are certain times during the day when it is more dangerous to be on the road.
At night
Driving at night is, without a doubt, the most dangerous time to drive. Most accidents happen at night because:
- You have low visibility
- You can easily miss an obstacle on the road
- You can fall asleep at the wheel
- You can easily miss traffic signs
You should always try to drive with someone else if you must drive at night. Especially if you are not used to driving at night or take any medication that could impair your ability to drive normally.
Detecting nursing home abuse: know the signs
As your loved ones age, ensuring their safety and well-being becomes a top priority. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is a reality that occurs in nursing homes across the country. It is critical to remain vigilant so you can detect any signs of nursing home mistreatment or neglect.
Whether your loved one can or cannot communicate with you, it is vital for you to observe your family member and their surroundings when you visit them. Some signs that your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse include:
Physical signs
Physical abuse can manifest in many forms. Abuse can leave physical marks on the body, as well as bruises, cuts, burns or fractures. Be watchful for signs of excessive restraint, like rope marks on your loved one’s wrists or ankles.
Emotional signs
Abuse takes a psychological toll on a person. Keep an eye out for sudden changes in your loved one’s behavior, such as not wanting to participate in activities they used to enjoy, increased anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, social isolation or strained relationships with caregivers.
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