As of last count by the Mississippi State Department of Health, there are around 13,756 residents living in one of the state’s 204 nursing homes. It’s a safe bet that a good portion of those residents are on some type of medication. One of the many benefits of nursing home care is knowing that your loved one is receiving the care they need, including making sure they take the right medications at the right time.
Unfortunately, with the demands of a staff that might be stretched thin, there could be occasional medication errors that lead to injury or fatality. These are the types of situations that you should not ignore.
If you suspect that a nursing home committed a medication error that led to your loved one being harmed, you need to speak with a Gulfport nursing home abuse lawyer from Owen, Owen & Smith, PLLC. Our experienced attorneys will be in the best position to answer your questions about the particulars of your claim and what you should consider for moving forward.
Here’s what you need to know:
How Widespread Are Medication Errors in Nursing Homes?
According to data published in the Pharmaceutical Journal, between 16% and 27% of nursing home residents experience at least one medication error each year. There is also concern that underreporting could raise those numbers. A medication error can occur due to a prescription mistake, dispensing delay, or mix-up.
It is common for nursing home residents to take multiple medications. This is referred to as polypharmacy, and the more prescriptions a resident needs, the more likely it is that a single error can occur.
A missed dose or incorrect dose can lead to the following serious complications:
- Falls
- Strokes
- Fatality
There can also be adverse drug reactions such as rashes, gastrointestinal complications, high blood pressure, dizziness, and nausea.
Why Do Medication Errors Often Go Undetected at a Nursing Home?
Filing a nursing home abuse claim can be inherently complex, especially if you are tying medication errors to the injury. This is because medication errors often go undetected. Here are the potential reasons why that might occur:
Complex Medical Conditions
A nursing home resident can be struggling with multiple chronic conditions that often mask the symptoms of a medication error. For instance, a resident could experience a sudden change in their cognitive function. They might also experience mobility challenges. Those could all be attributed to the natural progression of such diseases as dementia or Parkinson’s disease. Instead, those symptoms can be a symptom of a missed prescription or overdosing.
Inadequate Staffing
Mississippi Today reported that 995 of Mississippi’s nursing homes don’t meet federal staffing regulations. When staffing shortages occur, oversight also suffers as the remaining staff struggles to keep up. A staff member pulled in different directions might miss a potential error.
If they don’t follow safety protocols, the medication errors can go overlooked.
Poor Documentation
When you visit your doctor, everything is documented in a computer file that becomes part of your permanent record. A nursing home might not follow the same record-keeping practices.
If a medication error is not properly documented, it may be difficult to establish causation. An error can also be reported to the nursing home’s administrator, but not to the Mississippi Department of Health.
That can impact understanding the full scope of the error.
Residents’ Limited Ability to Speak Up
Many nursing home residents live with cognitive challenges, such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. These impairments make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for the resident to recognize when something is wrong with their medication.
They may not be able to recognize that a dose was missed or that the wrong pill was given. They could also struggle with identifying a troubling side effect. Without the ability to clearly communicate these issues, mistakes can slip by unnoticed.
Fatal Errors
When medication errors occur in long-term care settings, the consequences can be devastating. Older adults often have preexisting fragile health. A small mistake with a prescription drug can quickly escalate into a medical emergency that leads to a wrongful death.
When errors are not caught or corrected promptly, residents face significant and sometimes irreversible harm. In some situations, medication errors lead directly to a resident’s death.
Too often, these errors come to light only after it is too late to intervene.
What Happens Next?
If you suspect that your loved one has been harmed because of a medication error, you might not know what your options are or what should happen next. The attorneys at Owen, Owen & Smith, PLLC have experience with these types of cases. We’ve helped many families hold nursing homes accountable for the medication errors.
You can schedule a consultation with our legal team to share what happened.
We’ll provide you with the information you need about the options and challenges of filing a nursing home abuse claim. You owe it to your loved one to seek a remedy.
