Poor Hygiene
NURSING HOME ABUSE AND NEGLECT- LAWYERS THAT DEMAND RESPECT
The nursing home facility has a duty to ensure that the resident is assisted with personal hygiene. Failure to meet that duty leads to poor hygiene and a deterioration of the residents health and may constitute negligence.
Lack of hygiene causes a resident to feel less comfortable and deprives them of basic dignity. For example laying in one’s own urine or waste can be degrading and cause depression. A patient should not have to wait for hours to have under garments changed or to be properly cleaned. Poor hygiene can also cause or worsen certain medical conditions, from skin problems to infectious pneumonia or urinary tract infections. In fact, insufficient hand-washing or cleaning of equipment can cause the spread of bacteria or viruses throughout a nursing the home. Although your goal as child or relative of then resident is to keep your loved one comfortable and cared for, you cannot be there 24 hours a day. If you see unsanitary conditions you should report it to the administrator, but it is also helpful to document it with photographs.
When our lawyers at Rosenbaum and Associates are litigating cases against nursing homes some of the most powerful evidence is a photograph of the resident showing the unhealthy conditions. This can have a great impact on the Jury as no one wants to see there parent or relative mistreated. We aggressively pursue poor hygiene case throughout the Philadelphia region as well as western Pennsylvania. As the nursing home population has grown over the last decade we have dedicated significant resources to defending the rights of the elderly. Our goal is stop nursing home abuse and neglect.
Nursing homes and personal care facilities are regulated under statutes in Pennsylvania. The statutes generally provide in part that these facilities shall assist residents with personal hygiene. Failure to comply with a statute may result in negligence per se as well as general negligence. Many times the contract that is signed upon entrance into the home also includes a promise to ensure the resident’s personal hygiene. A failure to do so may also be a breach of contract.
It is well known that many nursing facilities are understaffed; therefore residents may not receive appropriate assistance showering, bathing, shaving and brushing their teeth.
It is important to regulate your loved one’s hygiene. Make sure they are fully bathed at least three times a week and do not have any body odor or scaling skin. Ensure that your loved one has proper hair, nail and dental care. Bathroom care is critical to overall well being. Also take note as to whether they are dressed in their own clothing and whether that clothing is clean.
If you are upset about the sanitary conditions of your loved one at a nursing home call us to speak with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney at 1-800-7-legal-7 or contact us on line for a Free Evaluation.