Understaffing at nursing homes can lead to neglect

As people in New Mexico grow older sometimes they may experience health complications that require routine medical care or people may need assistance with daily activities due to those complications. While many people’s families may want to care for their loved ones, they may not always be able to provide the support they need. In these situations, people may need to move their loved ones into a nursing home, which can provide the care they need.

When they do this, they expect their loved ones will receive this care However, this does not always occur. There are many errors that are made at nursing homes and sometimes abuse or neglect may occur at nursing homes. There are many different causes of this abuse or neglect, but one problem that can lead to violations and safety concerns for the residents is understaffing.

Understaffing at nursing homes is prevalent

It is important that there are enough nurses and aides in the nursing home at all times to meet the needs of the residents. However, recently it was shown that about 70% of 14,000 nursing homes which submitted their payroll information had understaffing issues. It can be particularly low on weekends as well with weekday staffing numbers being higher.

This means that people may not receive medications on time, be rotated enough to prevent bed sores, get food when needed because there are simply not enough people. Generally nursing homes with lower staffing numbers also have more code violations.

Many people are living in nursing homes in New Mexico and unfortunately for a variety of reasons, one of which could be understaffing, the residents suffer injuries or increased medical complications. Some of these injuries and complications could be avoided with the proper care. If a resident does suffer injuries due to the neglect or negligence of the nursing home staff, the residents could be entitled to compensation for the damages they suffer as a result. These can be complicated matters though and consulting with an experienced attorney could be beneficial.