Disasters affect nursing home residents disproportionately

Nursing home abuse and neglect is all over the news right now. In the times we live in now, this vulnerable population is at a particular risk. Though, a recent study showed that is true not just now, but also after any disaster, like hurricanes.

The study

The study was published last week by the American Medical Association. It analyzed 62,000 residents from over 600 Florida nursing homes after 2017’s Hurricane Irma. The official death toll only county 14 nursing home deaths from the state, which were caused by power loss and the lack of air conditioning. The study found an additional 700 deaths that occurred 90 days after the disaster. These findings are consistent with other studies that showed nursing home residents are an especially vulnerable population, and that nursing home facilities must prepare for disasters to avoid these increased deaths in their resident populations.

The key takeaways

Everyone in Albuquerque, New Mexico, can agree that nursing home residents need special attention. After all, that is why they are in a nursing home. If they did not need additional protections and help, they would still be at home. This study has shown that the increased safety measures nursing home facilities have taken are not enough to protect their residents from disasters. It shows that these facilities must proactively identify measures to protect their residents, otherwise, deaths will continue to increase.

If nursing home facilities do not take these measures, they can be held liable for this nursing home neglect through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. For those victimized, a personal injury or nursing home negligence lawsuit can compensate them for their injuries. For those family members who have lost loved ones, they can bring a wrongful death or nursing home negligence lawsuit to get some semblance of justice. While it will not bring loved one’s back, it may help other families, and it will help family members get back to some sense of normalcy. Contacting an attorney is the first step.