A medication error can happen in any healthcare setting, and nursing homes and assisted living facilities are no exception. When these errors occur, they can cause significant physical and emotional harm to the resident. It is important for family members of those affected to understand what their rights are in the event of a medication error.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you should know how medication errors can occur in nursing homes, the types of injuries that may result from them, and what kind of compensation may be available.

How Do Medication Errors Occur?

Medication errors can occur from a variety of causes. Some of the most common include but are not limited to:

 Elopement and wandering are two of the biggest risks facing nursing home residents. While it is often assumed that elderly individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease are most likely to wander, any resident can become disoriented or confused and attempt to leave a facility. As such, it is important for facility staff and nursing home administrators to be aware of the risks of elopement and implement measures to protect residents from harm.

Who Is at Risk for Wandering?

Residents who are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are at greatest risk for wandering or eloping from a nursing home facility. Those who have previously attempted to escape or have become lost outside the facility may also be more likely to wander. Additionally, those with vision impairments may be prone to wandering due to difficulty recognizing or understanding their surroundings. It is important for family members and caregivers alike to be aware of these warning signs so they can take steps to address them before it is too late.

What Can Nursing Home Facilities Do to Prevent Wandering?

Nursing homes are required by law to keep residents safe. This includes preventing them from wandering off the premises and becoming lost or injured. In general, nursing facilities should take several proactive steps to ensure that their residents are not put at risk of wandering away from the premises. These include but are not limited:

In 2015, the Illinois legislature passed a law allowing family members to place cameras in the rooms of their loved ones who reside in nursing homes. This law is commonly referred to as the “Granny Cam” law, and it offers families peace of mind knowing that they can monitor their loved one’s daily activities and ensure that they are receiving quality care. Before you install a granny cam, however, there are several things you should know about how this law works.

Who Can Place a Camera?

Under the Granny Cam law, only certain family members—including the resident’s legal guardian or power of attorney, spouse, adult child, sibling, grandchild, or parent—are allowed to place a camera in a nursing home resident’s room. The family member must also provide notice to the facility before installing a camera and obtain permission from any other roommates residing in the same room. Under the law, a roommate who does not wish for a monitoring device to be installed in their room is to be moved by the facility to another room.

What Types of Cameras Are Allowed?

The Granny Cam law allows only most types of cameras to be used inside nursing home facilities. These generally include audio and video recording devices that use visible light spectrum technology. Cameras must be positioned such that they do not record outside the resident's room (e.g., common areas) and should not interfere with normal activities within the room or pose any safety hazards for residents or staff.  Additionally, all recordings made using these cameras must be stored securely so as to protect them from unauthorized access or tampering.

As a family member of a nursing home resident, it is important for you to be aware of the potential choking hazards that exist in these facilities. Nursing home residents are at an increased risk of choking due to age-related issues such as cognitive impairment, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and muscle weakness. In addition, nursing homes often serve food items that can increase the risk of choking if not properly monitored. To help protect your loved one from harm, it is essential to understand common causes of choking, as well as prevention methods for reducing risks.

Common Causes of Choking in Nursing Homes

While any food item can pose a choking hazard for elderly individuals, there are some foods that are more likely than others. These include nuts and seeds, hard candy, gum, popcorn, raw vegetables (such as carrots and celery sticks), grapes and cherry tomatoes, raisins and other dried fruits, peanut butter and other sticky substances, and meats that have not been cut into small pieces. It is also important to remember that liquids can also be a choking hazard, as many elderly people cannot swallow thick liquids such as milkshakes or smoothies without assistance.

Prevention Tips for Reducing Risks

There are some steps that facilities caregivers can take to reduce the risk of choking among residents of their facility:

Head injuries are one of the biggest risks for the elderly in long-term care. Elderly individuals are frail and inherently susceptible to falling. It is no wonder people 75 years and older wind up hospitalized as a result of traumatic brain injuries or TBI. In 2019, more than 223,000 people were hospitalized with TBI. This is nursing home abuse that has no place in a facility where residents are supposed to be cared for and protected. If your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury at a nursing home there are some legal options you should explore.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI?

TBI is an injury that affects how the brain works. It is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. A bump or a blow to the head can cause severe brain injuries that can be temporary or last forever.  

What Happens at Nursing Homes that Leads to TBI?

In the nation, one out of five people fall and either breaks their bones or injure their heads. Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. A fall can lead to health complications related to head injuries that can be serious and sometimes fatal. Even if a resident recovers, their life can be forever changed. Here are some reasons why nursing home residents sustain a TBI: