More than 50% of the COVID-19 fatal victims were nursing home residents
Nursing Homes are Liable COVID-19 Deaths
Do not let your loved ones be voiceless victims.
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As Seen in the News
Nursing home residents have accounted to half of the COVID-19 deaths in California. In several facilities in the state, more than 80% of the residents and employees have tested positive for the virus, and 15% of all facilities have hidden the numbers from the authorities. It is not the first time they are negligent.
A long-time problem
Despite charging an average of $85,000 per year for each resident, many nursing homes have been stacking fatal victims for years and pushing their cases under the rug.
- Nearly 400,000 people die each year from preventable infections inside long-term care facilities.
- Around 63% of nursing homes in California have been violating the infection-control guidelines of the US Department of Health and Human services since 2017.
For-profit Negligence
Most problems with long-term care facilities have to do with the implementation of for-profit decisions and cost-cutting measures. By prioritizing profit, they compromise the lives of their residents and put their employees in danger.
These measures have claimed the lives of hundreds of Californians, victims of easily preventable infections and diseases. Let us discuss the measures these nursing homes take that choose profit over life.
Undertrained or Underpaid Staff
- Nursing homes often employ personnel unqualified to treat emergencies common in these facilities, as most residents have more than one condition affecting their health.
- Even if trained, most of these experts do not have the correct equipment to treat, for example, a respiratory failure as urgently as it is required.
- Long-term care facility workers have to work in more than one facility due to their low wages, and they might be taking the disease from one facility to another.
Lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
According to the president of the SEIU Local 2015, there is evidence that workers have been asked to make their own equipment or reuse old equipment, due to the lack of PPE:
- Some were asked to use garbage bags instead of isolation gowns, and plastic bags instead of gloves
- Some are provided with face masks and said that they should be used all day long, for multiple days
- Most are asked to spend their own money to obtain the PPE necessary to do their job
Lack of Testing and Monitoring
In places like nursing homes, testing and monitoring should be a priority. It is clear it is not, as:
- Nursing homes are confined spaces that muster the most vulnerable group without measures to prevent infection
- Some nursing homes are hiding the fatal victims of COVID-19
- 15% of Californian's nursing homes are not reporting COVID-19 numbers to the authorities
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Pushing for Immunity
Nursing homes know that they are liable for the deaths of hundreds of Californians. They know that people will seek compensation for the loss of a loved one due to their negligence. They have asked for temporary immunity and they have obtained it in New York, Arizona, New Jersey, and more states. They want this measure to be applied in California, too.
Not the End of the World
Being granted immunity seems like a scary challenge, but these measures are not absolute. By employing the right strategies—and calling the right lawyers—, these facilities can be held liable for COVID-19-related deaths or injuries.
At Farahi Law Firm we are aware of all this, and we know that nursing homes are liable. We want to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call us for a free consultation, and do not let your loved ones become voiceless victims.
How can you know if a Nursing Home is Being Negligent?
It is necessary to check if they are following the COVID-19 guidelines for nursing homes. Here is a quick checklist that you can refer to:
- Are they being strict with hand hygiene and sanitization of public spaces?
- Are nursing home employees and able-bodied residents wearing protective masks at all times?
- Are they constantly monitoring and evaluating residents with symptoms of COVID-19?
- Have residents, healthcare personnel, and visitors been properly educated about COVID-19 including how to protect themselves?
- Was there understaffing?
- Are they restricting the acceptance of new residents and visitations?
- Do they have adequate PPE, equipment, and disinfection supplies to adhere to recommendations?
- Do they isolate residents with COVID-19?
- Are they being strict with social distancing practices?
Lack of answers to these questions could mean that a nursing home is being negligent while handling the COVID-19 situation.
