Assisted Living Negligence

There are two key issues to consider for facility negligence:

  1. What is the harm that was caused?
  2. Did the facility breach their standard of care?

A Typical Example

Let’s suppose your mother lives in an assisted living facility. She needs an aide attending to her every time she walks because she’s considered at risk for falling. You’ve had no issues with the facility so far.

One day your mother wants to take a walk and is assisted by an aide. Afterwards, she rests by watching television in the main hall. When she wants to go back to her room, however, the aide that assisted her is not around. The aide’s shift had ended, and instead of waiting for the tardy night shift aide, she simply left.

So your mother decides to walk back to her room on her own. In this attempt, she falls and breaks her leg. She’s admitted to the hospital, suffers complications, and passes.

Key Issues in Negligence Cases

In this case, the facility clearly breached their standard of care. There wasn’t an aide to assist her in moving when she needed it. There was also harm as a result of that breach (assuming the hospital was not at fault).

In other cases, the extent of the damages might not be clear. For example, your parent might still be going through rehabilitation or have an extended hospital stay.

Don’t Be Fooled by Assisted Living Negligence

Don’t let the assisted living facility convince you it’s not their fault. Falling is not to be accepted as just part of the risk of living in that kind of facility.

Take Prompt Action

Assisted living and nursing home negligence matters are complex and time-sensitive. While the example above seems relatively straightforward, there are a number of factors to consider. It’s important to document the possible negligence now, including the issues, events, and names of interested persons.

Give our office a call to discuss your situation. The first half hour of the consultation is free. Our firm can help you hold the facility accountable for their wrongdoing.