I’m very sorry to hear about your mother’s issues at the nursing home. Unfortunately, medication errors are common, not only in nursing homes, but also across all patient demographics. Often, when a medication error occurs in a nursing home, it occurs because a doctor prescribed the wrong medication or the wrong dosage. In some cases, there may have been an error in the way the drug was administered.
If you want to sue for medical malpractice after your mother was given the wrong drug in a nursing home, your parent must have suffered harm as a result of being given the wrong drug. If your mother was given the wrong drug or wrong dosage but had no side effects or only minor side effects, a medical malpractice case will be very difficult. If your parent suffered death or serious injury as a result of the drug, it is important that the error be traced to its source. That is one reason why it is important to pursue the case as soon as possible after the error occurred.
There are a lot of reasons why medication errors can occur in a nursing home setting. Nursing homes are frequently understaffed. Patients may have issues communicating. Doctors may be rushed and may fail to get a patient’s complete medical history. Nurses may be rushed as well, which can make it difficult to take the time to ensure a patient is getting the correct medication at the correct dose.
If your mother was harmed at a nursing home because of a medication error, you should speak with an attorney. An attorney can help you pursue the compensation your mother deserves. If she is in Los Angeles, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles nursing home malpractice attorney at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.