Pennsylvania Nursing Home Lawyers
Medication errors can be fatal even in healthy young adults. In elderly or compromised patients, even a seemingly minor medication error can have devastating consequences. Older patients often take multiple medications, and one of the reasons that nursing home care becomes necessary is the resident’s inability to manage their own medications at home. If your loved one has been injured or killed by medication error in a nursing home, our Pennsylvania nursing home lawyers can help.
Common Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Medication errors which occur in nursing homes include:
- Administration of incorrect dose
- Administration of incorrect medication
- Administration to the wrong resident
- Adverse drug interactions
- Allergic reaction
- Failure to monitor for, recognize, or respond to an adverse drug reaction
- Missed dose
- Double dosing to make up for a missed dose
- Double dosing due to poor record keeping
Mediation Error Causes
Medication errors are frighteningly common in nursing homes. Nursing home residents may have several doctors prescribing their medications. Medications may be administered by several different staff members throughout the day. Proper record keeping is essential to preventing medication errors. Medication errors can be the result of poor medication labeling or poor handwriting, making it easy for the staff member who administers the medication to give the wrong drug or the wrong dose. Many nursing homes are understaffed and overworked nursing home employees are more likely to make mistakes.
Medication errors may be the result of:
- Poor record keeping
- Inadequate procedures for administering medications
- Failure to properly assess resident’s needs
- Failure to monitor and reassess for medication’s efficacy and resident’s needs
- Multiple prescribing doctors
- Combining prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs
- Theft of medications by nursing home staff
- Overreliance on sedatives to keep nursing home residents under control
Consequences of Medication Errors
The most obvious consequence of medication error is a fatal overdose. Other consequences can include:
- Falls and other accidents
- Confusion
- Delirium
- Hallucinations
- Violent behavior
- Bleeding
- Medical condition does not improve or gets worse
- Allergic reaction
- Chronic pain from lack of medication
If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse in Pennsylvania, please call us today or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our nursing home lawyers is free, and if we agree to represent you, we will work for a contingent fee, which means we won’t get paid for our services unless you receive a settlement or an award. In Pennsylvania, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.