Many people across Maryland choose nursing home facilities for their aging loved ones because they believe that these facilities will be able to provide a high level of care oftentimes needed as we age. Because such facilities are specialized in providing a high level of health care, we also tend to hold health care professionals to high standards, expecting that few mistakes - if any - will negatively affect our loved ones down the road.
But as readers of our blog know, medical mistakes are not uncommon in hospitals and nursing homes. From medication errors to neglect, these mistakes can occur for any number of reasons, typically ending though in injuries or even fatalities. One example of a mistake is a medical professional failing to wash their hands. This is a mistake because it can lead to a healthcare-associated infection, which can be incredibly damaging in some cases.
For those who don't know, healthcare-associated infections are often a result of improper hand washing, which is a mistake that can be made in hospitals as well as nursing homes. If health care workers are not washing their hands regularly, then they may be putting elderly patients at risk of contracting a serious or even deadly infection.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, "1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection" on "any given day," which can lead to serious illnesses that may even be fatal in some cases. In fact, approximately 75,000 hospital patients die during their hospital stay because of healthcare-associated infection.
It's important for our Upper Marlboro readers to remember that medical mistakes, such as healthcare-associated infections, are grounds for a civil claim and that seeking compensation is possible. Contacting an attorney with experience handling nursing home neglect cases may be necessary so as to ensure full protection of your rights and those of your loved ones.