In most cases, the difficult decision to admit an elderly family member to a nursing home is motivated by the perception that professionally trained staff will be able to provide better care than what a working family can provide. While this may be true in most cases, many Tennessee residents have been disillusioned by nursing home neglect suffered by their loved ones. Residents of nursing homes are typically extremely vulnerable, and each individual has unique needs that can only be accommodated by a high standard of personal and medical care.
In the aftermath of the sad loss of a loving 83-year-old father, a family in another state recently filed a lawsuit against a care center, several of its affiliates and certain staff members. The deceased man’s children claim that one of the individual needs of their father was help and supervision during mealtimes. Because he could no longer cut his own food, he required the assistance of a staff member to cut his food into suitably sized pieces and then oversee his consumption of the food.
In the personal injury claim, the children of the deceased accused the defendants of failing to provide the necessary assistance, which allowed their father to choke on his food. It is alleged that the choking led to his death. The family seeks damages exceeding $50,000.
Tennessee families who have suffered similar traumatic losses of loved ones and suspect that nursing home neglect caused the untimely deaths may be unsure of the viability of claims against the facilities or individuals. The most appropriate first step may be to consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney who can evaluate the claim. A lawyer can discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the claim and provide advice on how to move forward in pursuing financial relief for financial and emotional losses.