Most nursing home residents receive at least one medication.  Some receive multiple medications. When a person becomes a resident at a nursing home, the nursing home promises to provide that individual with quality care specific to the needs of that individual, which includes properly dispensing medications. When the nursing home fails to give medications as ordered, residents can suffer grave injuries, and, in some cases, die.

Far too often, nursing home corporations place a strict budget on the number of employees that can work at any given time. Without the proper training, proper supervision or a sufficient number of staff members, medication errors increase. In fact, it is not uncommon for a state survey to reveal multiple medication errors in the same nursing home. A medication error can range from the resident not receiving his medication as ordered, to receiving too much medication, to receiving medication prescribed for a different resident. Any one of those errors can result in serious injuries or even death.

How You Can Help Prevent Medication Errors

It is important that you know what medications are prescribed for your family member.  Many families keep a written chart of prescribed medications so they can compare them to the medications actually given.  Some families have even had pictures of each medication close by to compare with medications their loved one is given in the nursing home.  The key to helping your loved one from becoming a victim of a medication error is to be vigilant in knowing what medications are prescribed, why they are prescribed, and insuring that your family member receives only those medications in the proper doses.

If you believe that your family member was the victim of a medication error by a nursing home, call the Terry Law Firm immediately at 1-888-317-2525.