Nursing homes have a legal duty to provide reasonable care to residents. If that duty of care is breached and the resident is hurt or killed, then the nursing home may have been negligent and may be liable for the injuries or fatality that was suffered.
The ratio of nursing home staff to nursing home residents is one factor in determining whether the duty of care has been breached. However, it is not the only factor that is important in a nursing home negligence case. While adequate staffing is important, the staff members on duty must be reasonably trained to do their jobs.
What Is Reasonable Training?
Reasonable training needs to be defined on a case by case basis. For example, in-depth training specific to dementia may be necessary in facilities that accept patients with dementia, but may not be necessary in other nursing homes.
Generally, reasonable training should include:
- Training on the nursing home’s policies and procedures. This could include medication procedures, when to call a doctor, and how to keep records, for example.
- Training on what to do in an emergency. This could include a facility fire or medical emergency, for example.
- Training on what to do for specific medical conditions of nursing home residents. This may include patients with diabetes or dementia, for example.
- Training on how to avoid common accidents. This could include falls, for example.
If staff members do not have this training and the lack of training causes a resident to suffer an injury that might have been prevented had the training occurred, then the nursing home could be legally responsible for the resident’s injuries.
Could Lack of Staff Training Have Been the Cause of Your Loved One’s Injury?
When you get the call that your loved one is hurt, you may not immediately know why. Since you do not work for the nursing home, you likely will not know what types of training are required of staff. Instead, a full investigation will need to be done to determine if lack of training caused the action, or inaction, that resulted in your loved one’s injury.
Has Your Loved One Been Injured In A Nursing Home?
If you believe your loved one is being subjected to nursing home abuse you need to speak with an experienced Kentucky nursing home neglect attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at 888.450.4456 to schedule a free consultation.
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