Another Heater Incident At Nursing Home Results In Burns & Amputation Of Patient’s Leg

One of the things that I am continually reminded about in nursing home injury cases is just how much just plain rotten judgment is made by nursing home staff.

Sure there are smart and thoughtful folks working in some of these facilities, but I frequently feel like patient safety is an afterthought as opposed to a priority.

Out of Washington, another prime example of poor judgment resulting in a patient injury was reported in Seattlepi.com when a nursing home patient fell from his bed allowing his leg to come into contact with the baseboard heater on the floor nearby.

The fall went undetected by nursing home staff and the man suffered third degree burns to his leg that were so severe that his leg had to be amputated below the knee.

While we can certainly say that this was an isolated event that was most unfortunate, the article reports that this was not the first time that the patient had fallen out of bed and the alarm used to notify staff when he moved from the bed was not operational.

Further, according to the article, the man has incurred $116,000 in past medical expenses and will likely incur an additional $1.4 million in future medical expenses over the course of his life.

Sadly, nursing home patients across the country continue to suffer horrific injuries due to lapses in the judgment on the part of nursing home staff.  If for no reason other than to reduce the incidence of claims against the facility, staff need to be educated that every protocol regarding patient care is there for a specific reason– to keep them safe.

For more information on nursing homes in Washington look here. For laws related to Washington nursing homes, look here.

Related Nursing Home Law Center LLC Blog Entries:

Burns In The Nursing Home Population Pose A Serious Threat Of Injury & Further Medical Complications

Stupidity Plain & Simple To Blame For Series Of Portable Heater Burns To Nursing Home Patients

Even The Most Mundane Parts Of A Nursing Home Can Turn Deadly Without Proper Staff Supervision

Cigarette Lighter Mishap Results In Severe Burns To Nursing Home Patient