Tampa Nursing Medical Evaluation Lawyer
Florida nursing home residents often require extensive medical care. Nursing home staff must be attentive to the state of a resident’s physical and mental health at all times. This includes referring a resident for proper medical evaluation if something appears to be wrong.
The longer that anyone takes to receive a proper evaluation, the greater the delay in receiving treatment. Thus, a failure to make a timely referral can lead to serious complications–up to and including death. A qualified Tampa nursing home resident evaluation lawyer can advise you of your rights in a situation where you or a family member has been harmed by such negligence. Florin Gray is a team of Florida nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys who represent residents and their families in taking appropriate action against incompetently managed long-term care facilities.
Failure to Refer Is Nursing Home Negligence
Nursing home staff should seek a medical evaluation anytime they observe a significant change in a resident’s condition. This can include something as simple as reporting any issues to the resident’s attending physician. If the in-house medical staff believes the resident’s condition requires specialist evaluation, they need to make an appropriate referral.
Nursing home staff must also be properly trained to identify potential issues, especially with patients who are unable to communicate their own symptoms. For example, physical pain is often the first sign of a serious problem. The staff therefore needs to be able to read non-verbal cues that indicate pain, such as sudden changes in a resident’s behavior or sudden weight loss. The staff must also keep a careful watch on how changes in a resident’s medication may produce unexpected side effects.
Family members often notice a problem before the staff. If you find yourself in this situation, it is critical to notify the staff right away. If the staff takes no action–such as making a proper referral for a medical evaluation–that can indicate more serious problems with the management of the nursing home and you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Don’t Delay, Contact Florin Gray
A nursing home can be held legally responsible for the negligence of its staff in failing to make a timely referral for medical evaluation. The affected resident can seek damages under Florida law, including compensation for the additional medical bills incurred due to the facility’s negligence and the resident’s ongoing pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life.
In cases where a failure to make a referral ultimately leads to a resident’s death, the surviving family members and the resident’s estate can file a wrongful death claim to seek compensation for their own emotional loss, as well as reimbursement for the final medical, funeral, and burial expenses of the deceased.
So if you need to speak with a skilled Tampa failure to refer nursing home resident for medical evaluation lawyer, contact Florin Gray today to schedule a free consultation.
