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New Orleans Nursing Home Medication Error Lawyers
Skilled advocacy when Louisiana nursing homes make medication mistakes.
Most seniors take several medications. Some may take as much as 10 or 20 medications. Drugs help seniors with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many other ailments. These medications, when taken properly, can extend lives and minimize discomfort. When the medications are not given properly, seniors can suffer or die due to adverse side effects, adverse interactions, and the failure to take the proper medications they need. Each medication must be taken at the correct time, and in the correct dosage, in the correct way.
Nursing homes in New Orleans need to ensure their residents have the medications they need, that each resident has their own medication plan, that the medications are administered properly, and that the residents are monitored for any health disorders. At Garcia & Artigliere, our New Orleans nursing home elder care lawyers have helped thousands of seniors obtain full compensation for neglect and abuse. We work with gerontologists, family doctors, and pharmacists to show that medication errors were made by a nursing home. We also work with these medical care providers to show the consequences of these mistakes.
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How can we help?
- What types of medication mistakes do New Orleans nursing homes make?
- Why do nursing homes in New Orleans make medication mistakes?
- Why are medication errors so dangerous?
- What compensation can a Louisiana nursing home resident demand for medication mistakes?
- Do you have a nursing home medication error lawyer near me?
What types of medication mistakes do New Orleans nursing homes make?
Some of the medication errors that nursing homes in New Orleans make include giving the resident:
- The incorrect medication or not giving the resident the proper medication
- The wrong dosage of the medication – too little or too much
- The medication at the wrong time – such as in the morning instead of at night
- The medication improperly – such as in powder form instead of as a whole tablet
Common examples of medication errors include:
- Failure to follow directions, such as giving the medication with food or antacids
- Failure to give liquids to help the resident swallow tablets
- Not informing the resident what foods should be avoided when taking certain drugs
- Giving the drugs orally when they should be given intravenously
- Failure to prepare insulin properly
- Failure to use eyedrops
- Mixing up extended-release medications with immediate-release medications
- Failure to ensure the resident swallows the medications
- Not examining and explaining any side effects
- Not reviewing possible negative drug interactions
- Failure to seek emergency medical care
Why do nursing homes in New Orleans make medication mistakes?
At Garcia & Artigliere, our New Orleans medication error lawyers work with medical providers and nursing home professionals to show that a nursing home caused medical mistakes due to the following types of neglect:
- The nursing home did not have enough staff members with the training and certification to administer medications and keep a current inventory of medications
- The medications were not administered properly
- The nursing home failed to have a unique medication plan for each resident
- The nursing home did not comply with Louisiana and state medical compliance boards and regulations to ensure only qualified staff members supervised and administered the medications
- The medications were not properly stored – for example, some medications may need to be refrigerated
- Failing to monitor the medications by type, quantity, and other factors
- Allowing or failing to discipline a staff member who steals drugs to sell or use
- Failing to review on a regular basis the resident’s physical and cognitive impairments
Nursing homes in New Orleans should consider requiring that staff members complete a Med-Pass certification program.
Nursing homes in New Orleans may also be liable for medication mistakes if they fail to:
- Document which medications were administered, when, and whether there were any adverse reactions
- Monitor the resident after the drugs are administered
- Check the expiration date of the medications
- Review how long the medications should be given – antibiotics generally need to be completed according to the pharmacist’s instructions
Nursing homes in New Orleans should also use the latest databases and other technology to ensure there is a current supply of medications, to track the administration of the medications, and to track any reactions.
Why are medication errors so dangerous?
The residents take medications for a reason – to survive. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that the consequences of medication mistakes include:
- Adverse reactions to other medications
- Serious side effects such as allergic reactions
- Infections if a course of antibiotics isn’t completed
- The failure to address the underlying health issue that the medications are supposed to alleviate or cure if the medications aren’t taken properly. For example, if a resident does not take his/her high blood pressure medications, the resident could have a heart attack.
If complications arise, the resident’s physician should be contacted immediately. Emergency care should be provided when necessary.
What compensation can a Louisiana nursing home resident demand for medication mistakes?
At Garcia & Artigliere, our New Orleans nursing home medication mistake lawyers work with physicians and pharmacists to show what errors were made, why those mistakes were preventable, and the consequences of the mistakes.
We demand compensation for the resident’s current and future:
- Medical expenses of every nature
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Corrective treatments, if possible
- Injuries because the underlying condition worsens or causes additional complications
- Loss of quality of life
If medication mistakes tragically took the life of your loved one, we file wrongful death actions on behalf of the resident’s family. These damages include the family’s economic and personal damages including the family’s grief and anguish.
Do you have a nursing home medication error lawyer near me?
Garcia & Artigliere represents New Orleans nursing home residents and their families when medical errors cause injuries or death. We’ll guide you calmly and clearly through this very difficult time.
Contact Garcia & Artigliere now to hold Louisiana nursing homes accountable for medication errors
Medication mistakes are preventable. Proper planning, medical review, and communication can prevent medication errors. When mistakes cause harm or death, Garcia & Artigliere has the experience, resources, and record of success to help your loved one and families obtain justice. We’ve helped thousands of people obtain more than $3 billion in recoveries nationwide.
To assert your rights, call or contact us for a free, confidential case evaluation now. We maintain additional offices in Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Phoenix, and represent seniors across the United States. We represent clients across the United States. We handle nursing home medication mistake claims on a contingency fee basis.
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