There are several possible responsible parties in a St. Louis nursing home abuse case. Depending on what kind of abuse the resident suffered, there could be one party responsible or there may be a combination of them. If one of your loved ones has suffered abuse or neglect in a St. Louis nursing home, reach out to a seasoned lawyer who can help you determine who the negligent parties may be. An accomplished nursing home abuse attorney can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Owners of Nursing Homes
What many people do not realize is that owners of nursing homes are often the responsible party in a St. Louis nursing home abuse case because they fail to provide sufficient funding for a nursing home. Sometimes they do not provide appropriate funding on purpose. Many owners drain money from the nursing home through a series of related party transactions, which are transactions between companies with common ownership. For instance, an individual owns a nursing home and also owns another company that has a business relationship with the nursing home.
These related party transactions are often very favorable to the related party company and not the nursing home. Far too often, related party transactions leave the nursing homes struggling for enough funding to provide sufficient staffing, adequate training, and proper equipment. Unfortunately, many owners engage in related party transactions to increase their own wealth.
Members of the Nursing Home Staff
One or more members of the nursing home staff can be a responsible party. Any member of the nursing staff can be found responsible for failing to follow the physician’s orders, not following facility policies and procedures, failing to follow nursing home standards, and not complying to state or federal regulatory rules. This can lead to conduct that results in a serious injury or death to a nursing home resident.
Contract Staff Members
Another one of the responsible parties in a St. Louis nursing home abuse case includes contract staff members. These employees are employed by an agency and not by the nursing home itself. Agencies may provide nursing staff when a nursing home does not have enough staff members on duty at any given time. These are companies that will essentially let nursing homes rent a nurse or CNA for that facility for a shift or a day. The contract staff members usually do not know what the needs of the residents are and many of them do not ask. Also, the facility may not provide the contract staff members with enough guidance. Unfortunately, this lack of communication and cooperation can lead to the contract staff members abusing or neglecting a nursing home resident.
Administrators
The administrator, sometimes called the executive director of a nursing home, can also be held liable. In some cases, administrators will have a bonus structure that awards them personally for coming in under budget. This can create a situation where the facility’s lack of sufficient staffing to meet the needs of the residents is because of the decisions made by the administrator to pursue their own personal financial wellbeing rather than meeting the needs of the residents.
If you have any questions about who the responsible parties in a St. Louis nursing home abuse case are, contact a seasoned attorney today. Let us help you recover the damages you deserve.