New Yorkers are still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. But some residents may have more to worry about then lack of power. Family members of the residents of one New York nursing home are still searching for their loved ones following an evacuation of the facility.
The nursing home is currently under investigation by the State Health Department for their handling of the facility during the storm. The facility didn’t evacuate but was short on food, medicine and supplies. Their lack of preparation could be considered nursing home neglect.
Although the home isn’t to blame for the storm, other homes nearby seemed to prepare more adequately. Both surrounding nursing facilities made sure that generators were not sitting on the ground or were away from water but the facility at issue had their generator near ground level. The facility was also understaffed and didn’t add employees in anticipation of the storm, which is a violation of state regulations. Neighboring homes worried and watched as the facility went dark during the storm.
When the facility was finally evacuated and residents were transported to emergency shelters, the care didn’t get better. Residents travelled unaccompanied and without any medical records, another state regulation violation. Some records were mixed up, only adding to the confusion and inability for family members to track down relatives. Emergency workers in the shelters were worried about providing safe care to the patients and were forced to conduct finger-prick and blood tests.
This is not the first time the facility has inadequately prepared for storm conditions. Last year, the home responded slowly to a tropical storm and the pattern of behavior seems to indicate negligence. Any patients injured during the storm or evacuation due to the nursing home’s negligence may be able to recover damages.
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Evacuation of New York nursing home leads to lost patients and relatives
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Jay W. Dankner
JAY W. DANKNER was born, raised and educated in Brooklyn, New York. After graduation from law school in 1973, he joined the firm of the legendary, Harry H, Lipsig, under whose tutelage he learned the intricacies of civil litigation and trials. He tried and won his first case against General Motors in a case involving a design defect within weeks after his admission. Thereafter, he focused his attention on the emerging and developing field of law known as products liability litigation.
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