Incident at New York nursing home under investigation

For a number of people, the choice to move a loved one to a nursing home is decided because the person needs more regular or technical care. The trained staff at a nursing home or assisted living facility is trusted to provide this care. Most doctors and staff members do provide excellent care and companionship but it is still important to look for signs of abuse or nursing home neglect.
Residents of nursing homes are especially susceptible to injuries and most of the time the injuries are the result of an inattentive staff. This may be the case in a recent case where a nursing home resident was found dead outside of the New York facility where he resided.
County officials are currently conducting an investigation into the matter and the state Department of Health has been notified. The 85-year-old resident died of hypothermia, according to a preliminary report.
The Board of Supervisors for the county released a statement that said the man fell from a window in his room after climbing out the window. The man’s family claims that the details don’t quite add up. The man’s son-in-law said that he lived on the second floor of the building but his window only opened half a foot. The son-in-law also said that the man was found outside with his walker nearby and that he was next to a door.
It’s difficult to think about how the resident suffered or how his death might have been prevented. If the investigation yields that the facility was negligent or contributed to his death, then family members may have some recourse against the facility or staff in order to recover compensation for their loss.