COVID-19 has transformed how all employees in the healthcare industry interact with their patients. If you have a loved one in a NY nursing home, you’ve likely noticed your loved one’s institution adopting new COVID-19 protocols, even into 2022.
Unfortunately, some nursing homes can use these protocols to mistreat residents now out of their families’ eyes. You can watch out for signs of abuse and mistreatment if you want to protect your loved ones from the misuse of these policies.
The Danger of COVID-19 in NY Nursing Homes
Your elderly loved ones can suffer severe consequences if exposed to COVID-19. Fortunately, the wide availability of vaccines in 2022 makes it easier for your loved ones to mitigate the symptoms of COVID-19.
However, because nursing homes allow elderly individuals to be in close quarters with one another, one infection can spell trouble for an entire institution. New York’s new COVID-19 policies are trying to prevent the super-spreader events that might compromise your loved ones’ safety.
Unfortunately, there are some individuals who may take advantage of COVID-19 quarantines and other nursing home policies. For example:
Understaffing Limits Residents’ Access to Essential Care
Some nursing homes have limited the number of new staff members they’re willing to take on as COVID-19 undergoes another spike. While the decrease in staff can prevent the spread of COVID-19 to a nursing home’s residents, this decrease can also limit the healthcare that residents have access to.
Residents who don’t regularly have access to a well-rested, experienced nursing home team member can also begin to see their health decline. Your loved one needs the help of a staff that’s well-rounded and readily present. Without that attention, your loved one may injure themselves or suffer from neglect.
The Complexity of Visitation Rights and COVID-19 Transmission
In some cases, nursing homes throughout New York have reduced or banned visitors from seeing their loved ones. Allegedly, these institution-wide quarantines are designed to protect residents from infection.
While, at heart, these quarantines may mean well, they can also put nursing home residents’ health at risk. The lack of family visits can see residents become withdrawn as their mental health declines.
What’s more, these quarantines give negligent or abusive nursing home teams the opportunities they need to harm their residents. Because residents may struggle to communicate their conditions to outside loved ones, they may go weeks without receiving the care they need.
Vaccination Requirements Protect Residents but Can Increase Resident Stress
Your loved one may live in a nursing home, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have their own opinions regarding their health. So long as your loved one is still of sound mind, they can express their opinions regarding health requirements like COVID-19 vaccines.
While COVID-19 vaccines prevent the spread of COVID-19, your loved ones may experience undue stress if they’re required to get them. Some residents who don’t understand why they’re being vaccinated may even suffer severe emotional distress. If the nursing home staff doesn’t treat these residents with respect, your loved one may face a mental decline.
Contact an Attorney if You Suspect a Nursing Home of Resident Abuse
Elderly loved ones are already vulnerable to abuse when living in a nursing home. Today’s additional COVID-19 restrictions, while well-intended, can increase a nursing home’s opportunities to mistreat its residents.
If you notice your loved one enduring the symptoms of abuse, contact a nursing home abuse attorney with Dalli & Marino, LLP. Our team can meet with you and discuss what your legal recourse looks like. We speak Spanish and English, making it easier than ever for your loved ones to benefit from civil justice.
Reach out to us at (888) 465-8790 or fill out our contact form for more information.
