Healthcare Considerations In Your Twilight Years

By Sherri L. Warfel, Esquire

Between 1946 and 1964, America experienced a population explosion referred to as the Baby Boom with members of this generation now aged 59 to 77. More than 76 million people were born during this time. As this generation ages and its numbers wane, the Millennials who are now aged 27 to 42 born between 1981 and 1996 have surpassed the Baby Boom generation in size. While Baby Boomers bring with their aging the need for more medical care in the U.S. so too will the large generation of Millennials to follow. As a result, it is more important now than it has ever been in America’s history to be sure we are all well taken care of in our twilight years.

One of the ways our justice system allows for regulation of the industry is through the consult of attorneys specializing in nursing malpractice claims by individuals or families who have met with harm at the hands of a facility. Keep in mind that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has reported that facilities with low nursing levels tend to have the highest rates of poor patient care. Time and again studies show that low nursing levels are associated with an increase in facility acquired infec- tions, pressure wounds, and falls with injury. One would think that nursing homes would attempt to alleviate this health care hazard by attracting more nurses through better pay and benefits, but that is not always the case. As an attorney who handles neglect cases, I know that many claims are filed due to inadequate and incompetent nursing staff. In my experience, these decisions are at times based upon the profit margin for the facility which does not prioritize patient care. Issues can also occur simply due to poorly run facilities. To help you choose a nursing home for your loved one, the NJ Department of Health has established a nursing staff to patient ratio quarterly report for facilities that can be accessed online through the following link: https://www.nj.gov/ health/healthcarequality/ health-care-professionals/ nurse-to-patient-staffing/background/nhstaffing.shtml. Hopefully this provides some assistance to those of you searching for a facility that fits your needs.

If you or a loved one meets with harm or injury due to nursing neglect, please feel free to contact me at 800-PRA-LAWS or swarfel@pralaw.com. For more information, you can also visit my firm’s website at www.pralaw. com. 