Families often choose to move loved ones into nursing homes because they cannot provide for all of their support needs. Unfortunately, the people who work at nursing homes often don’t have the time necessary to provide the best standard of living for the people in the facility.
There have consistently been issues in recent years with understaffing at nursing homes leading to rapidly spreading infestations and infections. Many nursing homes also experience a high number of residents falling and getting injured when they should be able to count on the staff to support them during daily living activities. A recent deadly fungal outbreak has only helped to highlight the inadequacies of nursing home care in Nevada.
Nevada has the highest infection rates
The spread of candida auris has become a cause for national alarm, with thousands of people Contracting this deadly fungus since the beginning of the year. When looking at data about candida auris from 2022, Nevada performs poorly compared to much of the rest of the country.
The state was responsible for more than 10% of the total cases reported throughout 2022, and infections have only continued to spread since then. Facilities around the state, especially in Southern Nevada, have reported cases of candida auris, which will unfortunately likely claim the lives of between 30 and 60% of those who fall ill.
Nursing homes can prevent the spread of illness
Although some transmission is inevitable when large numbers of people live in close proximity to one another, most cases of candida forests would be preventable in nursing home settings with proper isolation of affected individuals and sanitation practices throughout the facility. Understaffing and inappropriately lax policies related to sanitation may lead to preventable illness among those who are at particularly high risk for suffering adverse outcomes from such an infection.
Family members who recognize that poor practices at a facility contributed to their loved one illness may want to pursue a claim against the business. They could potentially recoup funds invested in the care of their family member and convince a nursing home to improve its staffing practices.
Remaining aware of the ever-changing health concerns that might endanger those in nursing home facilities can help family members to be better advocates for their vulnerable loved ones, potentially with the assistance of an experienced legal professional.