A Long Island elder law attorney represents seniors and their families in addressing the issues that can arise as people begin to get older. One big concern that many people have as they start to age is a concern about what will happen if they need long term care. This is a justified concern, because getting nursing home care or home healthcare can be very expensive. Not only do you need to worry about high costs, but it is also important to research facilities that provide care, or home healthcare services offering assistance, since there are many situations in which seniors end up becoming victims of abusive behavior. 
Mark S. Eghrari & Associates PLLC can provide help to those who are concerned about the possibility of nursing home abuse and caregiver neglect. Our Long Island elder law attorneys will assist you in doing research to find home health aides or nursing home providers who have a high-quality reputation and who have few or no past complaints. We will also work with you to help ensure that Medicaid can pay for your care costs if you end up needing long term care which is not covered by Medicare. This is vital because Medicare has limited coverage for skilled nursing only, which isn’t what most people end up needing as they age.
A recent troubling case shows the importance of the need for high quality nursing home care. According to Patch.com, three nurses faced criminal charges when a senior citizen died of neglect. Tragic incidents like this one show why it is so important for anyone who may need care to do careful research to find aides or providers who will meet or exceed basic minimum standards of care.
Nurses Charged After Senior Dies of Neglect
According to Patch, the Attorney General of New York announced that two registered nurses and one nursing aide were all arrested and charged after an 81-year-old died in her extended care facility. The elderly patient who died was ventilator dependent, and was unable to breathe without being on a ventilator. She lived in a specialized ventilator unit at her care facility, where she was dependent upon the nursing home staff to ensure that she was able to use her mechanical ventilator at all times.
Unfortunately, when her ventilator alarm went off to alert the nursing home staff that there was a problem, the nurses did not respond to the alarm. Both a visual alarm and an audible alarm went off when the woman, who was wheelchair-bound, became disconnected from the ventilator. There were two registered nurses as well as a nursing aide in the nursing station located near to the patient’s room when the alarm began to go off.
All of the nurses who work in this particular ventilator unit at the care facility are required to respond immediately when a ventilator alarm goes off, because this alarm is an indicator of a life-threatening emergency. Unfortunately, none of the three caregivers took action when the woman’s alarm was going off. The woman was left unable to breathe as the ventilator alarm went off for nine full minutes, which caused her to pass away because she was deprived of oxygen.
Staff eventually found her unconscious and she was transported to the hospital where she died a day later. All three of the nurses are now facing charges which could carry a criminal penalty of up to seven years of imprisonment. They have been charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person, which is a felony criminal charge. They have also been accused of willfully violating health laws.
Getting Help from Long Island Elder Law Attorneys
Mark S. Eghrari & Associates PLLC can work with you long before you need nursing home care or other long term care services. We will help you to conduct research into care options in your area and o make sure you have plans in place to get high-quality care paid for.
To learn more about how Log Island elder law attorneys can help to protect you in case you require help as you age, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call at (631) 265-0599 or contact us online to get personalized advice on all aspects of nursing home planning
Mark S. Eghrari, Estate Planning Attorney
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