In Cleveland and all across Ohio, an effort has begun to reduce the amount of prescription painkiller theft and abuse in nursing homes. It is the responsibility of these facilities to prevent this sort of nursing home abuse, and report it when it is discovered. When this doesn't happen, patients of these facilities who need those medications to maintain their health may be unable to receive proper care.
Some employees of nursing homes are found taking these medications not only for themselves, but for addicted loved ones, as well as to sell. When this occurs, a patient in the nursing home is deprived of their medication. This can have devastating effects on their health, and can potentially lead to illness or even death. These incidents have also led to a record number of prescription painkiller overdoses in the state.
The initiative, started by the attorney general, is intended to put a stop to both these overdoses and the neglect of residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. When patients in these facilities rely on these medications to heal or to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, it is important that they are able to receive this care. This responsibility lies in the managers and employees of the facilities in which they reside.
When this responsibility is not honored, and a patient falls seriously ill or dies as a result, it can be found as a situation of nursing home abuse. Patients of these facilities in Cleveland, as well as their families, trust that they will be cared for. When this doesn't happen, the patients or their families may be entitled to seek compensation based on allegations of neglect when those actions result in serious injury or death to nursing home patients.
Source: Newsnet5.com, "Ohio unveils nursing home anti-drug abuse effort," Andrew Welsh-Huggins, July 10, 2012
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