What to Do if A Loved One Is Sick with Covid in A Nursing Home
You rely on your loved one’s nursing home to care for them and make sure their needs are met every day. With the current pandemic showing no real signs of coming to a halt, it can start to feel like your loved one’s nursing home is anything but a safe haven. It’s hard enough when your elderly loved one is healthy, but if they’ve caught COVID-19 while living in the facility, what can you do? Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Speak to an Attorney A.S.A.P.
The best thing you can do as soon as you learn that your loved one has COVID as a result of exposure at their nursing home is to speak with an attorney as soon as you can. Schedule a free consultation and find out if there’s a chance that the nursing home can be held liable for the cost of your loved one’s medical care. Your legal team will review your situation in detail and let you know what is and isn’t possible based on the activities that occurred in the nursing home. If you have a case and the nursing home is liable, they’ll help you figure out what needs to happen next and what resources you’ll have at your disposal.
Get Documentation
If possible, get as much documentation about your loved one’s condition from the nursing home as soon as you can. This can serve as proof of treatment or neglect, depending on the case. If you have any emails or written communication from the nursing home regarding their efforts to mitigate the risk of COVID transmission or expressions of dismissal about the seriousness of the virus, print those emails off. These can be used by your attorney to better determine the next steps required for your case.
Get Information About Their Procedures
The nursing home should be willing to discuss the steps they’re taking to keep your loved one as healthy as possible while they recover. If they haven’t been talking to you, follow up with the director and get as much information as you can. They should be willing to provide you with details that illustrate the things they’re doing to keep your loved one safe, the testing protocols, and anything else related to their handling of COVID-19 cases onsite. If they won’t, let your attorney know as soon as possible. They may need to intercede on your behalf.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Eldercare neglect is a serious issue and the pandemic is just making it more noticeable. If your loved one has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is in the care of a nursing home in and around Denver, take action immediately. Schedule a consultation with the legal team of Mark A. Simon as soon as possible. We’ll review your case and the treatment that your loved one is receiving to determine if you have a case against the nursing home. Contact us online or call to speak with a member of our staff.