Virginia Nursing Home Strokes Lawyer

Elderly individuals are often admitted to nursing homes after suffering a stroke. Strokes can leave some individuals permanently incapacitated, and in many cases, it can be difficult for family members to provide stroke survivors with the medical care they need. For this reason, they often depend on nursing homes to provide their loved ones with adequate medical care.

Most nursing homes take their responsibilities to stroke patients and their loved ones seriously, but some do not. For whatever reason, these facilities fail or refuse to provide stroke patients with the care and supervision they need, often, jeopardizing their health and safety in the process.

If you believe a nursing home staff member ignored blatant signs of a stroke in your loved one, it may be time to contact a Virginia nursing home strokes lawyer.

What is a Stroke?

Simply put, a stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. When this occurs, the brain is deprived of oxygen and essential nutrients, causing its cells to rapidly die. A stroke is a serious medical emergency, and unfortunately, older individuals are at a much higher risk of suffering a stroke than those who are younger and healthier.

Luckily, most strokes are not lethal, especially when the person suffering from a stroke is promptly provided with the medical care they need. When a nursing home patient suffers a stroke, time of the essence, and staff members should know how to recognize common signs of a stroke. If a patient exhibits signs of a stroke, staff members should call 911 and contact a staff physician immediately.

The Importance of Recognizing Signs of a Stroke

As mentioned above, a nursing home is a medical facility, and since its patients are at a higher risk of having a stroke, its workers must know how to spot common signs of a stroke. If a patient exhibits any of the following symptoms, they may be having a stroke:

  • Difficulty understanding language and speaking. Individuals experiencing a stroke often slur their words and have difficulty understanding what others are saying.
  • Numbness or paralysis in the arm, leg, or face. Stroke patients may be unable to lift their arms or legs, and it is common for the side of the face to droop in patients.
  • Sudden headaches accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even altered consciousness.
  • Loss of balance and coordination. Stumbling or an impaired gait are common signs of a stroke.
  • Loss of vision in one or both eyes.

Once a person has a stroke, there is a high possibility of them suffering a second stroke. Nursing home staff members should keep this in mind when caring for stroke patients.

The Impact of Neglect

Nursing home stroke patients depend on staff members and medical professionals to provide them with the care and supervision they need to recover. Most of the time, this care is provided, but there are some nursing homes that neglect patients. Stroke patients in understaffed nursing homes are especially at risk of having a second stroke go unnoticed.

If a person suffers a stroke and the nursing home staff fails to notice or act, they or their loved ones should consult a Virginia nursing home strokes lawyer.

Talk to a Virginia Nursing Home Strokes Attorney Today

A stroke can be deadly or debilitating if not treated immediately or correctly. If you or your loved one suffered a stroke in a nursing home that when unnoticed or untreated, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your pain and suffering, even if you survived.

No patient, especially one recovering from a stroke, should be ignored by nursing home staff members. Talk to a Virginia nursing home strokes lawyer about your ordeal today.