Is Delayed Medical Care Considered Nursing Home Neglect?

Nursing homes have a legal obligation to ensure that their residents receive the care and support they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives. This includes ensuring that they have adequate access to medical care when necessary. As a result, if a nursing home is responsible for a delay in a resident’s medical care, the nursing home can—and should—be held accountable.

Unfortunately, nursing home neglect is far more common than it should be. Nursing home residents often experience delays in receiving medical care due to circumstances beyond their control. Whether due to negligence or intentional abuse, these delays can provide clear grounds for residents and their families to seek accountability under Wisconsin law.

Common Issues Leading to Delayed Medical Care in Wisconsin Nursing Homes

Nursing home residents can suffer harm due to delayed medical care for various reasons. Regardless of the specific reason involved, if a nursing home is responsible for a delay in a resident’s medical care, the nursing home can—and should—be held accountable. Some examples of common reasons for delayed medical care in the nursing home setting include:

• Ignoring Residents’ Complaints or Symptoms – If nursing home staff members ignore residents’ complaints about how they are feeling, this can lead to delays in necessary medical care. Likewise, if staff members ignore residents’ symptoms or other signs that residents need help or are in distress, this can lead to costly delays as well. 
• Assuming that Residents’ Needs Aren’t Serious – Nursing home residents can also experience delays in medical care if staff members downplay their symptoms. If staff members assume that a resident’s condition isn’t serious—or if a resident is told that their condition isn’t serious—the resident may not get to see a doctor until it is too late.
• Deprioritizing Residents’ Medical Needs – Residents can also experience delays in necessary medical care when nursing home staff deprioritize their medical needs. If staff members continue with their normal routines instead of seeking help for residents in need, this can also lead to delays with serious, and in some cases life-threatening, consequences. 
• Failing to Seek Emergency Medical Care – When nursing home residents experience medical emergencies, it is imperative that their nursing homes seek medical care immediately. Failing to seek emergency medical care when residents’ needs are known is an all-too-common issue that is 100% avoidable with proper nursing home administration. 
• Abandoning Nursing Home Residents – Even if a resident’s needs are not known, delayed medical care can still be indicative of nursing home neglect if the resident has been abandoned in his or her room. Sadly, abandonment is an all-too-common issue as well; and, far too often, nursing home residents suffer alone without the care they need.

These are just a few examples. Various other issues can—and do—lead to nursing home residents not receiving the medical care they need in a timely manner. Ultimately, if residents or family members have concerns for any reason, they should reach out to a nursing home neglect attorney to schedule a free case evaluation. During your initial consultation, an experienced lawyer will listen to your story, assess the merits of your claim, and advise you on your rights and legal options.

Residents and family members have the right to seek medical and legal help outside of the nursing home, and staff members cannot legally try to prevent them from doing so. If necessary, residents and family members should not hesitate to call 911.

Common Consequences of Delayed Medical Care in Wisconsin Nursing Homes

Like other forms of nursing home neglect and abuse, delays in residents’ medical care can have a variety of serious consequences. Tragically, these delays can prove fatal in some cases. Some examples of potential consequences of delayed medical care in nursing homes include:

• Severe bedsores (pressure ulcers) leading to serious complications 
• Undiagnosed heart attacks, strokes, and other serious medical incidents
• Failure to obtain timely treatment for cancers, infections, and other serious medical conditions
• Failure to obtain timely treatment for bone fractures and other forms of physical trauma 
• Failure to timely diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other mental health conditions

These, too, are just examples. Residents and family members who have concerns should seek contact an experienced attorney right away. If you need to know more, we strongly encourage you to contact us for a free and confidential consultation.

Speak with a Wisconsin Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer for FREE

The Wisconsin nursing home neglect lawyers at Studinski Law, LLC have extensive experience representing residents and families in cases of nursing home neglect and abuse. If you have questions about your legal rights following a delay in medical care at a Wisconsin nursing home, we can explain your options.

Call Studinski Law, LLC at (715) 641-4692 today for a FREE case evaluation. Our Wisconsin nursing home neglect lawyers proudly serve clients in Plover, Marshfield, Stevens Point, and communities all over Wisconsin.