Accidental Drowning in Elderly

Accidental Drowning in Elderly

When your elderly relative decides to move into an assisted living facility, it’s generally because he or she is having increasing difficulty getting around and taking care of himself or herself. The assisted living facility has a responsibility to make sure that its facilities are designed, maintained, and monitored to protect residents who are asking for additional help with everyday tasks.

At the very least, an assisted living facility should make sure that hazards such as swimming pools are fenced and monitored to prevent drowning. Although residents who are aware of their surroundings and in full control of their faculties can avoid these hazards, as residents may be losing this ability, they are at an increasing danger of death from features such as a swimming pool.

The duty of care is even greater in an actual nursing home. Residents in a nursing home are known to have limited ability to take care of themselves and require significantly more attention to make sure their needs are met. When residents are left unattended for extended periods of time, they may attempt tasks of which they are not truly capable, such as trying to get themselves into the bath, where they may suffer death by drowning. Nursing home negligence contributes greatly to the number of deaths in nursing homes, especially those due to drowning.

If you have lost a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you may be able to receive compensation and give the facility incentive to change its procedures to prevent further deaths. Please contact Cullan & Cullan in Phoenix, Arizona today for a free consultation.