Nursing Home Quarantine Indicates a Life Threatening Infection
Nursing homes commonly use isolation or quarantine methods when your loved one suffers from a potentially lethal infection, or, if the entire facility is exposed to a contagious disease or infection. This is because a nursing home must follow strict infection control policies or else face a nursing home infection lawsuit. Our experienced nursing home attorneys explain why your family member is in quarantine isolation at the facility.
Free Nursing Home Injury or Wrongful Death Case Consultation.
Call Us Now, Toll-Free
1-844-253-8919
Understanding a Nursing Home Quarantine Policy
Infectious disease in long term care facilities is a big deal. The patients in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers are frail with little to no immune system. When a resident develops an infection in a nursing home, the resident may require a prolonged hospitalization. It is estimated that there are more than 300,000 deaths in the US from nursing home infection cases.
Because nursing home infection can be so deadly, it is the responsibility of the nursing home to prevent the spread of disease and infection. This is likely why your family member is in isolation. A nursing home quarantine policy assists in stopping the spread of the infection to other residents.
As hard as it is to see your mom or dad quarantined before plastic sheets and haz mat suits, it is for their own safety and the safety of other patients.
Contact Isolation Precautions in a Nursing Home
Are you disturbed by the fact you have to wear what looks like nuclear disposal gear just to see you parent in the facility? This is (sadly) more common that you would think. Residents that have MRSA, C. Diff, UTI, Sepsis or any variety of infection may be placed on contact isolation.
Contact precautions or enhanced barrier precautions are important in preventing the spread of disease and infection. These include the use of:
- wearing gloves
- wearing gowns
- wearing masks
- washing hands before and after visitation with the resident
- disposing gloves, masks and gowns right after exiting the quarantine room
Why Did My Parent Develop this Infection Which Resulted in their Isolation?
This is a challenging question to answer. Infections can have many sources. An infection may originate from the hospital where the patient was before, an outside doctor, or another resident. However, if the nursing home fails to contain infection and the result is fatal, this may indicate nursing home negligence.
If your loved one develops an infection that results in serious injury, or wrongful death, you should speak with our nursing home abuse law firm about investigating the matter.
How Can a Nursing Home Infection be Prevented?
Rules and regulations on nursing homes mandate proper infection control and prevention measures. Some easy ways a nursing home can prevent infection in residents include:
- Quarantining or isolating sick residents;
- Training employees on good hand washing and the use of gloves;
- Frequent janitorial staff cleaning both rooms and common areas;
- Clean and sanitized kitchen and food prep areas;
- Timely attention by a doctor when a resident exhibits signs of a cold, flu or infection (cough, sneeze, etc.)
Failing to perform any of the above may result in a preventable nursing home acquired infection. These may be grounds for a nursing home infection lawsuit.
Free Case Consultation by the Attorneys at Senior Justice Law Firm
If your family member was placed in isolation in a nursing home due to infection, and then suffered wrongful death, you should call our nursing home abuse law firm to investigate. The lawyers at Senior Justice Law Firm charge nothing unless we win your case. We are diligent in combating elder abuse and neglect inside long term care facilities.
Call us today for a free, no obligation case consultation: 1-844-253-8919
