What are care home negligence claims?

When your elderly or vulnerable loved ones reside in a care home (also referred to as a nursing home), you rightly expect a certain level of care and preservation of their health and safety.

In most care homes, an excellent level of care is provided. However, there are exceptions, and when these result in poor care or medical treatment this can lead to loved ones becoming ill or injured. When this happens, they may be entitled to compensation for care home negligence.

What are the most common types of care home negligence cases?

There are different scenarios which can lead to a care home injury, for example:

Pressure ulcers and pressure sores

Sadly, patients of care homes are often not able to move as freely as they once were. Sometimes they are unable to move position without the assistance of care home staff. On occasions care home staff might not be attentive enough to their patient’s need and leave them in the same position for too long. A patient’s skin is then in contact with the same surface, perhaps a bed or the floor which can result in pressure sores or ulcers.

Pressure sores can be very painful and take a long time to heal, and some don’t heal at all. This kind of sore can lead to infection, and can restrict a patient’s ability to walk, move or bathe. In extreme cases they can also lead to amputations.

Medication and prescription errors

• Administering the wrong medication
• Failing to keep meticulous and up-to-date records of the patient's medical history
• Failing to give accurate instructions
• Misdiagnosing a patient’s illness which leads to prescribing the incorrect medication.

Medication and prescription errors can lead to serious and even life-threatening conditions, and at the very least make an elderly person very ill rather than helping them to recover.

Injuries and fractures from falls and handling errors

Care home residents may be vulnerable to injuries from falls if:

• They are not properly risk assessed
• They’re not provided with appropriate mobility aids
• They’re not adequately supervised
• They’re handled by staff carelessly

There are occasions when a fall in a care home hasn’t been caused by negligence, however some accidents are avoidable with proper care.

Injuries from neglect and abuse

In other cases, the families of care home residents are horrified to discover that an injury has been caused by abuse or deliberate neglect. In these circumstances, you need a legal expert on your side to help prove that the injury was caused by deliberate abuse, and not by the person’s age or an unavoidable accident.

Slater and Gordon have a team of experts who specialise in elderly abuse and can help prove your case and get the justice your loved one deserves.

Can I make a care home negligence claim?

If you believe your loved one is suffering as a result of care home negligence, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. To do so, you’ll need to be able to prove that the standard of care provided was negligent, and that your loved one has suffered as a result.

When you contact our care home claims solicitors, we’ll talk you through the process of making a claim and discuss the case in detail to determine whether we think there is a claim. We understand how distressing and emotional it can be to learn that a loved one is suffering due to negligent care, and we’re here to support you and your family at every step of the way. To start your claim, get in touch with a member of our team today for a confidential, no obligation discussion.

Can I raise a complaint with the care home while I pursue a negligence claim?

Yes, you can submit a complaint to the management of your loved one’s care home if you believe they are suffering because of negligent care. Doing so will not prevent you from making a civil claim for the harm they have already endured, but it can help put a stop to the negligent behaviour and shed a light on any bad practices at the care home.

To raise a complaint with a care home, you should write or email the management or complaints team, stating your concerns clearly and in as much detail as possible. The management team should then investigate your concerns and, where negligent practices are found, rectify these quickly.

They should also inform you of the steps they have taken to ensure a high standard of care going forward. If they don’t respond, or negligent practices are allowed to continue, you can then raise your complaint with your local government ombudsman.

At every stage of the complaints process, you should keep your correspondence documented, and keep your care home negligence solicitor updated as you go, as any response from the care home or local government ombudsman may also be used as evidence in the civil compensation claim.

Why should I choose Slater and Gordon's care home claims solicitors?

At Slater and Gordon, our expert medical negligence team is one of the best in the country, and our industry-leading team are consistently ranked highly in independent legal directories, such as Chambers and Partners, and the Legal 500.

We pride ourselves on the breadth of cases we can investigate and have a national medical negligence team, all of whom only practice in this area of the law. This ensures they can offer dedicated and specialist advice to guarantee you receive the rehabilitation, support, and compensation you deserve.

As well as a large team of more than 85 specialist medical negligence solicitors, Slater and Gordon also employs highly experienced in-house midwives and litigation nurses to work collaboratively with our solicitors. This results in an excellent team that can be relied upon to investigate potential care home negligence correctly and effectively.

We strive to keep our client’s needs at the front and centre of the care home negligence process and over the years our dedication to protecting the rights of the individual have resulted in thousands of 5-star reviews and an “Excellent” rating on Trustpilot.

Crucially, our solicitors know the importance of supporting you and your family through this most difficult time. We’ll be sensitive to your needs, compassionate and understanding of the challenges you and your family are facing when investigating the case.