Families place a great deal of trust in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. When an elderly loved one depends on staff for daily medication, even a single mistake can have serious consequences. A missed dose, wrong medication, incorrect amount, or delayed response to side effects can lead to hospitalization, decline in health, or even death.
Medication errors in nursing homes are especially concerning because many residents already have serious medical conditions, take multiple prescriptions, or rely on staff to monitor changes in their health. In Pennsylvania, families may have legal options when a medication error is caused by negligence, poor supervision, understaffing, or unsafe facility practices.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health allows families to file nursing home concerns or complaints, including through its complaint hotline and online complaint process. Families may also seek help through Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program for concerns involving medications, staffing, facility procedures, and resident care.
Common Types of Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Medication errors can happen in many ways. Some may appear minor at first, while others can quickly become life-threatening.
Common examples include:
- Giving the wrong medication
- Giving the wrong dosage
- Missing scheduled doses
- Giving medication at the wrong time
- Failing to monitor for side effects
- Mixing medications that should not be taken together
- Continuing discontinued medication
- Failing to follow physician orders
- Improper use of sedatives or psychotropic medications
- Failing to document medication administration properly
For nursing home residents, these mistakes can be especially dangerous. A medication error involving blood thinners, insulin, heart medication, pain medication, sedatives, or antibiotics can cause serious harm and may be fatal.
Why Medication Errors Happen
Medication mistakes are rarely “just accidents.” In many cases, they are connected to deeper problems within the facility.
Potential causes may include:
- Understaffing
- Poor staff training
- Lack of supervision
- Failure to follow care plans
- Poor communication between nurses, doctors, and pharmacies
- Inaccurate medication records
- Rushed medication rounds
- Failure to monitor changes in a resident’s condition
- Ignored complaints from residents or family members
Federal nursing home oversight also recognizes medication safety as an important part of resident care, including concerns involving medication errors, unnecessary medications, and high-risk medications.
Signs a Medication Error May Have Occurred
Families may not always be told right away that a medication error happened. In some cases, the first warning sign is a sudden change in the resident’s condition.
Possible red flags include:
- Sudden confusion or extreme drowsiness
- Unexplained falls
- Dizziness or fainting
- Changes in blood pressure or heart rate
- New bruising or bleeding
- Nausea, vomiting, or dehydration
- Seizures
- Hospitalization shortly after a medication change
- A sudden decline in physical or mental condition
- Staff giving unclear or inconsistent explanations
If something feels wrong, families should ask questions and request documentation. Medication administration records, physician orders, pharmacy records, incident reports, and hospital records may all help determine what happened.
When Can a Nursing Home Be Held Responsible?
A nursing home may be responsible if a resident was harmed because the facility failed to provide proper care. In medication error cases, this may involve failing to follow a doctor’s orders, failing to properly train staff, failing to monitor the resident, or failing to respond when symptoms appear.
A legal claim may examine whether the nursing home:
- Had proper medication policies in place
- Followed the resident’s care plan
- Properly documented medications
- Communicated changes to doctors and family members
- Had enough trained staff on duty
- Responded appropriately after the error occurred
- Took steps to prevent similar errors in the future
These cases often require a careful review of medical records, facility records, staff notes, pharmacy logs, and the resident’s full health history.
What Families Should Do After Suspecting a Medication Error
If you believe a loved one suffered harm because of a nursing home medication error, it is important to act quickly.
Families should consider taking the following steps:
- Seek immediate medical attention for the resident
- Ask the nursing home for a written explanation of what happened
- Request medication administration records and care plan documents
- Write down names of staff members involved
- Document changes in the resident’s condition
- Save hospital discharge paperwork and test results
- File a complaint with the appropriate Pennsylvania agency if needed
- Speak with an attorney before signing releases or accepting explanations from the facility
Pennsylvania families can report nursing home concerns to the Department of Health, including by phone, online complaint form, email, mail, or fax.
Legal Options for Families in Pennsylvania
Depending on the circumstances, families may be able to pursue a claim for compensation when a nursing home medication error causes injury or death.
Compensation may involve:
- Medical expenses
- Hospital bills
- Pain and suffering
- Decline in quality of life
- Additional care needs
- Emotional distress
- Wrongful death damages, when applicable
Every case depends on the evidence. The key questions are what medication error occurred, why it happened, whether the nursing home failed to meet the required standard of care, and how the error harmed the resident.
Contact a Pennsylvania Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer
Medication errors in nursing homes should be taken seriously. When a vulnerable resident is harmed because a facility failed to provide safe and attentive care, families deserve answers.
The attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy, P.C. represent individuals and families in nursing home negligence and medical malpractice matters throughout Pennsylvania. If your loved one was injured because of a medication error in a nursing home or long-term care facility, contact our office today to discuss your legal options.
