Ageism and Malpractice

Ageism & Malpractice:  Rampant in Healthcare  (and the Courts) While no one enjoys spending time in a hospital bed, recent research has revealed what many already suspected: for the elderly, hospitals are not only unpleasant, but can be downright dangerous and life-threatening. It has been reported that hospital staff can fail to feed older patients properly, get them out of bed enough, or control their pain adequately. Providers frequently restrict their movements by tethering them to beds with oxygen tanks and IV poles. Doctors have even been reported to subject them to unnecessary procedures and prescribe redundant or potentially harmful medications. Caregivers can deprive them of sleep by placing them in noisy wards or checking vital signs at all hours of the night. Even more troubling, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has exposed that one-third of patients over 70 years old and half of all patients over 85 leave the hospital in much worse condition than when they entered; if they leave at all. Moreover, upon discharge from the hospital, elderly patients frequently suffer from disabilities that make them unable to complete the tasks of daily living-disabilities that they didn't have before they were admitted. The magnitude of this problem is highlighted by the fact that patients over 65 already make up more than one-third of all discharges from U.S. hospitals. Furthermore, nearly 13 million seniors are admitted to U.S. hospitals each year and these numbers will only grow. At The Sanders Firm, we are confronted with the issue of ageism and malpractice in healthcare time and time again. To put it bluntly, ageism is directly responsible for incomplete examinations, delayed diagnoses, and the under-treatment of elderly patients. Medical malpractice is a medical error is a preventable adverse effect of care, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the patient. This might include an inaccurate or incomplete diagnosis or treatment of a disease, injury, syndrome, behavior, infection, or other ailment. What is clear malpractice in the case of a younger plaintiff is often less clear when the plaintiff is elderly. Causation, too, becomes cloudier. The presence of other medical conditions, along with the weakness and fragility of old age, can complicate the case. There are many challenges when representing clients of malpractice but despite these challenges, The Sanders Firm  takes these cases. Why? Because the elderly deserve justice, everyone deserves justice and we know how these cases can be won. If you or a loved one was a victim of medical malpractice (no matter what your age), we want to hear from you.  Call 1.800.FAIR.PLAY for your free case evaluation today.