Although early-stage dementia emerges as a memory disorder that commonly affects the aging mind, the end-stage effects are extensive and the illness is terminal. Based on new research that our California skilled nursing home lawyers have discovered, experts have redefined advanced dementia as fatal failure of the brain.
The study revealed that patients who reach end stages of dementia need comfort and care, but not aggressive intervention that offers no hope of improving patient outcomes. If someone you love has suffered inappropriate care for dementia in a skilled nursing facility, contact one of our San Diego skilled nursing home attorneys today to discuss the circumstances of our case. Currently, dementia affects approximately 5 million Americans, and the number is expected to triple by 2050.
Because advanced stages of dementia are not fully understood, researchers have conducted a study that analyzed 323 advanced dementia patients in 22 nursing homes. The study showed that the patients were unable to recognize family members, and were unable to speak six words. Additionally, they were incontinent and totally dependent on other people for their most basic care. This type of condition is one that requires an enormous amount of attention from a qualified skilled nursing home employee. If a member of your family has not received the treatment he or she rightfully deserves in a skilled nursing home, our California nursing home injury attorneys can help you recover damages due to lack of proper care.
Researchers have tracked the progression of dementia, as well as complications and survival rates. In addition, they have recorded the treatments received by the patients, their prognoses, and the understanding of advanced dementia among their caretakers. The team found that many family members of patients with end-stage dementia don’t view the condition as terminal. Therefore, aggressive interventions such as feeding tubes are often ordered when there is no hope of improvement, and sadly, patients suffer the consequences. If a similar situation has happened to a member of your family in a nursing home, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. Contact a San Diego skilled nursing home lawyer from our firm to discuss your case today. .
A total of 55 percent of the patients died during the 18-month study period. Of those, almost half occurred within the first six months of the analysis. The median survival period was 478, which is similar to that of terminal-cancer patients. A total of 31 patients suffered major health events, including seizure, gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack and stroke. However, only in rare cases did the events end in death. The most common complications related to death were pneumonia, fever, and eating problems. Nearly half (46 percent) of patients experience shortness of breath, while 39 percent experienced pain. In addition, over 40 percent underwent at least one serious medical intervention including a visit to the emergency room, hospitalization, or tube feeding.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the care that an elderly loved one is receiving in a nursing home or other type of elder care facility, call the California skilled nursing home attorneys Berman & Riedel, LLP today at (858) 350-8855. Our staff will be more than happy to provide you and your family with an initial free consultation to discuss with you what rights you may have under California and federal law. To learn more about the elder abuse practice of our San Diego nursing home injury attorneys, visit the firm’s main website at www.preventelderabuse.com.
