Deaths of people who leave senior-care facilities undetected, also called “elopement,” are not uncommon. Recently a Minnesota man walked away from an assisted living facility and succumbed to the frigid overnight temperatures. In 2013, an elderly woman with dementia perished after she walked out of another assisted living facility because the door she used was not attached to an alarm system.

Supervision is a critical component to a safe nursing home facility. Elopement is a specific example of nursing home staff failing to meet supervision and security expectations resulting in the endangerment of residents.

Many deaths and injuries that result from negligent supervision can be prevented by providing proper training to staff and exercising vigilance. It is important for nursing home staff to be well-versed on the habits of residents and be aware of the specific mental and physical issues that residents may have, particularly when it comes to concerns regarding dementia.

Exits which are not intended to be operated by nursing home residents should be either locked securely or equipped with alarms. In addition to keeping a close eye on residents, it is important for nursing home staff to check alarms periodically to ensure proper functioning and to respond promptly if there is an alarm.

If your loved one has been a victim of neglect or abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility, contact the Des Moines Law Offices of John T. Hemminger for help. John has helped many Iowa families in holding elderly care facilities accountable for their actions. Call today at 515-283-2116.

Elder sexual abuse is generally defined as any unwanted sexual conduct against a person over the age of 60 and, not surprisingly, the largest percentage of elder sexual abuse (around 70 percent of all cases) occur within nursing homes.

The abuse is often a result of tricking, manipulating, or coercing the elder person into undesired sexual contact. Other times, the elderly person is simply unable to communicate consent or disapproval. In fact, in many instances of nursing home sexual abuse, residents are victimized because their medical conditions make it difficult for them to communicate with others and express what’s going on.

Indicators of abuse may include both physical and behavioral changes that cause concern for family members and caretakers. It is important for loved ones to become knowledgeable regarding the warning signs of abuse and remain alert, especially if something feels a bit off.

Keeping an elderly family member in the care of a nursing home facility safe from sexual or physical abuse is critical to their health and well-being.If you suspect that your family member has been abused or neglected in an Iowa nursing home or other care facility, it is important contact the proper authorities with your concerns immediately.

In addition, you should seek the help of an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer to seek justice. Contact the Law Offices of John T. Hemminger for helptoday if your family member has been a victim of Iowa nursing home abuse or neglect.

Nail gun injuries are one of the leading causes of injury in the construction industry. Injuries to the hands and fingers are most common, with one-fourth of those injuries involving structural damage to the tendons, nerves, joints, or bones. Severe nail gun injuries have even resulted in construction worker deaths.

An estimated 37,000 people visit the emergency room with nail gun injures every year. Sixty percent of those injuries are work-related and about two thirds of all work-related nail gun accidents occur when construction workers are doing framing and sheathing work or roofing and exterior siding.

Many nail gun accidents can be avoided in the workplace if employers provide training, establish nail gun work procedures, provide personal protective equipment and use full sequential trigger guns instead of contact trigger guns. Unfortunately, many accidents happen when construction workers aren’t wearing proper protective equipment or when they are not given the training that they need to work with the gun.

OSHA has safety standards to hold contractors and employers accountable. If these rules and standards are not followed, and workers get hurt as a result, damages may be payable. As with most work injuries, workers’ compensation may be payable to compensate you for your medical care and missed work. If you have been injured at work, contact the workers’ compensation, personal injury law offices of John T. Hemminger for help at 515-283-2116 or email us through our website at iowa-injury.com. John has helped many Iowa workers get the benefits they need when they are injured at work.