Young Person’s Care Home Negligence
February 18, 2022
When people think of care homes, they may think of elderly people in care. However, there are many young people who are also in a care setting. These young people may suffer from young person’s care home negligence as much as an elderly person may suffer from negligence in a care home.
Young Person’s Care Home Negligence
There are many forms of care home negligence that a young person may suffer from. These include:
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
- Misdiagnosis which leads to failure in prescribing the correct medication
Medication and prescription errors can lead to serious and even life-threatening conditions, and at the very least make a 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 provided with appropriate aids
- Not adequately supervised
- 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. These falls can also fall under personal injury claims, so if you are unsure whether it is a personal injury or medical negligence claim, we can help.
Making A Claim on Behalf of Someone Else
If a loved one is in a care home, it usually means that they cannot make a medical negligence claim for themselves. This could be due to them being under 18, or not having the mental capacity to make a claim for themselves. In these cases, you may have to make a claim on behalf of the young person. You can make a claim on behalf of someone else in a few circumstances.
If the young person in a care home is under 18, then a parent or legal guardian may be able top make a claim on their behalf. If the young person lacks mental capacity, then a person who has power of attorney can make a claim on their behalf. This is often the case for young people with conditions such as Asperger’s and Autism.
If a loved one has suffered young person’s care home negligence, then the time limit to make a claim can also differ. For children under 18, a parent can make a claim until they turn 18. They then have until they turn 21 to make a claim for themselves. If a person lacks mental capacity to make a claim, then there is usually no specified time limit on making a claim.
How We Can Help with Young Person’s Care Home Negligence
Here at The Medical Negligence Experts, we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with medical negligence. This includes young person’s care home negligence. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138761 to speak to one of our friendly experts.