Have you ever had concerns about the nursing home your family member resides in when it comes to fire safety? 
Apparently, there are still numerous facilities across the country that have inadequate fire sprinkler systems or are missing protections in general. According to the Associated Press, there are 385 facilities in 39 states that have failed to meet sprinkler requirements set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this year.
The CMS initiated an August 2013 deadline requiring nursing homes to have up-to-date sprinkler systems in place. According to the AP, the facilities that are failing to meet these standards are licensed to house more than 52,000 residents. Forty-four nursing homes across the country have no sprinkler systems in place at all.
“That is intolerable in this day and age,” Brian Lee, executive director of Families for Better Care said, according to the AP. “It’s not like they don’t have money to put these systems in. They have the money. They just choose not to do so.”
The facilities that are not meeting standards face potential fines and/or closure. The guidelines were put in place after two fires killed more than 30 people at nursing homes in Hartford, Connecticut and Nashville, Tennessee in 2003.
Should I Talk to an Attorney If My Loved One Is Harmed in a Nursing Home?
If you leave your loved one in the hands of a nursing home, you would expect that his or her personal safety would be a priority—sadly, as this shows, this is not always the case.
In addition to premises liability problems, residents can suffer injuries in nursing homes because of abuse and neglect. This can include instances of employee violence or negligence, which can lead to bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration and infections.
Nursing homes should be held liable for any injuries or deaths sustained on their premises. For more information about nursing home abuse or neglect claims, call us today.
Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C. – Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
KGG’s Corner: The majority of nursing home facilities failing to meet sprinkler standards are for-profit centers.