Many legal cases arise due to injuries or illnesses sustained in nursing homes. Often, these cases involve nursing home neglect or abuse. However, proving what caused a nursing home resident’s medical issues can often be challenging.
One effective way that attorneys representing nursing home residents or family members build strong legal cases is by soliciting the advice of professionals familiar with the operation of a nursing home.
And when it comes to medical specialists who can provide insights into a potential legal case, nursing home administrators can be effective expert witnesses in many legal cases. However, it’s important to understand the duties of a nursing home administrator and how they can assist attorneys with a legal case.
Nursing home administrator duties
As the name suggests, nursing home administrators oversee such facilities. This means they are responsible for making sure a nursing home meets all health and safety standards, including all applicable state and federal regulations governing nursing homes. As such, the responsibilities of a nursing homes administrator often include:
- Properly screening potential staff members to verify that they have the necessary credentials or experience. The hiring process should also review whether potential staff members have a criminal history, which could potentially put nursing home residents at risk.
- Making sure the nursing home has enough staff members. Nursing homes are legally required to have a minimum number of staff members based on the number of nursing home residents.
- Providing staff members with the necessary training to properly care for nursing home residents.
- Making sure nursing home residents receive regular, nutritious meals and water on a regular basis so nursing home residents do not become malnourished or dehydrated.
- Supervising staff members or hiring supervisors to perform this role.
- Making sure the nursing home is properly maintained so dangerous conditions (such as loose handrails or unmarked hazards in hallways) don’t result in a nursing home injury.
- Hiring security personnel to make sure residents are safe and secure.
- Documenting nursing home resident injuries and illnesses.
- Making sure medical care is provided immediately to sick or injured nursing home residents.
How nursing home administrators help with legal cases
Nursing home administrators can serve as excellent expert witnesses in nursing home abuse and neglect cases. This is because such administrators know how nursing homes should be run. As a result, administrators who advise attorneys on legal cases know what evidence to look for in cases involving nursing homes that act in a negligent manner.
In particular, nursing home administrators can review a nursing home’s employment records. Such reviews can determine if a nursing home:
- Knowingly hired someone with a history of harming nursing home residents.
- Employed enough staff members.
- Verified whether employees had applicable licenses or training to perform their jobs.
Nursing home administrators advising attorneys on a legal case can also:
- Review a nursing home’s inspection reports, especially if the nursing home was cited by state or local authorities for unsanitary conditions, understaffing, or other violations.
- Consult with other experts, including medical experts advising attorneys on a particular case.
- Review nursing home receipts or financial records to verify how much the nursing home was spending on food, heat, and other essential items.
Get the right expert witness for your nursing home case
Choosing the right nursing home administrator to advise on a potential legal case can be challenging. Even knowing which administrators to choose from can be confusing, especially if you are not familiar with nursing home administrators who have experience dealing with such situations.
Rieback Medical-Legal Consultants provides the legal community with qualified medical experts nationwide with extensive experience in a range of medical specialties, including nursing home administrators and supervisors. Our medical professionals thoroughly understand how the legal system works and can help you build a stronger legal case based on solid evidence. If you need a nursing home administrator to advise on your legal case, contact us to learn how we can help you.