2 February 2015
 Categories: Law, Blog

Depending on which expert you ask, anywhere from 2% to 12% of patients will be acutely harmed by their hospital stay. If you have a family member or loved one going into a medical facility to be treated, you and other concerned family and friends should arrange for one of you to be with the patient at all times, as allowed by hospital rules.

Here are the top 3 reasons you must never let a loved one face medical treatment without an advocate:

1) Staying at their bedside is the best safety strategy to protect your loved ones.

Some harm to patients is done by medical professionals who are poorly trained. Often, harm is caused by understaffed facilities. As if that weren't enough, thieves may wander into a less-than-secure hospital and steal purses and other personal items.

Still other harm is caused by poor housekeeping and negligent cross-patient contamination. As the last link shows, asking questions and always insisting on proper hand-washing protocol will reduce the chances of a hospital-acquired infection.

But, if your loved one is too disabled or drugged to pay attention, who will protect them from healthcare workers who don't comply with simple rules?

2) You protect all patients from needless pain and suffering.

Despite many safeguards to prevent pill and drug theft by hospital workers, addicts, and dealers have been found among the ranks of nurses, therapists, and orderlies. When these trusted workers switch strong painkillers with ineffective pills, patients suffer needlessly.

A patient who is post-operative, or being treated for an acute, painful condition, does not deserve to be in agony. Having a loved one close by to oversee pain-relief dosage is key to making certain your loved one is not forced to suffer.

If you see or suspect pill theft by a hospital employee, report it immediately to hospital management. Don't automatically discount your loved one's complaint if he or she insists that pills have been switched or not dispensed. Investigate the patient's claim. Catching these addicts and dealers protects not only your loved one, but protects all other patients as well.

3) If harm is done to your loved one, you'll be a vital witness.

Hopefully, your presence and interaction with hospital staff will be enough to ensure your loved one leaves the hospital healthier than when they entered it.

If you believe that your loved one is the victim of medical malpractice, however, your testimony and any solid evidence you provide will help your family member or friend collect damages.

Don't be afraid to take pictures of troubling wound dressings, IVs, or other medical devices. If you think conditions in the medical facility are bad enough to warrant making videos of staff or recording conversations, check with a local medical malpractice attorney first to find out what is allowed as evidence in your state. You may have to obtain permission before making any recordings. You can still take notes, look at the medical chart, and be a sharp-eyed observer.

A lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice, such as Burgess & Perigard, will tell you which evidence to collect while your loved one is hospitalized, so contact one as soon as possible. After your loved one is released from the hospital, your notes and observations will be key to helping them reach a fair settlement for any harm done. Have a talk with your friends and family today about creating a buddy system in the event any of you are hospitalized. For so many reasons, no one should go it alone.