Failure to Implement Social Distancing

In the fight against COVID-19, social distancing is one of the most widely recommended options offered by health authorities. Social distancing refers to the act of remaining at least six feet apart from other people.

Social distancing works against the novel coronavirus because the COVID-19 virus is spread through fine micro-droplets which are created when people talk, cough, shout, or breathe heavily. By maintaining a social distance of at least six feet, these droplets cannot reach you as easily, reducing the risk of transmission.

In nursing homes in Hollywood and across South Florida, social distancing is especially important because the elderly have been found to be especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. Elderly individuals who catch this virus are more likely to suffer from pneumonia, complications, and fatalities. So far during this pandemic, elderly people have fallen seriously ill and have died at a higher rate than younger individuals and a number of outbreaks have occurred at nursing homes.

Social distancing is also important because some people who have COVID-19 do not know they have the virus. They may have no symptoms. With social distancing, everyone is correctly treated as a potential spreader and contact is reduced, giving COVID-19 less chance to spread.

There are many things that nursing homes can do to ensure social distancing, including:

• Teaching staff and residents about the importance of social distancing.
• Limiting the number of people in common areas, such as hallways or dining areas.
• Attaching stickers or decals on floors to indicate six foot distances.
• Attaching posters to the walls to remind people to social distance.
• Encouraging residents and staff to social distance when they are too close together.
• Limiting the number of people in rooms by not encouraging people to share residential rooms
• Enforcing social distancing rules within the nursing home.
• Supervising common areas to ensure that people don’t sit or stand too close together.
• Cancelling movie screenings or other activities which would encourage residents to sit close together.
• Encouraging safe, distance activities, including virtual events.

If a nursing home does not take these and other precautions and a resident falls ill with COVID-19, it is important for the family of that individual to contact a nursing home abuse and neglect attorney. The nursing home may have failed to take basic action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and may therefore be held liable.

Seeking compensation in this situation allows the family to help place the resident in a safer facility and to pay for medical treatment. If your elderly loved one has been impacted by COVID-19 due to the negligence of a nursing home, contact Flaxman Law Group. Our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience and we have won many multi-million-dollar claims on behalf of plaintiffs. In a free, virtual no obligation consultation, we would be happy to review the options in your situation. Contact Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) for a free accident consultation with a Hollywood nursing home abuse and neglect attorney.