Posted: February 1, 2014
in an elderly care facility in Quebec has
raised questions regarding whether
nursing homes have adequate evacuation
plans.
A deadly nursing home fire that occurred last week in an elderly care facility in Quebec has raised many questions and concerns regarding whether nursing homes have adequate evacuation plans in the event fires or other emergency situations arise. According to the New York Times, the fire wreaked havoc on the mostly wood-built, three-story nursing home (known as L’Isle-Verte), and once the fire broke out, the home’s staff struggled to try to evacuate the more than 1,400 residents who live there.
Reports from the deadly fire indicate that, to date, five elderly individuals have died, that about 30 others are missing and that most of the dead and missing include residents who are older than 80 years old and/or who have limited mobility. Because investigators are still looking into the exact causes of the blaze, they have not publically disclosed what the possible causes of this nursing home fire may have been.
In the wake of this tragedy, many regulators and others are questioning whether nursing homes in the U.S. have up-to-date, effective evacuation plans that include stipulations for evacuating residents with limited or poor mobility. Given that emergency situations like fires often only give nursing home staff minutes to get residents and themselves to safety, having an evacuation plan that can cover various contingencies is crucial to protecting the welfare of nursing home residents.
It’s also important to point out that nursing homes with up-to-date emergency evacuation plans will have to also be diligent about training their staff regarding these plans, as such plans become ineffective or even useless if the nursing home staff don’t know what they are and/or how to execute them.
St. Louis Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
If you believe that your elderly loved one may have been the victim of nursing home abuse and/or neglect, contact the St. Louis nursing home abuse lawyers at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law. We have a long-standing commitment to serving our clients, and we are experienced at aggressively defending our clients’ rights in any legal setting. Our goal is to preserve and promote the rights and welfare of individuals and families who have suffered injuries and losses and/or who need help navigating through the complexities of the court system.
Since 1993, our lawyers have been successfully representing our clients in various areas of personal injury litigation, including nursing home abuse lawsuits. Our unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice in every case we handle means that we will work relentlessly to help our clients achieve the best possible outcomes to their cases. One of our primary goals is to help accident victims secure the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and losses so they can focus on their recovery and moving on with their lives.
For a free initial consult, email us using the form at the right-hand side of the screen and/or to call us at 573-333-3333 for our Missouri office or at 618-888-8888 for our Illinois office.
