When you place someone you love in a nursing home or assisted living facility, you’re doing it because they need help — and because you believe they’ll be safe. You expect the basics to be handled the right way. Meals on time. Clean rooms. Help when they need it. And especially their medications.
For many residents, medications aren’t optional. They are what keep their heart beating steadily, their blood sugar under control, or their breathing stable. So, when a medication mistake happens, it can quickly turn into a serious problem.
As a Winston-Salem nursing home and medical negligence lawyer, I have worked with families who never imagined that a simple medication mix‑up could lead to hospitalization, a stroke, a fall, or even the loss of a loved one. But it happens — and more often than most people think.
How Often Do Medication Mistakes Happen?
Across the country, medication errors are one of the most common problems in nursing homes. Government reports have shown that a significant number of nursing home residents experience some type of harm during their stay, and medication mistakes are regularly part of that picture.
North Carolina tracks medication errors in nursing homes. In one reporting period, facilities in our state reported more than 5,800 medication errors. Over 10 percent of those were considered serious — meaning the mistake could have caused real harm or actually did cause harm.
These statistics represent real, human consequences: dosing errors with drugs like insulin and warfarin were among the most frequent serious events, and errors during medication transitions (such as when a resident returns from the hospital) remain a persistent risk.
Local data from CMS and the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) also shows frequent inspection citations related to medication administration failures and incomplete Medication Administration Records (MARs). These deficiencies are publicly reported and can assist families in understanding a facility’s safety history.
With over 400 federally certified nursing homes in North Carolina, a Performance Audit Report found a substantial number of facilities received deficiencies during routine inspections—including issues tied to resident care and medication management.
Here in Winston-Salem and throughout Forsyth County, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are cited during inspections for medication-related problems. These can include not following the doctor’s orders, incomplete paperwork, or errors in recording what medication was given.
Not every inspection issue leads to injury. But repeated medication problems are a warning sign.
Why Do These Mistakes Happen?
Most of the time, medication mistakes are not about one careless person. They are about the system inside the building. Many residents take several different medications every day. Some need shots. Some need pills at very specific times. Some medications cannot be crushed. Some must be given with food. It takes attention and enough trained staff to handle all of that correctly.
Common reasons mistakes happen include:
• Not enough staff on duty
• High employee turnover
• Rushed medication rounds
• Poor communication between doctors and staff
• Failure to update medication lists after a hospital visit
• Sloppy or delayed record keeping
When too few people are trying to care for too many residents, corners get cut. And when corners get cut with medications, people get hurt.
What Is the MAR and Why Should Families Care?
If you ever have concerns about medication mistakes in a Winston-Salem nursing home, one of the first things to look at is something called the Medication Administration Record, or MAR. The MAR is basically the daily log that shows what medication was given, when it was given, how much was given, and who gave it. It should match the doctor’s written orders exactly. If a medication is skipped, refused, or unavailable, that should be written down clearly. There should not be blanks. There should not be guesswork.
In cases I have handled involving Winston-Salem nursing homes and assisted living facilities, we often go through the MAR line by line. Sometimes we find missing signatures. Sometimes we see doses that do not match the doctor’s order. Sometimes the paperwork was filled out later, after something went wrong.
Those details matter. They help tell the real story.
Signs Something May Be Wrong
Medication mistakes do not always come with a clear announcement. Instead, families often notice changes that do not make sense. Watch for:
• Sudden confusion
• Extreme sleepiness
• Unexplained falls
• Big swings in blood sugar
• New breathing problems
• Fast physical decline
• Frequent trips to the hospital
If your loved one’s condition changes quickly in a Winston-Salem nursing home or assisted living facility, it is reasonable to ask for records. You have the right to request the MAR, doctor’s orders, and other medical records. Do not hesitate to review them.
You know your loved one better than anyone else. If something feels off, it probably is.
What Is the Facility Required to Do?
Under North Carolina law, nursing homes and assisted living facilities must give medications safely and follow the doctor’s instructions. They must hire trained staff. They must keep accurate records. They must supervise medication rounds properly.
These are not optional tasks. They are basic responsibilities.
When a Winston-Salem nursing home fails to handle medications the right way and someone is hurt, that may be negligence. In the most serious situations, families may have a wrongful death claim.
How We Look at These Cases
At the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams, we focus on serious injury and wrongful death cases involving Winston-Salem nursing homes and assisted living facilities across North Carolina.
When we review a possible medication error case, we gather the full chart. We compare the doctor’s orders to the MAR. We look at staffing levels. We talk with medical professionals who can help explain whether the care met basic standards. We are not looking for paperwork mistakes. We are looking for whether your loved one received the care they were supposed to receive. Families come to us because they trusted a facility — and that trust may have been broken.
When Should You Talk to a Winston-Salem Nursing Home Lawyer?
If you suspect a medication mistake in a Winston-Salem nursing home or assisted living facility, you do not need to have all the answers before speaking with a lawyer.
Start by asking questions. Request the records. Write down what you have observed. If the explanations do not add up, it may be time to have someone review the situation carefully. Medication mistakes are preventable. They should not be brushed aside as “just part of aging.”
If you would like to talk about your concerns, the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams offers confidential consultations. We will listen to what happened, review the available records, and explain your options in plain language.
Your loved one deserved careful attention and safe medication management. If that did not happen, you deserve clear answers.
Contact the Law Office of Kevin J. Williams today at (336)793-8459 for a free consultation.
