What if my relative is a victim of Nursing Home Abuse?

There are well over one million elderly and dependent adults now living in nursing homes throughout the United States. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect has become a widespread problem. Although some nursing homes do provide excellent care, many are subjecting helpless residents to needless suffering and death.

Many residents in nursing homes are dependent on the staff for most or all their daily needs such as food, water, medicine, grooming, exercise and turning. The sad truth is that some residents in nursing homes today are almost starved, dehydrated, over-medicated, and suffer from painful bed sores.

They are often isolated, ignored and deprived of social contact and stimulation. Because of insufficient or poorly trained staff sometimes found in nursing homes (a problem caused by corporate owners who are more concerned about their financial bottom line than the care they should be providing), care givers are often overworked and grossly underpaid. That often results in rude and abusive behavior to vulnerable residents who beg them for simple needs such as water or to be taken to the bathroom.

Abuse in a nursing home includes the following:

Assault, battery, unreasonable physical restraint, deprivation of food or water and use of medication for any purpose not prescribed by a physician.Neglect in a nursing home includes the following:

Failure to assist in personal hygiene, failure to provide adequate food, clothing or shelter and failure to protect from health or safety hazards.If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you should take the initiative in checking the patient's condition. Don't hesitate to pull back the sheets and examine the patient yourself. Look for bed sores and other signs of neglect or abuse. If you see problems, notify the Director of Nursing or the Administrator immediately and be sure to follow up and make certain the problems are corrected.Unfortunately, some nursing homes seek to reduce their expenses by eliminating insurance coverage. Before placing a loved one in a nursing home, ask to see proof the facility is adequately insured in the event of injuries to patients.If you or a loved one has been seriously injured while a resident of a nursing home, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for your loss. Please contact our firm for further information.

DISCLAIMER
This information has been prepared only for general purposes and is not
legal advice. Presentation of this information is not intended to create an
attorney client relationship. Do not act upon this information without
seeking professional counsel.