Nursing Home
Today, Americans are living longer than ever before. In the most recent data available (2019), elderly citizens age 65 and constitute over 16% of the United States’ population and are now the fastest growing segment of US citizens. Tragically, nursing home negligence and abuse has grown just as fast.
Signs of Nursing Home Negligence
Inadequate staffing is a major cause of nursing home negligence or abuse. Too often, nursing homes are understaffed or are willing to hire unqualified attendants, resulting in staff negligence of the resident’s basic needs, or, in some cases, direct abuse and medical malpractice. That is why nursing home patients are often mishandled, neglected, and sometimes ignored or abused. The results can be shocking, and feature incidents such as the following:
- Bed sores (decubitus ulcers)
- Bruises, broken bones, and head injuries
- Infections
- Malnutrition
- Dehydration
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) or septicemia
- Improper medication and restraints
- Physical and sexual abuse
Nursing home abuse and neglect can be hard to spot. Frequently, the victim is either afraid to tell someone or does not understand what is happening. Nursing home deaths are often the result of a cumulative error of untreated conditions.
Additionally, nursing home negligence and abuse may involve not only the physical well-being of the resident, but also the psychological well-being. Nursing home negligence and abuse can take many forms. The following represents common examples of nursing home negligence and abuse:
- Failure to provide proper nutrition and hydration
- Failure to assist in personal hygiene when needed
- Over/under medication
- Failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent falls
- Failure to answer call lights in a timely fashion
- Failure to turn residents in their beds (leading to pressure sores)
- Slapping or other physical abuse of the resident
- Use of unwarranted chemical or physical restraints
- Retaliation when a resident makes a complaint or files a grievance
- Failure to take adequate precautions to prevent injury to the resident
- Failure to provide appropriate medical care
- Sexual assault or rape of the resident
We Can Help
We understand that nursing home negligence and abuse can be very difficult to detect. If you even suspect that your loved one is a victim, please call our firm to discuss your case free of charge. We can help you determine if your loved one is the victim of nursing home negligence or abuse and fight for the compensation you and your loved one may be legally entitled to.