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Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

November 11, 2019

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It’s only natural to worry about the safety, security, and health of your loved ones. That feeling is even more intense when a family member lives in a nursing home and under the  care of people who may be complete strangers to you and even to them. Most nursing homes give residents quality care, but some put residents’ health and lives at risk due to their focus on profits. Caring for other people—especially elderly and disabled nursing home residents—requires a large staff of highly trained individuals. But a large staff with the right skillset is expensive, and some nursing homes try to save money by understaffing or by hiring underqualified employees. When there aren’t enough employees to take care of all residents—or when employees aren’t properly trained or vetted—residents are often the ones who suffer. Nursing homes that are only concerned with their profits can be unpleasant at best and downright dangerous at worst for their residents. That’s because residents are more likely to be neglected or even abused when there’s little to no concern for their well-being by owners, administrators, and the people charged with taking care of them.

Do You Know How to Recognize Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?

When residents are abused or neglected at nursing homes, the evidence may be clear, but it can more often be difficult to detect. Certain types of physical abuse are often obvious, while mental abuse or neglect may not be uncovered for months or even years. Knowing the types of abuse that can occur in nursing homes can help you spot it more quickly and easily when it’s occurring to your loved one:
  • Physical abuse—If your loved one has unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, wounds, or broken bones, there’s a chance they’re being physically abused by a staff member or even another resident.
  • Sexual abuse—Signs of sexual abuse can include sudden symptoms of sexually transmitted disease, bleeding, pain, or bruising on or near the genitals, and torn, bloody, or soiled underwear and clothing.
  • Emotional abuse—Victims of emotional, mental, and psychological abuse may suddenly become withdrawn, anxious, or depressed. They also may experience sudden and unexplained declines in health. Many emotionally abused nursing home residents are reluctant to speak about what’s happening.
Neglect can be just as damaging as abuse on the physical and mental welfare of nursing home residents, but it can be even more difficult for their loved ones to detect. Be on the lookout for the following types of neglect and their symptoms:
  • Lack of everyday necessities—Residents may be neglected by being deprived access to food, water, clean clothing, personal hygiene, medication, or other necessities. If your loved one rapidly loses weight, appears dehydrated, experiences an unexplained worsening in health, or has poor hygiene, they may be being neglected by caretakers.
  • Abandonment—This type of neglect can be difficult to detect, as it involves nursing home staff leaving residents alone for long periods of time, whether it’s in their rooms, in other parts of the facility, or even in public places.
When residents’ rights are violated, it’s important for their families to get experienced legal representation on their side so they can hold the negligent nursing homes accountable. Nursing homes are rarely cooperative when families accuse them of failing to properly care for their loved ones, but having an experienced law firm handle the claim from day one can make the process easier.

Nurenberg Paris Knows Nursing Home Abuse Claims

Finding out that your loved one has been abused or neglected while living in a nursing home is devastating. At Nurenberg Paris, our Ohio nursing home abuse lawyers want to help you during this difficult time. In addition to collecting evidence that proves the nursing home’s negligence resulted in the abuse or neglect, we’ll also handle all communication during the claim process on your behalf. The last thing you need to deal with is back and forth with the nursing home and its insurer or lawyers. Leave that up to us while you focus on helping your loved one recover from the abuse or neglect they endured. You and your loved one have been through a lot, and you deserve compensation for the nursing home’s breach of your trust and the damage their negligence has caused to your loved one’s physical and mental health. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us start building a claim to get your family the money you’re owed.

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