Are you concerned about the well-being of your loved one? We can help.
When your family member resides in a nursing home, you expect that they will receive appropriate medical care and attention. However, mistreatment frequently arises as a result of understaffing or negligence among nursing home administrators and staff. If your loved one has suffered physical or emotional harm due to poor nursing home care, you can protect their rights in a civil claim. Our nursing home abuse lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can advocate on behalf of your loved one. We can help you hold the negligent caretakers responsible and seek financial compensation for your losses.
Statistics show that 4.6% of seniors over age 65 may experience psychological abuse, 5.1% are neglected, and 1.6% suffer physical abuse at the hands of caretakers. A 2021 study found that in a review of nursing home complaints, 29% were for physical abuse, and 40% of staff admitted psychologically abusing residents.
In some cases, nursing home abuse at the hands of staff members can even be fatal. For example, WOIO reported in June 2025 that a Bedford, Ohio, family sued a North Royalton nursing home after claiming that their mother died due to physical abuse and severe injuries she suffered while living at the facility.
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Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
The first step to protecting your loved one in a nursing home is recognizing the signs of abuse. Knowing what to watch for can help you detect these signs early and take action promptly. Here are the typical indicators of abuse or neglect in nursing homes:
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How Nursing Home Abuse Happens
Nursing home abuse can happen for many reasons, including inadequate training, understaffing, or deliberate neglect and mistreatment. Key factors contributing to an environment conducive to abuse include:
- Understaffing: In 2021, 94% of nursing home providers reported staff shortages. This scarcity of staff can lead to overwhelmed employees, reducing the quality of care and increasing the risk of neglect or abuse due to inadequate supervision and assistance.
- Lack of Oversight and Training: Without proper oversight and comprehensive training, staff may not be equipped to handle the complex needs of residents, leading to inadequate care, mistakes, and even intentional abuse stemming from frustration or lack of understanding.
- Resident-on-Resident Abuse: 22% of abuse complaints in a 2021 study were due to this type of abuse. These situations often arise in environments where there is insufficient supervision, allowing tensions between residents to escalate into physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
Nursing Home Residents’ Rights
Nursing home residents are protected under both federal and state law to ensure they are treated with dignity, fairness, and due care. The following are key rights that every resident should expect:
- Be Treated With Respect and Dignity: Residents have the right to be treated respectfully, maintain their individuality, and have choices about daily life (such as when to eat, sleep, or take part in activities).
- Freedom From Abuse, Neglect, and Restraints: Residents must be protected from physical, verbal, sexual, or mental abuse, and facilities may not use physical or chemical restraints for convenience or punishment.
- Maintain Privacy and Confidentiality: Residents have a right to private communication, private visits, and confidentiality of their medical and personal records.
- Participate in Care Decisions: Residents have the right to be involved in creating their care plan, to choose or refuse treatment, and to make informed decisions about their medical care.
- Make Complaints Without Reprisal: Residents may voice grievances or concerns about their care or treatment without fear of retaliation; the facility must address these complaints.
- Be Informed and Consented: Before admission and during their stay, residents must be informed— in language they understand — of their rights, services available, fees, and rules.
- Protection During Transfers and Discharges: Residents cannot be moved or discharged arbitrarily; they must receive proper notice, rationale, and due process, and transfers must be handled fairly.
- Exercise Rights as a Citizen: Residents retain their rights as U.S. citizens, including the right to vote, access to services outside the facility, and to exercise civil and religious liberties.
Damages to Seek in a Nursing Home Abuse Claim
All nursing homes and staff members are responsible for providing residents with prompt and effective medical care. They should be held accountable for their negligence if they fail to meet that responsibility.
Our skilled legal team at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy can help you and your family recover the following damages as part of a personal injury claim:
- Medical Bills: Compensation for medical expenses encompasses hospital stays, doctor visits, emergency room treatment, and any necessary medical procedures resulting from negligence. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that you are not left to shoulder the financial burden of these costs.
- Physical Therapy: If your family member needs physical therapy to recover from injuries caused by nursing home neglect or abuse, we can assist in recouping the expenses. This includes covering ongoing rehabilitation costs to support their recovery.
- Prescription Medications: We can assist in recovering the cost of prescription medications needed to treat injuries or conditions resulting from neglect or abuse. This ensures that your family is not burdened with the financial impact of necessary medications.
- Pain and Suffering: Our legal team is committed to seeking compensation for the physical pain and discomfort caused by the negligence of nursing home staff. This includes compensation for immediate and long-term pain and emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD due to their mistreatment.
How a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help
The state and federal governments license nursing homes, and to maintain their licenses, they are subject to strict laws and regulations. These complex laws can make reporting abuse and seeking compensation complicated to navigate on your own. Our nursing home abuse lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy understand these laws and can use them to protect your loved one.
Here’s how our attorneys use their experience to help you:
- Investigation and Evidence Gathering: Our attorneys will gather and analyze evidence, including medical records, staff logs, and surveillance footage, to build a strong case demonstrating neglect or abuse.
- Expert Testimony: We have access to medical experts and specialists who can provide testimony on the extent of injuries and how they correlate with the alleged abuse or neglect, adding credibility and strength to your case.
- Handling Legal Procedures: Our experienced team will handle all legal procedures, filings, and deadlines, ensuring your claim is properly presented and argued in court or settlement negotiations.
- Maximizing Compensation: We are committed to securing the maximum compensation for damages, including medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, ensuring the nursing home is held accountable.
Where to Get Treatment for Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse Injuries
If your loved one suffered serious injuries due to neglect or abuse at their nursing home, they need access to hospitals with trauma, orthopedic, burn, and critical care capabilities. Below are some Cleveland-area hospitals equipped to manage severe injury care for nursing home negligence victims:
- University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center: As a verified Level I Trauma Center, UH provides comprehensive care for the most critical injuries, including neurosurgery, orthopedic trauma, plastic surgery, and rehabilitation services, making it well-suited to treat abuse-related injuries.
- MetroHealth Medical Center: MetroHealth operates a Level I adult trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, along with a specialized burn care center and robust orthopedic and reconstructive capabilities—ideal for handling complex injuries from abuse and neglect.
- Cleveland Clinic Orthopedic & Trauma Surgery: The Cleveland Clinic’s trauma surgery and orthopedic departments treat difficult fractures, bone injuries, and soft tissue damage, and they have advanced reconstructive expertise.
- Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital: As a Level II Trauma Center on Cleveland’s west side, Fairview can manage many serious injuries and stabilize patients for transfer to a higher-level center if needed.
Transporting a nursing home negligence victim to one of these facilities as soon as possible is extremely important not only for medical recovery, but also for documenting the injuries and preserving evidence.
Cleveland Resources Groups for Nursing Home Neglect Victims and Their Families
Learning that your loved one was physically abused in their nursing home is devastating. These local resources and organizations can help your family deal with this shattering realization and move forward from such a traumatic and painful ordeal.
- Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for residents in nursing homes, assisted living, and other long-term care settings by investigating concerns, assisting with choices, and promoting quality of life.
- The City of Cleveland Department of Aging supports older adults with disabilities, including those who were affected by nursing home abuse or neglect, by providing advocacy, case assistance, and connections to protective services, healthcare resources, and community programs that promote safety and dignity.
- Cuyahoga County’s Division of Senior and Adult Services is the designated provider of Adult Protective Services in the county, offering investigation and intervention in cases of elder abuse or neglect, along with supporting services like home-based care, benefits assistance, and advocacy to help vulnerable seniors remain safe and independent.
Protect Your Elderly Loved One with Qualified Legal Counsel
At Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, we know how devastating it can be to find out that your loved one was injured because of neglect in a nursing home. If you suspect that your loved one has suffered injuries because of neglect while in a care facility, we want to help you.
All nursing home residents have rights, and our goal is to ensure those rights are respected and upheld at all times. Contact us for a free initial consultation, and let our nursing home neglect lawyers help your family today.
