Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

When staff fails to provide the necessary fluids or nutrition required for elderly health.

These are often a direct result of a failure to move or reposition a patient properly.

Frequently caused by rough handling, drops, or unsupervised falls.

This can be a sign of physical abuse or a dangerous lack of monitoring.

The improper use of medication to keep a resident quiet for the convenience of staff.

Indicating a systemic failure in the facility’s care and sanitation protocols.

When residents are left in beds or chairs for hours on end without assistance.

Seeming unusually depressed, angry, or fearful, or frequent rocking, mumbling, or sucking behaviors can also be signs of neglect or abuse.

Injuries like bruising, cuts, and broken bones staff members and caregivers may lie about or not report at all. Some residents have also suffered from choking, being shoved, or spat upon.

Yelling at the resident, manipulating their decisions, or isolating them from people are all forms of emotional abuse which may increase the resident’s stress and anxiety level. Threats and remarks that are racist, sexist, or ageist are also considered abuse.

In some cases, residents may be sexually abused by staff members or other residents, leaving them traumatized and feeling helpless. These incidents include forcing residents to remove clothing, watching pornographic videos, or even sexual comments.

Some nursing home employees may establish close relationships with residents only to steal from their bank accounts, use their credit cards, or have them change their will’s beneficiary to the caregiver’s name.

Extreme cases of negligence may constitute abuse, including intentionally ignoring one’s medical needs, or refusing to provide medical attention to a resident who is sick or injured. Denying medications to punish residents is also medical abuse.

A chemical restraint is when drugs are administered to control a person’s behavior. A physical restraint is used to keep a person from moving around. The use of a restraint for the convenience of the staff is against the law.

Nursing homes have an obligation to hire qualified personnel with the requisite academic degrees for the positions for which they are hired and no record of abuse or violence. If a nursing home hires employees without conducting background checks, they are putting their patients at risk and can be held liable for negligence.

In some cases, nursing home employees are not properly trained to handle disabled or disobedient residents, so they may provide substandard care. If inadequate staff training results in a patient being seriously injured, the nursing home can be held liable.

The average nursing home staff to patient ratio is 1 staff member to every 1.64 patients; however, many facilities need more than the average number of staff members because their patients require extensive care. If a nursing home is understaffed, patients may be neglected because there is no one available to care for them or because staff members are overworked and stressed. If a patient suffers an injury due to understaffing, the nursing home can be held liable for the injury.

Medications are a necessary part of care for most nursing home residents. If they are not given the proper medication or proper dosage, they could suffer serious consequences. When this happens, the healthcare provider, pharmacy, or pharmacist can be held liable for negligence.

Nursing homes can also be held liable for injuries caused by third parties within the facility because they have a duty to provide a safe environment for their patients. For instance, if a patient is injured by another patient or a guest at the facility, the nursing home is legally responsible if they failed to provide adequate security to prevent such an incident.