Lexington Attorneys for Abuse in Nursing Homes
Our Lexington nursing home abuse lawyers at the Strom Law Firm are familiar with litigating South Carolina personal injury cases and can often help victims recover substantially more compensation for nursing home neglect than they would be able to retain on their own, so it is highly advisable for anyone injured in a nursing home accident to discuss their options with one of our Lexington nursing home abuse lawyers.
Recently, it was estimated that 2,200,000 people live in nursing homes and extended care facilities. Families trust these facilities to properly look after their loved ones, and these residents pay a lot of money for the care and assistance they need. However, too many nursing home operators negligently hire unqualified staff and fail to properly supervise their residents. Further, many facilities overwork and underpay their staff. These unfortunate conditions in facilities in and around Lexington can all too easily lead to injuries caused by nursing home abuse.
Do you believe your loved one may have been intentionally or negligently abused while residing in a nursing home or other residential care facility? If so, call our Lexington nursing home abuse lawyers at Strom Law Firm in Columbia immediately to discuss a path forward and to get help with nursing home abuse cases.
Forms of Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse presents itself in several ways. All cause significant physical, mental, and emotional damage to vulnerable residents and victims. Examples of different types of abuse that might occur at a nursing home are:
- Neglect– Examples include not providing proper nutrition, failing to provide medication, unsanitary conditions, isolating residents, falls, bedsores known as pressure wounds or decubitus ulcers, and more.
- Physical abuse– As hard as it is to believe, this can include punching, pushing, holding, tying down, slapping, or other forms of battery.
- Financial abuse– Employees of nursing homes sometimes steal or will trick residents into giving them money or valuable assets.
- Sexual battery
- Emotional abuse– This includes the use of any words that emotionally harm a resident like threats and belittlement.
Signs of Abuse in A Nursing Home
Always keep an eye on loved ones at a nursing home for any out of the ordinary changes in their behavior, as this could indicate a brain injury. Also, keep an eye out for any injuries, poor conditions, apparent fear, altered mood, unexplained weight loss, and any circumstances that raise suspicion about how a care facility might be treating your loved one. You should first discuss the situation with authorities, and then our lawyers.
How to Report Nursing Home Abuse
When you take your elderly loved ones to a nursing home, you expect them to be taken care of and to be able to live with dignity. Unfortunately, some nursing homes expose their residents to various kinds of abuse, some of which lead to permanent injuries or death, making it your responsibility to ensure that the nursing home gives your loved one the care they need and to report any cases of nursing home abuse to the authorities so that the necessary action can be taken. But how do you report nursing home abuse without putting your elderly parent or grandparent in more danger?
According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), families whose elderly loved ones have been abused at a nursing home or while under the care of a caregiver should report the abuse to authorities immediately. If you keep quiet, the nursing home will continue to neglect and mistreat the residents under its care. Fortunately, there are many options you can use to report the abuse–here are some of the reliable channels through which you can report these abuse cases in the United States:
Elder Justice Groups
These groups are part of the Elder Justice Roadmap Project, which is sponsored by the US Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. The groups are formed for the purpose of encouraging responsible citizens to take part in improving the safety of senior citizens living in their homes or as residents in nursing homes. They also raise awareness within communities about the challenges that elderly citizens often go through at the hands of their caregivers.
Local Police and Law Enforcement
The law requires every nursing home to record all incidents of abuse and ensure that any case of mistreatment, abuse, lack of care, injuries, and neglect of residents is reported to authorities in accordance with state law using the established mechanisms. As a responsible citizen, you should also call the police whenever you notice an incident of nursing home abuse.
Lexington Nursing Home Abuse Attorney or Long-Term Care Ombudsman
If your loved one has been abused at a nursing home, you can report the incident to your attorney or to an ombudsman. Your Lexington nursing home abuse lawyer will take the necessary steps to notify authorities and law enforcement about the abuse. The Lexington nursing home abuse attorney will also help you to file a case of abuse in court and ensure the nursing home staff is brought to justice.
A nursing home abuse ombudsman is responsible for protecting the rights of nursing home residents, preventing their abuse, and ensuring that all abusive members of staff are held accountable. Many states have established offices of long-term care ombudsmen to address issues of nursing home abuse.
Spotting Nursing Home Abuse at Your Local Facility
To successfully detect incidents of nursing home abuse, you should be aware of the various types of nursing home abuse that exist, as some manners of abuse are hard to detect among residents. The most common forms of nursing home abuse include:
- Physical abuse: attack, battery, and restraint
- Emotional and psychological abuse: isolation, insults, and humiliation
- Sexual abuse: indecent touching, rape, and defilement
- Neglect: withholding of basic needs like food, water, clothing, hygienic care, and medication
- Financial abuse: financial exploitation by a caregiver or member of staff at a nursing home
When you understand these forms of abuse, it’s easier to detect them when visiting your loved one at a nursing home. Keep a close eye on any signs of abuse, including unexplained bruising, signs of restraint, frequent injuries, and fear. If your loved one or friend has suddenly become withdrawn or developed any other unusual behavior, they could be going through a form of abuse.
Additionally, bedsores, unexplained weight loss, and poor hygiene are common signs of neglect. You should also check your loved one’s finances regularly for signs of financial abuse, like missing cash or other valuable items, unexplained cash withdrawals, sudden changes in their insurance policy or will, or sudden unpaid expenses.
Contact Our Skilled Lexington Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Immediately
If your loved one has been abused or died as a result of abuse in a nursing home or residential care facility in Lexington or anywhere else across South Carolina, contact us. Our nursing home abuse attorneys offer free case evaluations, and we do not collect a fee unless we recover for you. Contact the experienced legal team of Lexington Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Strom Law Firm in Columbia (803) 252-4800 or fill out a contact form today and find out if we can help you. We are located in Barrister Hall 6923 N. Trenholm Rd, Columbia SC 29206-1707
