When you move a loved one to a nursing home, you expect them to be taken care of and treated with compassion.
Even if you thoroughly research the best-rated nursing home facilities and visit them in person ahead of time, it doesn’t guarantee there are no episodes of abuse or neglect.
If your family member is in an Alabama nursing home and you suspect mistreatment, it’s essential to speak with a nursing home abuse lawyer in Montgomery right away.
At Fob James Law Firm, we firmly believe that wrongdoers should be exposed and punished so that no one else suffers.
There is no way to truly right the wrong of being neglected or abused in a nursing home, but pursuing a civil claim against the liable parties goes a long way in restoring justice.
Elder Abuse Statistics
Elder abuse is a significant problem. According to the World Health Organization, about one in six people aged 60 or older experienced some form of abuse in a community settlement over the last year.
Rates of elder abuse increase in long-term care facilities and nursing homes, with two in three staff members reporting they have committed some form of abuse within the last year.
Unfortunately, abuse rates have only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to Do If a Loved One Is a Victim of Nursing Home Abuse
If your family member suffered injuries in a nursing home or other assisted living facility due to intentional abuse or negligence, you could have the legal right to pursue a claim against the responsible parties and their employers.
Abuse and neglect aren’t limited to physical touching either. Failure to diagnose a person’s condition or provide the necessary medication could also lead to a claim for damages.
Even if you are unsure what caused your loved one’s injuries, you should contact a Montgomery nursing home abuse lawyer.
With nursing home abuse cases, collecting and preserving evidence are crucial steps to a successful civil claim. In some situations, you may not know the extent of your family member’s injuries until there’s a thorough investigation.
Identifying Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
It’s crucial to stay vigilant and look for red flags when visiting your family member in a home. Nursing home abuse can take multiple forms, including physical and emotional abuse.
Examples of physical nursing home abuse include:
- Striking or beating a resident,
- Restraining a resident,
- Pushing a patient out of bed or their wheelchair, or
- Striking a patient with a medical cart or wheelchair.
Signs of physical abuse can include lacerations, bruises, welts, cuts, burns, and broken bones. If your loved one has physical wounds and marks, it’s crucial to take photos and speak with someone in charge for an explanation.
Emotional abuse is harder to detect in many cases. Examples of emotional or mental abuse include:
- Repeatedly criticizing a resident’s self-worth or looks,
- Attacking their physical or mental abilities, or
- Lying to them or planting false ideas, known as gaslighting.
If you suspect your family member has been emotionally abused, you may notice behavioral and mood changes.
A victim may suddenly change their behavior, become more withdrawn, depressed, or anxious. They may start to lose interest in activities or seem frightened when particular staff members approach.
Nursing Home Neglect Versus Abuse
Neglect may not be intentional, but it’s still a form of elder abuse. Staff members must keep residents safe and protect them from injury.
Failure to do so can cause severe consequences for the resident or patient. Neglect often happens due to high turnover rates and facilities that are routinely understaffed.
Examples of nursing home neglect include:
- Failure to feed a patient;
- Leaving a patient in the dark;
- Leaving them in unsanitary conditions and failing to help them go to the bathroom;
- Failure to communicate or mentally stimulate a patient;
- Failure to move and clean immobile patients, causing them to develop bedsores;
- Failing to check in on a patient after they call for assistance;
- Failing to check on patients who are identified as a fall risk; and
- Failing to notify the staff or the patient’s family of their needs.
If you suspect nursing home neglect, you should still reach out to a nursing home abuse attorney right away. In some cases, there is also abuse going on with neglectful behavior.
Contact a Montgomery Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Holding nursing home facilities accountable for their abuse and neglect is crucial. Many incidents of abuse go unreported.
The Fob James Law Firm has years of experience investigating and aggressively litigating nursing home abuse and neglect cases. We’ve even caught some nursing homes trying to cover up the abuse during litigation.
Don’t delay speaking with a nursing home abuse lawyer if you suspect abuse or neglect in a Montgomery nursing home facility.
Contact Fob James Law Firm or call us today at 334-739-9000 to schedule a consultation. Let us put our expertise to work for you and help prevent another family from the trauma you are currently experiencing.