Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
People are living longer and loved ones are turning to nursing homes for help. Nursing homes provide a valuable service when the nurses are properly trained and the facilities are properly operated. However, nursing home abuse and neglect are on the rise. Many times the nursing home places profits above that of people. Unfortunately, elder victims are powerless to stop the abuse and neglect until it is too late. Family members should be proactive in the care of their loved ones and ensure proper care and treatment is provided.
Types of Abuse & Neglect
- Failure to protect against bedsores
- Failure to prevent falls
- Failure to properly respond to immediate medical needs
- Failure to properly administer medicine, food, water and care
- Physical and sexual abuse by caregivers and other patients
- Improper maintenance and operation of the nursing home facility
- Understaffed nursing homes
Is There a Case?
All nursing home claims in Georgia require that an expert (typically a nurse, doctor or director of a nursing home) testify that abuse or neglect occurred. This means that in all cases, experts have to be retained to prove your case. Experts are costly and can cost thousands of dollars before they will even review a case. It is imperative that any attorney handling a nursing home case immediately employ an expert to review your matter. Experts are invaluable as they are able to condense thousands of pages of medical records to determine what was going on at the nursing home and if your case is truly a situation involving abuse and neglect.
Checking Up on Nursing Homes
Nursing homes in Georgia, who receive and accept State and Federal funds are highly regulated. Each are subjected to a battery of tests and inspections with such information readily available online. Searching databases is a good starting point in evaluating every nursing home case as it gives a general idea of how that nursing home is run. Unfortunately, many have bad reports, which means more likely than not some sort of abuse or neglect may have resulted in your loved one’s care.