For many Columbia residents, moving an elderly parent or loved one to a nursing home is a difficult decision. However, some people choose this option as the most practical alternative to abandoning their elderly relatives. Nursing homes are meant to be safe havens for senior citizens, after all.
Yet, nursing homes have become a place of torment for the very people they are meant to care for and protect. You cannot afford to take any suspected case of nursing home abuse for granted.
People who mistreat our elderly citizens not only deserve to be punished, but the elderly who were victimized should be compensated for the trauma they experienced. If you suspect that your loved one has been abused in one of the 115+ nursing homes in Tennessee, you should speak to an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer in Columbia, TN.
Contact Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers at (800) 800-4600 for a free consultation.
What is Nursing Home Abuse?
The National Center on Elderly Abuse (NCEA), the nation’s leading authority on elder abuse, describes elder abuse by caregivers as the carrying out of intentional or neglectful acts that could result in the harm of the elderly citizen.
Therefore, if nursing home professionals who are meant to care for the elderly intentionally refuse to do their job, they are liable for whatever injuries the senior citizen may have suffered because of their neglect. This includes negligent caregivers providing long-term care to incapacitated or unconscious elderly residents of nursing homes.
Why You Need a Columbia Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm
Nursing home cases are particularly sensitive when the person filing the case only suspects that an elderly resident is being abused or neglected. Nursing home abuse lawyers understand the often delicate and complex nature of nursing home abuse cases.
Some people may not have the resources or investigative skills to clearly identify cases of abuse. An experienced nursing home abuse law firm has the resources to investigate your suspicions. If you feel that something is off or wrong with an elderly nursing home resident, chances are there’s something wrong.
Sometimes, elderly maltreatment goes unreported – some caregivers who are repeat offenders have mastered the skill of assault and mistreatment. It is therefore vital to keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Some nursing home abuse cases are filed on the basis of a resident being suddenly withdrawn, fidgety, or emotional for no reason. Others have filed cases because their loved ones kept flinching when an unexposed part of their body is touched.
No matter the case, even if all you have is a suspicion, it is your duty to report any suspected case of abuse in a Columbia nursing home and talk to a nursing home attorney. Apart from suspicion, quite a number of abuse cases did not have much to go on initially. But with proper investigation, those cases were proven true.
Our Columbia nursing home abuse law firm has highly experienced personal injury attorneys who have handled cases of nursing home abuse in Columbia with good outcomes. As part of the community in Columbia, it is important to keep every loved one, elderly parent, and citizen in the community safe.
The personal injury law firm of Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers can help investigate any case of abuse, secure adequate compensation for the abused party, prosecute all liable caregivers, and even pursue punitive damages. If you think your loved one may be a victim of abuse, contact our law firm today.
Call us at (800) 800-4600 to discuss your suspicions with an experienced nursing home lawyer for free.
Types of Nursing Home Abuses
Your elderly loved one may be subject to different types of abuse in nursing homes. Unfortunately, many times relatives are unable to identify these abuses right away.
Some of the more common forms of mistreatment that are rampant in Columbia nursing homes include:
- Neglect – When the professional caregiver refuses or fails to carry out his or her obligation to your elderly loved one
- Self-neglect – When the elderly person threatens his or her own well-being or safety
- Abandonment – When a caregiver, or someone else responsible for the elder citizen, intentionally deserts the elderly and stops providing them with the required care
- Physical abuse – When physical force is used to inflict harm or pain on the senior citizen, resulting in injuries or impairment
- Psychological and/or emotional abuse – When a caregiver uses verbal or non-verbal means to hurt or cause pain, distress, and anguish to an elderly resident
- Sexual abuse – When there’s non-consensual sexual contact with the senior resident
- Financial or material exploitation and abuse – The illicit use or access of an unauthorized caregiver to the elderly citizen’s money, assets, or property
Reports estimate that 1 in 10 elderly citizens aged 60 and above, suffer some sort of abuse every year. Financial abuse, for one, happens to be the fastest-growing form of elder abuse, collectively leading to a cumulative loss of over $2.6 billion annually.
If you think or suspect that your loved one may be abused in his or her nursing home, you can do something about it. Even if it’s a mere suspicion, be sure to check it out. This way, you’ll catch whatever is going on before it’s too late for your loved one.
If you need some help on how to do this, feel free to get in touch with Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers today. Call (800) 800-4600 to schedule a free consultation.
How to Identify Elderly Abuse & Neglect in a Nursing Home in Columbia, TN
There are many reasons why nursing home staff and caregivers may fail in their obligation to care for your loved one. These actions often lead to a worsened state of health for elderly ones who require extensive care or attention.
Unfortunately, the nursing residence professionals’ inaction or failure to carry out their duties can be mistaken for a natural progression of failing health in elders. This is why so many people miss the signs that their elderly loved ones are being abused.
How can you differentiate the signs and symptoms of natural disease progression from that of elder neglect? The following should help:
- Pressure or bed sores – This is a clear indication that your elderly relative is being neglected.
- Abrasions, bruises, or cuts – This is usually brought on by physical or sexual assault. Bruise marks often indicate struggles or rough handling by someone else.
- Rapid or unusual weight loss – Unless the person is ill, rapid weight loss is usually a result of starvation, malnutrition, or dehydration.
- Sprains, fractures, or dislocations – Even though this is debatable since elder citizens are more likely to fall and break their bones or suffer dislocations, it is important to look into this.
- Significant mood changes – Abused nursing home residents tend to become withdrawn, sad, distant, or nervous. Pay attention to their moods, particularly if there is no justifiable reason for the mood or a visible sign of fear if a particular caregiver is around.
- Poor sanitary conditions – Nursing home staff are meant to help elderly ones; not further worsen their conditions. If the personal hygiene or living condition of your elderly loved one is sub-par, it could mean that the caregivers aren’t taking care of him or her.
- Infections – Infections in the nursing home may be indicative of lax or careless elder care. This is even more so if the elder has sexually transmitted infections or venereal diseases.
- Worsening health conditions – Sometimes, caregivers either give the wrong drug or administer the wrong dosage. They may also miss the specific time during which the resident should have gotten his or her medication. This can lead to the resident’s rapidly deteriorating health condition.
It’s easy to miss many of these signs when you aren’t suspicious or when you don’t know what to check. If you suspect that your elderly loved one may be a victim of abuse, our Columbia nursing home abuse law firm might be able to help.
At Hughes & Coleman, we have handled similar cases in the past and know what to pay attention to when investigating your claim. If you have solid evidence of the abuse, that would be ideal. But if there’s no proof, and certain things indicate that your loved one is undergoing some sort of abuse in a care facility, please feel free to contact us to find out what may be done.
Call Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers at (800) 800-4600 to discuss your case with our experienced team.
Top Complaints By Nursing Home Residents in Columbia
Most nursing homes do their best to provide adequate and compassionate care for residents. However, even the most professional nursing home that adheres to the highest medical and ethical standards could sometimes fall short in its service.
When this occurs, residents and/or their family members may file one or more of the following complaints:
- Poor quality of food
- Long response time
- Needs not being met on time and effectively
- Lack of staff to attend to the resident’s needs
- Poor social interaction
- Sleep disruption
Most nursing homes work hard to eliminate these bottlenecks so that their residents can be comfortable and live a life that’s as close to normal as can be. Unfortunately, sometimes, the efforts of the caregivers and the nursing home management aren’t enough.
When caregivers fail in their duties, the elderly residents end up getting hurt, or sometimes even wrongfully die. This lapse in service delivery can be the basis for a nursing home abuse lawsuit. If you’d like some help with that, come talk to us at Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers.
Don't Delay – Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers Can Help You
Finding out that your elderly relative has been abused by the very people who should care for him or her can be painful and saddening. If you want to get justice for your elderly loved one, punish the erring caregiver, and obtain compensation for your relative, you need the help of a highly experienced and skilled Columbia nursing home abuse attorney.
At Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers, we are familiar with the processes required to help you successfully file your claims. We know what to look for and how to build your case effectively. Elderly neglect cases are often complicated.
The complex nature of these cases means that you need a law firm that’s experienced and has handled similar cases in the past. At the Hughes & Coleman law firm, we have the experience you need to see this to a logical and favorable end. We understand that this is a difficult period, so we’ll stand by your side and work with you and your loved one to get the case resolved.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to bring a nursing home abuse lawsuit against the at-fault parties. Contact us today to start the process of getting justice and compensation.
Call (800) 800-4600 to speak to one of our highly experienced nursing home team members in Columbia, TN.
