Watch for the Signs of Nursing Home Negligence

Nursing home negligence is a common occurrence that often
goes unnoticed. With a $725 million cut in federal Medicare and state Medicaid funding, some professionals in the nursing home sector feel that incidences of mistreatment may increase as care facilities become understaffed.

People place their loved ones in a nursing home when round-the-clock personal care becomes impossible. They hope that their loved ones will be treated humanely and with respect. This is not always the case.

A number of nursing home facilities are understaffed or staffed with untrained workers. Limited facilities and resources lead to lowered standards for nursing home residents. This often leads to nursing home negligence.

Case Study

Mrs. Swanson was a physically impaired woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Her husband placed her in a Dallas nursing home hoping that the nursing home would provide better medical care than he could.

Mrs. Swanson was found dead one evening in her bed. Investigations revealed that Mrs. Swanson died due to strangulation by the bedside rail. The husband did not delay in reporting elder abuse and he immediately filed for a nursing home abuse case.

The law firm representing Mr. Swanson argued that the nursing home facility knew of the deceased’s physical impairment and yet did not take any steps to prevent the tragic incident.

Mr. Swanson received a seven-figure settlement.

Signs Of Abuse

Nursing home residents may not be in a position to lucidly explain or communicate their abuse. The abuse can be physical, emotional, and even sexual.

If you are worried about how your loved one is being treated, you should look out for the following signs:

• Bedsores, especially advanced ones, are a sign of neglect
• Broken bones, burns, bruises, sprains or cuts that have no logical explanation may indicate a pattern of physical abuse
• Entrapment in bed rails or a fall from a bed should not happen in a supervised facility
• If the joints are frozen, it could mean that the resident was neglected and not moved
• Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases or torn, stained and bloody underclothing may be an indicator of sexual abuse

Nursing home mistreatment can also occur in the form of refusal of visitation rights, keeping the resident in an over medicated state, and loss of the resident’s possessions. If the medical care given to a nursing home resident is inappropriate, you can seek help from a Dallas personal injury lawyer and file for a nursing home negligence case.

RASANSKY LAW FIRM
2525 McKinnon Street
Dallas, Texas 75201
CALL US AT
1-877-405-4313