Nursing Home Abuse

Every year, nursing home abuse leaves some elderly physically harmed, financially ruined, emotionally scarred, or even killed. Families put their trust in nursing homes to watch over and care for their loved ones, yet many facilities don’t provide the safe environment needed, and cut corners in order to save money. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 nursing homes in the U.S. have been issued citations for abuse. Watch for the signs of abuse to protect your loved ones:

• Untimely or unexplained death
• Unexpected falls
• Head injuries, broken bones or sprains
• Bruises or burns
• Cuts or abrasions
• Bedsores or skin breakdown

Common Causes of Nursing Home Abuse

Unnecessary Use of Restraints

There are two kinds of restraints used in a nursing home: physical and chemical. Physical restraints are used to tie a person to a fixed object in order to prevent them from moving or potentially harming themselves. Chemical restraints are drugs intended to control a person’s behavior. If the nursing home uses restraints on a patient, they must be medically necessary and ordered by a physician. The use of a restraint simply for staff convenience is against the law and deemed as abuse.

Understaffing

Nursing assistants provide most of the hands-on caregiving in nursing homes. If your family member is staying in a nursing home, find out how many nursing assistants there are on each shift and compare it to the number of residents they are responsible for. If the ratio is more than nine residents per nursing assistant, you should be wary. Make sure to visit and pay close attention to whether the residents’ needs are being sufficiently accommodated.

Inadequate Screening and Training

Nursing assistants have been responsible for a great deal of the abuse in nursing homes, much of which results from inadequate screening and training. Elderly residents are susceptible to abuse because they are at the mercy of the nursing assistants on site.

Coker Law Will Fight For Your Loved Ones

Coker Law understands how important it is to make sure your loved ones are safe and secure, especially in their elderly age. If you or someone you know has suffered an injury or abuse at a nursing home and needs a nursing home abuse lawyer, contact Coker Law today to set up a free consultation.

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