When a family member or loved one is in a nursing home, or other assisted living facility, you expect that they will be given the best care possible. However, all too often families are concerned that their loved ones are being abused and neglected in nursing homes.
Unfortunately, families’ concerns are often based in reality, as there are more than two million reported incidents of nursing home abuse every year, according to statistics published by the National Center on Elder Abuse.
If you suspect a loved one or an elder is a victim of nursing home abuse, contact an Ohio nursing home abuse lawyer today. Work with a compassionate personal injury attorney that can work to end your loved one’s mistreatment, and can help recover damages for injuries to your loved one.
Nursing Home Abuse in Ohio
Nursing home abuse is the infliction of injury, unreasonably confining a patient, inflicting physical injury, or neglecting or abandoning a person in a nursing home. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse can physical, mental, or financial.
It is hard to estimate the exact number of nursing home abuse cases in Ohio, however, national trends estimate that as many as one in ten nursing home residents will be subject to some form of abuse and neglect while under the care of staff.
Fortunately, the Ohio Nursing Home Bill of Rights provides nursing home residents with certain rights and legal protections. Under the Ohio Nursing Home Bill of Rights, a family member in a nursing home has the right to:
- A safe and clean living environment
- Be free from physical, verbal, mental, and emotional abuse, as well as the right to be treated at all times with courtesy, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality
- Adequate and appropriate medical treatment and nursing care, without regard to considerations such as race, color, religion, national origin, age or source of payment for care
- Have all bed sheets and clothes changed as the need arises, to ensure the resident’s comfort and sanitation
- Actively participate in decisions that affect the resident’s life, including communicating with physicians and staff; obtaining information concerning medical condition, prognosis and treatment plan in understandable terms; full access to the resident’s medical record; and the right to give or withhold informed consent for treatment
- Be free of chemical and physical restraints
- Voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services
It is also important to note that simply because a person is in a nursing home, does not mean that they are stripped of their civil rights. No matter the person, their age, their physical or mental condition, a person in an Ohio nursing home should be treated with the same dignity and respect as any other person in the state.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases
There are numerous types of nursing home abuse that an Ohio nursing home abuse lawyer can help a family or nursing home resident address. An Ohio nursing home abuse attorney can help stop and seek compensation for all of the following types of nursing home abuse:
- Negligent care
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- In-home care negligence and abuse
- Mental abuse
- Financial exploitation
- Negligent hiring and understaffing
- Forcing residents to eat against their will
Nursing Home Abuse Warning Signs
When a family member is in a nursing home or in an assisted living center, it is not likely that a family member will observe overt signs of abuse, as it is very unlikely that a nursing home patient will be subject to abuse while there are visitors.
However, family members should pay close attention to some of the most common signs that point to their loved one being the victim of nursing home abuse.
Here are warning signs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encourages families to watch for to spot nursing home abuse:
- Bruises, cuts, scrapes, and burns
- Bedsores
- Poor hygiene
- Unattended medical needs
- Depression or social isolation
- Dehydration
- Unexplained declines or changes in physical and mental health
Contacting a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
When you place your loved one in a nursing home, you are entrusting their care to the individuals employed at that home. Discovering that your loved one is suffering abuse under their watch, or at their hands, is a massive betrayal of that trust. If your family member is in a nursing home or care facility and you suspect they are being abused or mistreated, it is important to act immediately and contact an Ohio nursing home abuse lawyer. A dedicated and compassionate lawyer can help stop nursing home abuse and can help families recover for their loved one’s injuries and mistreatment.