Exposing Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Q: What is nursing home abuse and neglect?

It’s pretty safe to say that nobody ever wants to end up in a nursing home. But unfortunately, people of all ages– not just the elderly– can find themselves temporary or permanent residents of one through an accident, illness, injury, or old age.

While many nursing homes provide wonderful care, Kansas City nursing home abuse attorneys know that others can be dangerous– and even deadly.

There are several different types of nursing home abuse. While it may be financial abuse in that money or valuables are stolen from a resident, it is more often physical or emotional elder abuse.

Physical abuse, as its name implies, can involve anything from inappropriate restraints to sexual or other assault, and battery. Often physical abuse will leave signs like cuts or bruises or even broken bones. Emotional abuse can range from being ignored or isolated to being mistreated or verbally abused. Emotional abuse is easier to hide because it doesn’t leave physical marks though signs it may be occurring may include personality or behavioral changes in the victim.

Nursing home neglect can be just as dangerous as abuse. When patients are neglected, they may suffer from falls, bedsores, malnutrition, or dehydration. They may also wander off-premises if not adequately supervised, especially if they are mentally-impaired.

Nursing homes owe a duty of care to their residents and if they breach that duty, they may be held liable for the personal injury of wrongful death of the victim. If they can establish liability, they may be awarded monetary damages for their pain and suffering.

Recently, a one-star nursing home with a history of violations was in the spotlight again when an elderly resident’s daughter asked local police to investigate possible abuse and neglect of her mother. She reportedly questioned inconsistencies in staff accounts surrounding her mother’s late-night transfer to an emergency room allegedly with seizures. She claims her mom had an unexplained black-eye and has also suffered from bedsores. Other families reportedly alleged abuse of their loved ones in the same facility– citing failure to clean the rooms, change the linens, and repeatedly leaving residents “laying in their urine for a whole night” and more. The nursing home was taken over by a new owner recently.

If you or your loved one has been abused or neglected by a nursing home and its staff, you may be entitled to monetary damages. The nursing home neglect and abuse attorneys at the Noland Law Firm can help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From our office in Liberty, Missouri, we represent injured people and their families throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and western Missouri, including Clay County, Liberty, Blue Springs, Independence, and Gladstone.