When Nursing Home Staff Is Hurting Your Loved One

When we find a safe place for our elderly loved ones, we are promised that they will be taken care of. Unfortunately, the staff may be undertrained or understaffed, or, in some cases, may behave in abusive, hurtful ways. 

At Reddick Law, we protect the residents and their families who have been victims of nursing home abuse. We will thoroughly investigate the matter and pursue damages. We hold the responsible party accountable. We make nursing homes pay for their negligence and abuse. Call 877-930-2080 to talk to an attorney who can tell you the steps to take. Your consultation is always free.

Five Steps To Take When You Know Or Suspect Abuse

We live in an imperfect world. Accidents do happen, and not every bruise is abuse and not every fall is preventable. Abuse is not an accident. Abuse is unacceptable. Abuse may be verbal, such as yelling, shaming or name-calling. It can also be physical, such as hitting, slapping, kicking or physically restraining (such as tying a resident to a chair or bed). A common excuse for abuse by nursing home staff is that the staff member was acting in self-defense. Properly trained staff members do not cause injury when acting in self-defense.

Here’s what you can do if you think something might not be right at the nursing home.

1. Call 911 if your loved one is in danger or you observe staff members being abusive. Record a video of what is happening if possible. Speak with your parent about what happened. Ask two or three times about the incident. See if the story stays the same or changes. See if there is one person who is always in the story.
2. If there is no immediate danger, take inventory and stay calm. It is hard to do, but by staying calm and taking action, you are in the best position to make a positive impact.
3. Ask the staff what happened. Record what they say. Bring the incident or incidents to the attention of the manager or director. Do this in writing, such as an email or certified letter.
4. Every incident needs to be reported so that it can be tracked. Do not keep the abuse a secret, as this only protects the perpetrator. Every type of abuse should be tracked, even, and especially, sexual abuse. Call the National Center on Elder Abuse at 1-800-677-1116 or the Long Term Care (LTC) ombudsman in your area to report an incident.
5. Talk with an attorney about your rights. This is important. An attorney who works in personal injury and nursing home abuse will have the experience and knowledge to give you accurate information. An attorney can also advise you as to when it’s in your best interest to take legal action.

We are a firm that handles nursing home abuse cases. We have recovered more than $1 billion for families like yours all around the country. We are committed to protecting our elderly community. Every nursing home that we hold accountable sends a strong message to the way other facilities operate. When it costs a home its reputation and its income, it is quick to change its ways.

Other Types Of Violence And Harm

Staff members can harm residents of nursing homes in many ways. The abuse may be overt (obvious) and physical, or can be covert (hidden) and psychological. Some forms of maltreatment include sexual abuse, shaming, mockery, taunting and teasing, accusations, not providing hygiene and not providing adequate food or hydration. Other forms of “hidden” elder neglect are isolation, not providing a safe environment, and under- or over-medicating to the point of constant sedation.

Our Reputation For Resolution Is Based On Case Results

Our case results tell the story of how we’ve helped people attain successful resolution. Do not let acts of violence, abuse or neglect by staff go unreported. Find out how we can help in a free meeting. Call our team at 877-930-2080 or connect with our team via our website contact email. We have offices in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Colorado and Arkansas. We take cases nationwide.