Ohio Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
No one deserves to be abused in a nursing home. If you or a loved one is suffering as a result of neglect or abuse in an Ohio nursing home, Borgess Law can help you stand up for your rights and seek just compensation for your losses.
Nursing home abuse is a much larger problem than most people realize. While we trust these facilities to provide safe, compassionate, and professional care for our aging loved ones, studies have shown that residents in as many as one in three nursing homes face neglect or abuse, and an astounding 95 percent of residents report either experiencing or witnessing neglect or abuse. In a study conducted in 2010, half of nursing facility staff members admitted to abusing or neglecting residents during the prior year.
This abuse can have tragic consequences. From malnourishment to broken bones, medical conditions that would have a major impact on most people’s lives can have life-changing – and sometimes life-threatening – implications for elderly individuals. If you suspect that you or a loved one may be a victim of abuse, we encourage you to contact us right away to discuss your situation.
Forms of Abuse in Nursing Facilities
Nursing home abuse can take many forms – all of which are wrong, and all of which require you to take legal action to protect yourself. Abusive situations rarely get better on their own, and the longer you wait to seek help, the greater the chances that you or your loved one will sustain additional physical, psychological, and financial harm. At Borgess Law, we are available to represent nursing facility residents and their families in cases involving:
- Neglect – Neglect can involve ignoring or abandoning residents, as well as providing substandard care that leads to illnesses or injuries. Residents who are neglected could suffer from falls, bedsores, choking, and other serious conditions.
- Physical Abuse – Pushing, hitting, kicking, and physically restraining residents are all, sadly, common examples of abuse. Failing to provide proper nutrition, hydration, and medication can be forms of physical abuse as well.
- Psychological Abuse – Common forms of psychological abuse in nursing homes include verbal attacks, denying access to food and medications, denying access to restrooms, isolation and abandonment, and telling residents that their friends and family do not want to visit them. Among elderly individuals in particular, this type of abuse can have drastic consequences.
- Sexual Abuse – The National Center on Elder Abuse reports that sexual abuse accounts for roughly seven percent of all cases of abuse in nursing homes. Injuries to the genital region and emotional distress or withdrawal are signs of possible sexual abuse.
- Financial Exploitation – Financial exploitation is a form of elder abuse as well, and it is a major problem in nursing homes in Ohio and throughout the country. Stealing cash, using a resident’s credit cards, forging checks, and pressuring residents to modify their estate plans are all common examples of improper financial exploitation.
Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
As a victim, it can be difficult to know whether you are being abused. As a family member of a nursing home resident, identifying the signs of abuse can be challenging for you as well. Understanding the differences between age-related medical conditions and conditions resulting from abuse may require medical knowledge which most people simply do not have. On top of that, nursing homes rarely admit to fostering abusive environments, and abusers will often try to prevent their victims from speaking out about their situations.
However, there are some potential warning signs of abuse – conditions which, under normal circumstances, generally should not occur (or, at least, should be properly treated) and could be indications of possible physical abuse, neglect or mistreatment. If you or a loved one is suffering from any of these conditions, you should seek both medical and legal help right away:
- Bruises, pressure marks, abrasions, or burns
- Broken bones
- Bedsores, unattended medical needs, or poor hygiene
- Dehydration
- Medications not being taken according to prescription
- Malnutrition or unusual weight loss
- Symptoms of anxiety or depression
If facility staff and administrators are refusing to speak with you, are trying to limit communications between a resident and his or her family, or are unable to explain why a certain condition has occurred, these may all be potential signs of abuse as well.
Contact Ohio Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Pamela Borgess Today
If you suspect neglect or abuse, the most important thing you can do is to seek help as soon as possible. At Borgess Law, we are available to assist nursing home abuse victims and their families throughout Ohio. To get the help you need, call (567) 455-5955. You can also contact Borgess Law by submitting an online inquiry or emailing Attorney Borgess directly at pborgess@BorgessLaw.com.