Nursing home residents represent some of the most vulnerable members of society. Nursing home staff are trusted to care for and protect these residents, and when they fail to carry out these duties either through negligence or direct abuse, they must be held accountable.
Serving residents of Arlington for over four decades, GKBM is here to help get you justice for the nursing home abuse your loved one has endured. Your Arlington, TN nursing home abuse lawyer will represent you and provide bold, compassionate representation, giving your loved one the respect they deserve.
What Nursing Home Abuse Looks Like
Nursing home abuse can take a variety of forms, some more obviously recognizable than others.
Physical Abuse
Using intentional force against an elderly person is an act of abuse, as is the improper administration of medications or improper use of restraints. Symptoms of abuse may appear as:
- Unexplained cuts or lacerations or bruising
- Marks on the wrists or ankles indicating the use of restraints
- Broken glasses
- Drug overdoses
- Indications that medicine is not being administered
If staff or caregivers prevent or attempt to prevent visitors from spending time alone with their loved ones, this is a red flag as well.
Sexual Abuse
Any sexual contact with a nursing home resident who does not give consent to that activity is an act of abuse. While this type of abuse can involve physical acts, forcing a person to watch explicit videos or undress is also considered abuse.
Emotional Abuse
Emotionally mistreating a nursing home resident is an act of abuse. For example, staff members may intimidate, humiliate, or mock those under their care. If the attendant continuously blames and berates a resident for things out of the resident’s control, such as incontinence, the attendant may be guilty of abuse.
Though emotional abuse is more difficult to detect than physical, certain behaviors, such as rocking, mumbling, constant agitation, or mood changes are some more common symptoms.
Financial Abuse
Financial exploitation is a common form of nursing home abuse. Residents are vulnerable to theft of their belongings or identities, forgery, and misuse of their checks or credit cards.
Signs of this type of abuse include large withdrawals from your loved one’s account or missing personal items or cash, unpaid bills, or charges for unnecessary services or items. Also, be on the lookout for changes to your loved one’s will or power of attorney. Abusive attendants or facility managers can coerce or intimidate residents into making these changes.
Healthcare Fraud
Elderly residents do not suspect those caring for them to commit fraud against them, and yet it happens all too often in nursing homes. Unethical doctors, nurses, or other caregivers may overcharge or “double-bill” residents for care or recommend unnecessary, even fraudulent, treatments for medical conditions. They may charge for services not actually provided or receive “kickbacks” for referring patients to other healthcare providers.
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing abuse and neglect are similar in that both cause harm to residents. However, “abuse” involves an act intended to hurt the person, while neglect occurs when caregivers fail to fulfill their duty to care for the person, and that failure leads to harm.
Nursing home neglect falls into four general categories:
- Basic needs, such as access to food, water, or a safe, clean environment
- Medical care, such as providing medication and attending to patients’ mobility needs or chronic conditions
- Personal hygiene, by failing to keep residents bathed and their clothes laundered
- Social and emotional care, by ignoring or isolating residents
For a free legal consultation with a nursing home abuse & neglect lawyer serving Arlington, call (901) 526-2126
What to Do if Your Loved One Has Experienced Nursing Home Abuse
In Tennessee, every adult is a mandatory reporter if they suspect elder abuse. Should the case be an emergency, call 911 and follow additional procedures established by the State, which include alerting a Tennessee long-term care ombudsman.
Then, speak with a nursing home abuse lawyer in Arlington, TN from GKBM. Nursing Home abuse or neglect is a serious offense with significant consequences. By filing a claim on your loved one’s behalf, we can help restore their dignity and get them compensation for the damages suffered.
Further, when abusive parties are held accountable, other residents are protected from future abuse.
The Statute of Limitations
There is a one-year statute of limitations for filing the abuse claim, so the sooner you call us, the better. We will investigate the case comprehensively and gather the evidence needed to hold the nursing home and any other negligent parties accountable.
Collecting Damages
In nursing home abuse cases, the emphasis typically falls on non-economic damages–the pain and suffering of the victim and, in some cases, their family members. You can also pursue punitive damages to punish the offenders for their horrendous actions.
Your knowledgeable nursing home abuse attorney in Arlington, TN will consult medical experts to review your loved one’s records and determine severely they were affected by the abuse. Your nursing home abuse lawyer in Arlington, TN will also investigate the nursing home’s history to see if these abusive conditions are systemic.
If your loved one was defrauded or suffered financial abuse, a settlement can recover those losses as well.
Arlington Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Lawyer Near Me (901) 526-2126
Your Arlington, TN Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Will Not Be Intimidated
When you file a claim against a nursing home, the facility’s legal representative and insurance providers will wage an all-out effort to disprove your claim or get away with paying your loved one far less than they are owed. Without a background legal background or experience negotiating with entities, a fair fight is impossible.
Your Arlington, TN nursing home abuse attorney has the experience and skill to not only push back against the facility and its representatives but to hold them accountable for the damage they allowed to happen on their watch.
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One Call Makes All the Difference
GKBM is dedicated to preserving the dignity of your loved one and ensuring safe, caring treatment for all nursing home residents. The abuse of the elderly or vulnerable cannot go unchecked. Schedule a free consultation with a nursing home abuse attorney in Arlington, TN as soon as you suspect abuse.
Call or text (901) 526-2126 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form