Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Experienced Representation in All Types of Nursing Home Claims

Our lawyers handle a broad spectrum of matters related to nursing home negligence and forms of abuse, including:

• Bedsores and pressure ulcers
• Malnutrition and dehydration caused by neglect or substandard care
• Falls in nursing homes caused by failure to keep patients safe in bed and out of dangerous areas
• Misuse of chemical and physical restraints to keep patients subdued
• Bowel and bladder conditions leading to infections
• Wandering off or elopement due to lack of supervision

Injuries that a younger person may be able to recover from quickly can pose a serious threat to older adults. Broken hips and other broken bones can be life-changing. We handle all serious injury cases, including brain injury, back injury and neck injury. We also handle cases in which the negligence of nursing home staff has led to the wrongful death of a resident.

How to Spot Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Spotting nursing home abuse and neglect can be difficult, but knowing what to look for can go a long way toward helping you stay on top of your loved one’s care. If you see anything that confuses you or that raises a red flag, call a meeting with the nursing home director and have a serious discussion on the matter. Trust your instincts on this; you know what constitutes high quality of care and what doesn’t.

One of the best ways to remain close with your aging relative and to spot nursing home abuse or neglect is to visit frequently and on different days and at different times. This way, you’ll have a feel for how the long term care facility is run, and you’ll get to know the staff and their different styles of care. If anything ever strikes you as off, you owe it to your loved one and the rest of the residents to broach the matter with the nursing home’s administrative staff immediately.

Signs of Neglect in Nursing Homes

Nursing home neglect occurs in many forms, but there are certain signs that are commonly associated with nursing home problems, including:

• If your loved one presents with poor personal hygiene that is inconsistent with his or her personal habits, it could be a sign of neglect. Personal hygiene is an important component of health, and nursing home residents who need help with these practices should receive that help.
• If your loved one is living in a nursing home with unsanitary conditions, it is, at best, neglect. Residents of nursing homes require and deserve sanitary living conditions at a minimum. Unsanitary conditions can lead to infections and illnesses and can contribute to depression and other types of emotional distress.
• If your loved one is losing weight unexpectedly, is always hungry when you visit or seems malnourished, he or she may not be receiving a healthy diet. This could be a sign of deliberate abuse or a sign of neglect borne of oversight, but whatever the reason, it is dangerous for elderly residents not to receive adequate nutrition.
• If your loved one exhibits unexplained injuries, it can be a sign of nursing home abuse, nursing home neglect, or both. Unexplained injuries like cuts, bruises, bedsores, broken bones, or head injuries are all signs that the resident is not getting the care he or she needs. When nursing home staff members fail to provide residents with the aid they need to move from place to place, to retrieve objects they need or desire, or to even turn over in bed, the residents suffer the health consequences of either attempting to accomplish these tasks on their own (and hurting themselves in the process) or by letting the issues go (as in not being able to turn over in bed and developing bedsores or pressure ulcers as a result).

Causes of Nursing Home Accidents

In all too many cases, our investigation reveals that the true cause of an injury in a nursing home is the home’s commitment to its bottom line. Instead of paying for sufficient, highly trained staff, they often operate in a bare-bones manner. They simply do not have the hands necessary to provide the help needed. This is not what they are paid for.

What to Do if You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse

There are many types of nursing home abuse, including:

• General neglect and failure to provide for basic needs
• Physical abuse or physical violence
• Verbal, emotional, or psychological abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Financial abuse, including financial exploitation or manipulation

If you see any of the signs of nursing home neglect or abuse reviewed above or you have any reason to suspect any type of retirement home abuse, discuss the matter with the nursing home director immediately and consult with an experienced retirement home abuse attorney as soon as possible.

What to Expect

Every claim related to elder abuse in nursing homes is unique to its own fact pattern and circumstances, but every case follows a similar path, including:

• The investigation phase into the details of your case
• The discovery phase where both parties provide the court with evidence
• The pretrial stage in which your lawyer will objectively examine all the evidence and will devise a working strategy for trial
• Trial

Free Case Evaluation With a South New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

Whether your elderly relative has suffered harm as a result of nursing home negligence, nursing home malpractice, or anything in between, the dedicated nursing home abuse lawyers at  The Ferrara Law Firm – proudly serving Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Philadelphia in the United States – are committed to helping you. When the elderly suffer abuse or neglect, it is especially trying, and our compassionate legal team cares.

For a free case evaluation, or to have questions answered about abuse taking place in assisted living facilities, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 856-779-9500 today.