You have a loved one in a nursing home, but now you are worried that they are the victim of abuse.
You may have no proof, you might even speculate, but the worry is there and you are not sure whom to turn to for reporting your suspicions. Whether you notice the signs of abuse, like unexplained injuries, a loved one that is not acting themselves, or other odd behaviors from the staff, you cannot ignore what you think or may have seen.
Management in a nursing home is required to respond to any questions or concerns you have about the care of a loved one inside their facility. It is often part of the written policy that you sign and part of your contract when you hire these services.
Knowing what to do when you suspect that abuse is happening to your loved one is critical. This is because waiting too long could not only put your loved one in further danger, but could endanger other residents who are victims, too.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC
online or by calling 502-791-9000.
Who to Call for Nursing Home Abuse in Louisville
You have several parties that you should contact if you suspect abuse. These parties include:
Eldercare Locator Centers
You should have an elder care center in your state that applies laws and regulations for local nursing homes in the area, including assisted living facilities. You can contact these centers, which usually have their hotlines listed online.
If you were to report suspected abuse to an Ombudsman program, they would be required by law to follow up and conduct an investigation into that nursing home’s practices.
National Abuse Hotline
You can also use the Administration on Aging’s national elder abuse hotline. They provide you with phone numbers locally, including local Ombudsman programs where you can report any suspected abuse and initiate an investigation.
Contact a Physician
If you suspect abuse or your loved one has obvious signs of abuse, contact a physician and seek medical treatment right away. It is imperative that you see a doctor to not only make sure there is nothing more serious going on (such as internal bleeding, organ damage, etc.), but also to start documenting the abuse.
Your physician can also review the injuries that you suspect are from abuse and either confirm or deny those suspicions. Your physician might find bruising to be part of a medical condition and not indicative of physical abuse, for example.
Having a physician weigh in can be crucial, especially if you have a loved one that has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and cannot recall what happened or speak for themselves.
Call the Police
You should report the suspected abuse to not only your local programs but to the police, too. Do not worry about repercussions if you are wrong. Police officers will visit the home and conduct an investigation, and they can help you feel at ease if they find no evidence of abuse.
Call an Attorney
Another party that you should call, after you have contacted the parties above, is an injury attorney. An attorney that has experience handling nursing home abuse cases can be crucial in stressful times just like these.
They will help you contact local authorities, follow up on official investigations, and then help you seek damages if abuse did occur.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC
online or by calling 502-791-9000.
What Evidence Do I Need to Prove Abuse?
If you are second guessing yourself or you aren’t sure that a loved one is the victim of abuse, you should still collect evidence. The more documentation you have, the easier it will be to prove your case and to hold the nursing home accountable for their negligence.
An attorney can also help you collect the evidence necessary to prove your case.
Some of the evidence you need includes:
- Writing down the injuries of your loved ones in detail and taking photographs of the injuries as you see them.
- Taking written statements from witnesses who might have seen the abuse or other residents that appear neglected and have similar injuries present on their bodies.
- Taking pictures of the facility, especially if you suspect that unsafe conditions led to your loved one’s injuries.
- Writing down any behavioral changes in your loved one, including bouts of depression, sudden anxiety or insomnia, anger, and note how their behavior changes when certain caretakers are in their presence.
- Writing down any statement from your loved one regarding their injuries, experiences, or the abuse instances themselves (if they can recall them).
Know That Your Loved One Has Rights
As a resident of a nursing home, your loved one has rights. They are entitled to be treated respectfully and with dignity. They also must be informed (or a proxy informed) of their medical conditions, be allowed to participate in their care decisions (when mentally capable of doing so), choose their daily schedule, have privacy in their nursing home room, and stay in a safe environment, free from abuse or hazards.
Should You Sue a Nursing Home
Nursing home abuse creates long-term consequences for victims. Not only will your loved one have the physical injuries, but they may also have mental and emotional damage that takes years to recover from. You will have medical costs and relocation fees, and you should not have to pay for these when a nursing home failed to properly screen the caretakers they hire.
Instead, you want an attorney to fight for your loved one’s right to compensation. Attorney Seth Gladstein understands what it is like to deal with nursing home abuse claims.
You and your family select a nursing home because you expect that the caregivers in that facility will provide your loved one with the care that they deserve. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes are cautious with hiring, employee training, or even their in-house procedures for care.
When serious injuries or outright abuse occurs, you want an advocate who will fight for your loved one’s rights and ensure that it does not happen to others in that same facility.
Speak with attorney, Seth Gladstein, today during a free case evaluation by calling us or requesting further information online.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC
online or by calling 502-791-9000.
