Lawyer for Abuse & Neglect Cases at Heritage Health Litchfield

Picking a nursing home facility with a record of high-quality care and proper protocol is the best way to protect residents from nursing home abuse. Facilities who are awarded high Medicare ratings with the health inspections to back them up can usually be assumed to be safe for vulnerable residents who expect and deserve nothing less than consistently responsible, dignified care.

To find such an excellent nursing home, start by identifying facilities in your area. You can ask for recommendations from family and acquaintances, doctors, or social workers, or look them up online. There may also be community authorities or groups who can help you, such as your local senior and community activity center or a government program that supports senior citizens.

Once you’ve identified these facilities, research each one so you can compare them in detail and weigh their pros and cons. Find ratings and inspection reports on medicare.gov and look up resident reviews or news stories about each facility elsewhere online. You can also try calling your local long-term care ombudsman, state health department, or state licensing agency and ask if they have additional information on the facilities you’re considering.

Don’t fall for good marketing ploys when looking at company websites for nursing homes. These sites can help you learn more about their services and amenities and give you their location and contact information, but every facility is going to call itself “the best” and can’t be relied on for an unbiased view of itself. Always let neutral resources inform your research.

Through your research you should be able to narrow your options down to the best few. These facilities are worth touring in person to get a feel for what they’re really like. On your visit, note how clean the facility is, how friendly the staff appear, and how you feel in general. It’s recommended that you bring a list of questions with you about the services you’ll need, the ratio of staff to residents, staff qualifications, policies for filing complaints, and anything else that is important to you. Don’t feel that you can only ask questions on the tour. If more come to you, call or visit again.

After all of this research you should be prepared to confidently pick a facility that meets all of your needs and offers an obviously safe and comfortable environment. However, don’t fall prey to complacency from now on. Even the best nursing homes can still have isolated cases of abuse or neglect now and then, so you must remain vigilant after selecting a facility.

When you or a family member moves into assisted living, agree to stay in close contact and have frequent visits. It is proven that residents who are isolated from loved ones are at higher risk for abuse, and many residents struggle to report abuse without outside help. Both residents and loved ones should learn to identify the signs of neglect and abuse so you are prepared to report it if necessary. There are many signs, but here are the most common:

• Untreated severe bedsores
• Unexplained injuries like bruises, burns, or scars
• Evidence of poor circulation like sunken cheeks or eyes
• Weight loss or malnourishment not due directly to an illness
• Frequent trips to the emergency room or doctor
• Wrong type or the wrong amount of medication administered
• Poor hygiene or unwashed clothes or hair
• Instances of wandering or elopement
• Frequently misplaced or lost personal items
• A lack of basic necessities, including utilities, water, and food
• A dirty room or bathroom
• Frequent trouble sleeping
• Unusual violent or withdrawn behavior
• Sudden depression or confusion
• Signs of trauma like rocking back and forth

Hopefully it never happens, but if you or a loved one ever suspects or experiences abuse at a nursing home, take action immediately. Start by following the facility’s procedures for filing a complaint, and contact someone with authority such as a staff supervisor or the facility administrator. They should listen to you with all seriousness and take prompt action to rectify the situation and prevent it from happening again.

However, sometimes poor management lies at the root of nursing home abuse, so if the administrator fails to take proper corrective action, you should seek outside help from a doctor, a state agency, or your local long-term care ombudsman.

Tragically, nursing home abuse can cause serious harm, injury, and even death to vulnerable residents. If this is your experience with nursing home abuse, you also have the option of seeking legal aid.