(150+)Abusive behavior in a nursing home is deplorable and inexcusable and could cause injury to your loved ones. When nursing home faculty members and caregivers fail in their duty to act in the best interests of residents, the family might be at a loss for what they can do to help.
Our attorney Angela Frazier and her team understand what you and your loved one in a nursing home are going through. When you rely on us as your nursing home abuse lawyer in Greenville, you are getting a proven and dedicated fighter who will help you pursue the justice your family deserves.
When Should You Contact a Lawyer About Nursing Home Abuse?
There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to nursing home abuse. Hesitating to report malicious behavior or contact a nursing home abuse attorney could mean exposing your loved one in an assisted living facility to further risks of abuse. This is especially dangerous if your family member suffers from an illness such as dementia or any other condition that makes communication difficult for them.
What Are Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse?
Nursing home abuse comes in many forms and is certainly not limited to physical violence. By familiarizing yourself with various types of abuse that commonly occur in assisted living facilities, you can do your part to keep your loved one safe and know when is the right time to call a lawyer.
There are several possible types of abuse:
- Physical abuse: Causing bodily harm by striking, pushing, forcibly restraining or otherwise acting in a way that physically hurts a patient
- Emotional abuse: Harming a patient’s mental or emotional state through threats, verbal abuse, intimidation or withholding privileges
- Neglect: Failing to provide a patient with care, assistance, medication, food or any other service owed to them as a resident of the facility
- Financial abuse: Taking control of a patient’s financial assets through coercion, exploitation, theft or fraudulent behavior
- Sexual abuse: Nonconsensual or inappropriate sexual contact or acts
Even if you are unsure whether abuse is occurring, if you have any concerns it can be a good idea to contact a Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer who can help you navigate the possibilities and arrive at the safest course of action for your family.
Red Flags of Nursing Home Abuse
If your loved one confides in you about suffering from nursing home abuse, it is important to take the situation very seriously. Other telltale signs of abuse in assisted living facilities include:
- Unusual changes in behavior
- Unwillingness to speak around staff members
- Rapid weight loss
- Unclean or unsanitary conditions in your loved one’s living space
- Isolation from others
When you contact a Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer, you will have experienced help with reporting maliciousness or negligence to the appropriate agencies. Your attorney can also help you file a claim correctly and pursue any damages owed to your family either through negotiations or litigation.
What Injuries Commonly Result From Nursing Home Abuse?
Neglect and abuse in the nursing home can cause injuries or conditions that may mean pain, discomfort or even life-threatening circumstances for your loved one. Common examples of such injuries include:
- Bedsores or pressure ulcers
- Bruises, cuts or lacerations
- Dehydration
- Infections
- Broken bones
- Malnutrition
- Internal bleeding
Some injuries may not be physical. Anxiety, depression, PTSD and even mood swings can also be the result of abusive behavior.
It is important to be aware of injuries that may indicate the presence of nursing home abuse or neglect. If you notice any of these or other injuries with your loved one, take the proper steps to report the situation to the correct channels and consider involving a nursing home abuse lawyer in Greenville.
Who Can Be Liable for Nursing Home Abuse?
When reporting an instance of nursing home abuse or seeking compensation for the damages suffered by your loved one, it is important to pinpoint which person or parties are responsible for malicious behavior, such as:
- Other patients or residents of the assisted living facility
- Doctors, nurses or other medical personnel
- Orderlies
- Other nursing home staff or faculty members
- Third-party contractors entering the facility
To establish liability for nursing home abuse, your lawyer will fully investigate all avenues and pinpoint all parties that might owe compensation to your family. This may include not only the person or people directly responsible for abusing or neglecting your loved one but also the assisted living facility itself.
The facility administrators are in violation of their duty of care to their residents if they do not maintain proper hiring standards, violate state laws or health codes, allow hazardous conditions on the premises or fail to properly train their staff members.
How Can You Prove Nursing Home Abuse?
Proving your claim in a nursing home abuse case starts with demonstrating that someone owed a duty of care to you or a family member, that they failed in that duty of care and that this failure directly caused a harmful accident or injuries. It may be difficult to bear this burden of proof, but attorney Angela Frazier can carry the brunt of that burden.
The role of your attorney is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident or accident that caused injuries to the resident. The types of evidence that a lawyer will collect might include staff schedules, facility training protocols, medical records and any photographic or video evidence. Angela can also speak to as many witnesses and staff members as necessary in search of statements that may help your case.
Call a Greenville Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
If you suspect that a family member is a target of neglect or abuse in their assisted living facility, it can feel like you only have limited options for protecting them. Call Elliott Frazier Family, Personal Injury & Car Accident Attorneys, LLC today to get in touch with a nursing home abuse lawyer you can rely on. Schedule a consultation by dialing 864-635-6323, or reaching out online.
