Nursing homes are comfortable places where people, mostly the elderly, are cared for around the clock by compassionate staff. There are over 15,000 such nursing homes in the US with over 1.7 million residents. A vast majority of these nursing homes are owned by for-profit organizations, which means they tend to charge hefty amounts to make a profit.

While many of these nursing homes provide exceptional care and comfort to their residents, there is a considerable number of nursing homes where residents are mistreated and abused due to the negligence and unprofessional behavior of the staff or management.

What can be defined as Nursing Home Negligence?

Negligence can be defined as the failure to provide care or act in a way which is expected of someone according to their assigned duties. In other words, failure to perform one’s duties and obligations in a professional manner constitutes as negligence. Nursing homes are expected to provide exceptional care to their residents. But unfortunately, the increasing number of cases against nursing homes reflect that many of these institutions are neglecting their mandated duties.

Nursing home negligence could be as benign as verbal or emotional abuse where the residents are disrespected by the staff while in some cases it often involves physical abuse which can have dire consequences such as the death of a resident. A good personal injury lawyer could quite easily establish a case of personal injury or medical malpractice against the nursing home.

Some signs of nursing home negligence:

• Sudden loss of weight and appetite
• Bite or scratch marks
• Unexplained wounds and bruises
• Sudden changes in behavior and attitude

The aforementioned signs can only be noticed in case of physical violence. It is considerably more difficult to identify emotional abuse such as humiliation or intimidation. Victims of emotional abuse in nursing homes often tend to go into isolation. Another worrisome aspect is where nursing home staff neglect to provide basic necessities such as food, water, medication to the residents. In some cases, the staff neglects their duty to take care of the resident’s hygiene which could potentially cause medical complications.

The negative implications of nursing home negligence can be severe and life-altering. Therefore, it is important that you consult a professional nursing home negligence lawyer who will work to protect your legal rights and pursue rightful compensation. Contact the team at Wright & James, P.C. to discuss your case at 404-624-7447.