Articles Posted in Nursing Home Abuse

NURSING-HOME-ABUSE-LAWYER-copy-300x200-1On June 2, 2022, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a Gwinnett County jury gave $2.5 million to family members of a 92-year-old woman who died following an ant infestation at her assisted living facility left her with stings across her body. Other stories over the past year have included WSB-TV reporting in March that a family was blaming a nursing home for their 90-year-old grandfather’s death, WXIA-TV 11 Alive reporting in November that a caregiver was punished for recording an incident of another caretaker hitting an 89-year-old resident with Alzheimer’s, pushing her head against a wall, and pulling the woman’s frail body out of a wheelchair by her hair, and WXIA-TV 11 Alive also reporting in March that two nurses were heading to prison for failing to save a dying man seen begging for help on a hidden camera video nearly eight years ago.

The bottom line here is that nursing home abuse remains far more common than many of us are prepared to admit, and many families only seek to take legal action when it is too late. Any victim of nursing home abuse or the family of a victim should seek the help of an experienced Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer for assistance in seeking financial damages in these cases.

If you sustained severe injuries or your loved one was killed by nursing home abuse or neglect in Atlanta, you are absolutely going to want to invest in legal representation for help pursuing your legal claims. The Law Offices of Slappey & Sadd, LLC can work closely with you so you do not have to deal with any aspect of your case by yourself.

Several walkers in storage at a facilityThere often comes a point in time where seniors can no longer care for themselves or be cared for at home. When this happens, nursing homes are a popular choice for those with aging loved ones. Most of these facilities offer safe living communities with around-the-clock care and medical staff.

Unfortunately, nursing home residents are easy targets for abuse or neglect. It’s important to know some of the warning signs of nursing home abuse so that you can better look after your senior loved one. Our firm of Atlanta elder care abuse attorneys has compiled a list of 5 common signs of abuse that should never be ignored.

Behavioral Changes

Older man resting his hands on a cane.Abuse in many forms is a common occurrence in nursing homes.  As a child or sibling concerned for the welfare of a loved one in a Georgia nursing home, you should be on the lookout for these signs that abuse may be occurring.  Your loved one has multiple rights under Georgia law.

Poor Hygiene & Unsanitary Conditions

Poor hygiene in nursing homes can be both evidence of neglect and an effect of other abuse.  Most commonly, poor hygiene results where a nursing home has too few staff handling too many residents.  There is no time to assist individual residents in practicing hygiene. In these instances, the bathroom facilities are often equally neglected, making residents reluctant to use them. Sometimes, food prep and common areas are also poorly maintained.  If you see conditions like this or if a previously carefully clean resident becomes unkempt and unclean, you should investigate with staff for possible causes.

Medical staff removing a patient from an ambulanceNursing home abuse and neglect is unfortunately all too common across the United States today. When nursing homes and their staff mistreat patients or fail to provide them with the proper care, patients can suffer serious injuries and even death. Fortunately, nursing home abuse and negligence are compensable under Georgia law.

If you or a close family member has been injured because of abuse or neglect in a nursing facility, let the experienced attorneys at Slappey & Sadd, LLC assist you. Our skilled lawyers represent injured nursing home patients everywhere in Georgia, including in Fulton County, DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, Muscogee County, Newton County, Richmond County, Troup County, Walton County, and Whitfield County. Feel free to give us a call at 404.255.6677, or contact us online, for assistance with your legal matter.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

doctor in an operating roomIt’s well documented that the coronavirus can be life-threatening for the elderly and those whose immune systems are already impaired. As a result, nursing homes and other facilities frequented by the elderly must take extra precautions to minimize exposure to their residents and clients. The truth is, however, that these facilities face a number of challenges even without the current epidemic. Sadly, many nursing homes fail to keep their residents safe and do not provide the care that they promised. 

Nursing homes can be negligent in several different ways, such as failing to comply with regulatory standards or as a result of poor maintenance. In this post, we’ll discuss some of the common sources of negligence in nursing homes. 

Inadequate Staffing

An exclamation point in a red triangleThe idea that your elderly loved one could experience neglect or abuse in the nursing home that you so carefully chose with his or her well-being at heart is especially difficult. Nursing home neglect and abuse, however, are more common than you probably realize. When the most vulnerable among us are subjected to abuse or neglect, it can be hard to accept, which can make it more difficult to identify. If your loved one has suffered nursing home abuse or neglect, obtain the professional legal counsel of an experienced Atlanta personal injury attorney.

Common Signs of Neglect and Abuse

One of the most important considerations related to nursing home neglect and abuse is trusting your instincts. If you witness something that strikes you as wrong, it very well may be. Take an active interest in the care your loved one receives and stay attuned to the warning signs of neglect and abuse, which can include:

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