Chattanooga Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Families have the best intention when placing an elderly parent, grandparent, or spouse in a nursing facility. Many of these nursing centers describe their place as an idyllic environment where the loved one will receive compassionate and proper care from a competent nursing home staff.

While it seems like the ideal solution, the accurate picture of reality often involves nursing home residents that live in less than a perfect environment.

Were you or your loved one abused in a nursing home? If so, the affiliate Tennessee personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC have handled many cases where the resident was ignored, isolated, physically attacked, emotionally, and mentally abused or neglected, stripped of respect and dignity, or provided substandard care.

Contact our Chattanooga nursing home abuse lawyers today at (800) 926-7565 for a free consultation to explore your legal rights.

All confidential or sensitive information you share with your abuse or neglect attorney concerning your legal issues remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

Nursing home abuse or neglect involves every act or inaction that causes harm to a nursing home resident. Unfortunately, there are many ways that nursing home abuse can occur.

For example, nursing home neglect occurs when a staff member fails to provide the level of care needed to maintain a resident's health and wellbeing. It can include failing to help a resident with activities of daily living, such as getting dressed or taking a shower.

A staff member intentionally inflicting harm on an elderly person is also considered abuse or neglect. Unfortunately, elder abuse has been on the rise in the US, and nursing home residents are often easy victims since they depend on the staff for assistance. Some types of elder abuse in nursing facilities include:

• Sexual Abuse: Many residents cannot consent to sexual activity, and any sexual contact without consent is abuse. A World Health Organization (WHO) report showed that 0.9% of older adults in long-term care and nursing facilities experience sexual abuse.
• Physical Abuse: Physical abuse can involve anything from slapping or hitting to rough handling during transfers. The same WHO report also found that 2.6% of the residents in nursing homes experience physical abuse.
• Emotional Abuse: This type of abuse generally refers to words and actions that cause psychological trauma to the elderly person, such as yelling, name-calling, humiliation, or threats of violence. Unfortunately, psychological abuse is the most prevalent in nursing homes, with 11.6% of older adults experiencing it. Anxiety and depression are prominent signs of emotional abuse in the elderly.
• Financial Abuse: Financial abuse can involve anything from theft and fraud to using a resident's money without permission. 6.8% of the elderly experience such abuse in a nursing home.

The following signs may indicate your loved one may be suffering abuse in nursing homes, retirement homes, long-term care facilities, rehab centers, and assisted living centers:

• Sudden changes in behavior and mood
• Broken bones
• Unexplained weight loss
• Dehydration
• Bedsores
• Poor personal hygiene
• Dirty or disheveled clothing
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Anxiety or depression
• Isolation from family

If you notice these specific signs of abuse, you should talk to the nursing home administrator, and then consult an experienced Chattanooga abuse lawyer to take legal action and ensure the victim gets the compensation they deserve.

Whether your family member is dealing with financial exploitation, sexual assault, lack of proper health care, or abuse and neglect, you should explore your legal options to ensure their well-being and protect other residents from harm.

The National Center for Elder Abuse reports that two million elders experience abuse in the US. That's a concerning figure, especially when it's your loved one in a nursing home.

You might not be able to be there all the time, but you can take some steps to protect them. If you suspect your family member is being abused or neglected in their nursing home, taking action is essential.

The first step is to tell the right authorities like the police (911). Every nursing facility has an administrator. You can start by expressing your concerns. The next step is to contact the Tennessee Department of Health. They have a long-term care ombudsman who can help you.

If you have proof of the abuse and neglect, it will help your case. Reach out to our abuse and neglect lawyers specializing in cases involving abuse and mistreatment. Our legal team provides a free case review.

Our attorneys will help families receive economic and non-economic compensation. It includes reimbursement for any damages, pain and suffering, and medical costs suffered by the victim. Jurors could award punitive damages to ensure the health care facility is held accountable for its egregious neglect.

If you notice signs of abuse by the nursing home staff or others against your loved one, you can file a complaint against the perpetrators. The complaint could be filed against the following people:

Administrative Staff

The admin staff is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the nursing facility. They are in charge of hiring staff, ensuring that the facility is up to code, and handling complaints.

The facility administrator could be held financially accountable for not providing safety protocols or ensuring the staff follows procedures that protect the facility’s patients.

Nurses

The nurses are responsible for administering medication, checking vitals, and providing general care to the residents. Victims can file a compensation claim against any nursing staff member who failed to provide the appropriate care which led to their damages.

Doctors

Doctors diagnose and treat the residents in long-term care facilities. Unfortunately, medical malpractice is common in nursing homes. If a resident experienced pain or medical complications due to the mistake made by the doctor, they could be compensated for any expenses stemming from the negligence.

Other Residents

Other residents in the facility can be responsible for the abuse. Many personal injury cases are filed against Tennessee nursing home residents that hurt someone at the facility.

Many residents remain silent for days, months, or even years about how they were hurt by nursing home abuse or neglect. Their silence is often out of self-blame, fear, or to protect the abuser.

If you see signs of a spouse, parent, grandparent, or child suffering physical, sexual, mental, or psychological abuse by the nursing staff, employees, other residents, family members, or friends at a long-term care facility, it is necessary to file a home abuse claim.

The Chattanooga senior home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, remain passionate in standing up for their clients who are often the community’s most vulnerable members.

Our team of dedicated affiliated Chattanooga abuse attorneys uses our years of experience to obtain justice against every individual or entity that caused your elderly loved one harm.

Having a skilled, dedicated, and trusted experienced attorney on your side can assure your family of a successful outcome to the claim or lawsuit.

Our affiliated personal injury law office encourages families or clients to get in touch with our law offices today to get legal help for themselves or their loved ones. Call us at (800) 926-7565 to schedule your no-obligation, free case review.

Resources:

• WHO: Elder Abuse Cases Rise

NCLER: Sensitizing People on Elder Abuse