Columbia Missouri Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Many elderly residents become victims of abuse and neglect due to their bodily infirmity, medical condition, or dementia. As vulnerable members of society, elderly seniors are often easy prey for the most unscrupulous owners, staff members, and employees at nursing homes nationwide.

The affiliate Missouri personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, have recognized how greed can play a significant role in cases involving the mistreatment of residents who suffer serious harm at the hands of those paid to provide them care.

Contact our Columbia nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone call) to schedule a free consultation to discuss what happened.

Abuse in nursing homes is a serious problem in the United States. Each year, thousands of nursing home residents are injured, neglected, or even killed as a result of abuse or neglect. While most Columbia nursing homes provide quality care to their residents, some do not do their job properly.

There are many different types of abuse, but they can generally be divided into four categories: physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is any type of force used against a nursing facility patient. It can include hitting, slapping, shoving, kicking, pinching, or burning.

A study showed that 24.3% of residents in a nursing home are abused physically at least once during their stay at the facility. Even worse, there has been an increase in this abuse over the years.

Such abuse can also occur when a nursing home staff member restrains a patient without authorization based on state laws and regulations.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is verbal or nonverbal behavior that causes psychological trauma to a patient. It can include yelling, name-calling, threatening, mocking, or humiliating a resident. Emotional abuse defeats the whole purpose of a nursing facility being a safe environment for the elderly by harming their emotional well-being.

In some cases, the staff at the nursing facility may isolate the patient from other residents or visitors. For instance, if the staff ignores a sedentary patient for too long, they can develop bed sores and other complications due to restricted blood flow.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report found emotional abuse to be the most prevalent type of abuse in a nursing facility. In fact, two out of three staff persons reported abusing residents in the past year.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse refers to sexual contact with a nursing home patient without the resident's consent.

It can include rape, molestation, unwanted touching, or forced nudity.

Financial Abuse

Financial abuse is when someone uses a nursing facility resident's money or property without the resident's permission.

Some examples include:

• Stealing cash, checks, or credit cards,
• Forging a signature, and
• Using the resident's ATM card without permission
• When someone pressures a patient to sign a financial document, such as a will, power of attorney,
• The nursing home fails to properly manage the resident's finances, this can also be considered financial abuse.

Regardless of the type of abuse, it's important to consult nursing home attorneys to file a personal injury case or a sexual abuse claim. The sooner you get a nursing home abuse lawyer on board, the better.

Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community. The negligence causes injuries or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error.

Residents of an assisted living facility are particularly vulnerable to medical malpractice due to their age, frailty, and dependence on staff. If you or a loved one received subpar medical attention from a nursing facility, you could take legal action to recover compensation.

Likewise, if a long-term care facility fails to provide adequate care to the residents, their legal rights include filing a claim against the facility. It's important to voice grievances to protect other elderly patients from the same mistreatment in the future.

A medical malpractice case can be complex, so it is essential to have an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer on your side who can help you navigate the process and get the best possible outcome for your situation.

Many nursing home lawyers offer a free consultation to discuss the personal injury case proceedings.

The signs of nursing home neglect can be physical, emotional, or behavioral. Unfortunately, many cases of abuse go unreported because the victims are unable to communicate what is happening to them.

In other cases, the victims may be too afraid to speak up about the abuse and neglect.

Some signs of abuse include:

• Illness or infection
• Fractured bones
• Malnutrition or sudden weight loss
• Bruises, cuts, or welts
• Bed sores
• Anxiety or depression
• Withdrawal from social activities
• Unusual behavior changes

Do you suspect an injured, disabled, or elderly loved one is a victim of abuse in a nursing home facility? You should contact the authorities like Missouri Adult Protective Services before contacting a nursing home abuse lawyer in Columbia, MO to file a nursing home abuse claim.

Columbia nursing home abuse lawyers can help victims and their families, including:

Investigate the Abuse

Personal injury attorneys will investigate what happened and use the necessary resources to interview witnesses, review medical records, and collect evidence.

Evidence and testimony are important to prove that abuse occurred and who is responsible.

File a Lawsuit

After investigating the mistreatment at the nursing home facility, a Columbia nursing home abuse lawyer can file a lawsuit against the abuser and the nursing facility. The lawsuit will seek compensation for the victim's injuries, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Receive Compensation

If the abuser must compensate the victim if they are found liable. The compensation can cover medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.

Only a reputable attorney with years of experience in handling Missouri nursing home abuse cases should handle a claim to recover compensation. Using Missouri tort law requires knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the rules of procedure and filing a lawsuit for patient abuse and neglect in Columbia.

The affiliated Columbia nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, have helped many victims of neglect pursue a claim. Our team of Missouri, Columbia, elder abuse lawyers fights to protect the rights of the elderly loved ones to ensure they receive the level of monetary recovery they deserve.

Contact our affiliate personal injury attorneys today at (800) 926-7565 to schedule a free, no-obligation full case evaluation to discuss the merits of the claim. For additional information on Missouri laws and information on nursing facilities, look here.

Our affiliate Columbia, MO law offices accept all neglect and abuse cases, wrongful death lawsuits, and personal injury claims through contingency fee arrangements, so our clients are not required to pay any upfront fees or retainers until their personal injury lawyer resolves their case.

Resources:

• NCBI: Older People Abuse in Nursing Homes
• HRW: Worry Over Neglect in Long-Term Care Facilities