While most nursing homes provide quality, compassionate care, a few are guilty of abuse and neglect.
Nursing home abuse can take many forms, from physical and sexual assault to neglect and financial exploitation. And while anyone can be a victim of nursing home abuse, those with dementia or Alzheimer's disease are particularly at risk.
Are you the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse? The affiliate Mississippi personal injury lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, advocate for the rights of nursing home residents who have been injured due to the negligence of their caretakers.
Our affiliate Mississippi personal injury attorneys have the knowledge and experience to help you seek justice for your family if they were harmed while residing at a Jackson care facility.
Call our Jackson nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Residents Most at Risk of Abuse and NeglectWho does nursing home abuse hurt? The victims of abuse are typically frail elderly people who cannot care for themselves and need the help and support of others. Other victims are adults that are mentally or physically disabled require additional assistance to complete tasks detailed in their care plan.
When they are subjected to any type of mistreatment or neglect, it can have a devastating effect on their health and well-being. It is essential to be aware of the signs of abuse so that you can get help for your loved ones if necessary.
We have an entire team of affiliate attorneys prepared to fight for you and your loved ones. They are knowledgeable in all aspects, including medical negligence law.
Abuse and Neglect in Nursing HomesAccording to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), more than one in ten nursing home residents is abused yearly. Moreover, the National Center on Elder Abuse reports that half of all nursing home residents experience some form of abuse during their stay.
Sadly, only one in fourteen cases of abuse or neglect is reported to authorities. The data reveals that the number of nursing home abuse and neglect cases is likely much higher than the number officially documented.
In Mississippi, the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (OSLTCO) is charged with investigating allegations of abuse and neglect. According to their annual report, the OSLTCO received 1136 complaints in 2018. Of those complaints, 574 were substantiated.
Nursing Home StatisticsStudies have not been explicitly conducted on the city of Jackson nursing home negligence. However, in Mississippi, there were 3,299 reports investigated by Adult Protective Services in 2019.
Most of those complaints (39.4%) were related to resident rights, followed by quality of life (20%), staff issues (19%), environment (10%), and access to care (11.6%). Mississippi had a 31% increase in harm and mistreatment reports being investigated in one year (2018-2019).
Our team of affiliate Jackson attorneys will help you seek compensation if you find your loved ones becoming a statistic of abuse or negligence while in an assisted living facility. During your free consultation, you can ask questions and determine if your disabled adult or elderly family members’ case has a chance against a team of corporate attorneys in a court of law.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse and NeglectNo one expects to end up in a nursing home, but for many people, it becomes their only option as they age. Nursing homes must provide a certain level of care and safety for their residents, but unfortunately, not all homes meet that standard.
Abuse and neglect in Jackson nursing homes can take many forms, from intentional mistreatment to simple negligence.
Physical AbusePhysical abuse could involve any harmful physical activity from slapping and hitting to forceful restraint.
Warning signs of abuse resulting in harming a nursing home patient might include:
Sexual abuse is non-consensual sexual contact between a nursing home patient and a staff member, visitor, family member, or another resident. The unwanted contact could include anything from rape and sexual assault to unwanted touching and sexual harassment.
Warning signs that a nursing home patient is being sexually abused include:
Emotional abuse includes verbal assault, threats, intimidation, and humiliation. The following signs that a nursing home patient is being emotionally abused include:
Neglect occurs when a nursing home staff member fails to provide a resident with the basic necessities of life, including food, water, shelter, and medical care. Neglect can occur when a nursing home staff member fails to protect a resident from health and safety hazards.
Common signs that a resident is being neglected include:
Financial exploitation occurs when someone uses a nursing home resident's money or property for personal gain. This abusive behavior could include forged checks, credit card fraud, identity theft, and stealing cash/belongings from a resident's room.
Identifying signs that a patient is being financially exploited include:
Anyone in the long-term care facility could abuse, neglect, or mistreat the patient, including staff members, visitors, workers, contracted health care providers, and other residents. If you suspect abuse, report it to the authorities as soon as possible.
In Jackson, MS, APS will begin their investigation one to five business days after it is reported. If it is severe or life-threatening, other forms of reporting could be to the police or the administration. Attorneys would agree that reporting what you have seen to help stop any more events from occurring will help strengthen your case.
Facility-Acquired Bedsores Are Signs of Nursing Home NegligenceAccording to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), facility-acquired bedsores are often the signs of nursing home negligence. In these cases, nursing home employees neglecting to follow skin care protocol compromise the disabled or elderly resident's health and well-being.
CMS regulates Medicare and Medicaid-approved nursing homes, requiring facilities to develop and enforce procedures to ensure nursing staff protects its residents. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes follow these regulations, leading to patient injuries.
Federal regulators classify bedsores (pressure sores, pressure wounds, pressure ulcers, skin ulcers, decubitus ulcers) as "never event," meaning they should never develop. Any failure to provide proper care and services could lead to developing bedsores, significantly harming those most at risk of skin wounds, including:
When a patient in the facility develops bedsores, immediate medical treatment is necessary to prevent the pressure sore from worsening. Untreated bedsores can become infected and cause serious health complications, including sepsis (blood infection), cellulitis, and osteomyelitis (bone infection).
In extreme nursing home cases, a severe pressure sore could lead to death within days or weeks when the wound is allowed to progress to a deadly condition (Stage IV). This form of nursing home negligence in a Jackson, Mississippi facility could lead to legal action filed by the victim or family members on behalf of their loved one.
Medication Errors Might Indicate Nursing Home NeglectJackson nursing homes must provide proper training to the staff to ensure there are no medication mistakes when administering drugs to their residents. Unfortunately, not all facilities uphold these obligations, which might result in serious patient health complications.
A nursing home resident might suffer from a medication error if given the wrong drug, the wrong dosage, or if their medication is administered at the wrong time. These mistakes can have serious consequences, including:
A lack of supervision among the nursing staff can lead to a severe fall. The negligence can cause harm when staff members are not paying attention to residents, and they fall or when residents are left unattended in slippery areas.
Falls can happen when residents are moved or transferred from one place to another. Additionally, if a chair or bed is not correctly positioned, a resident could fall out and injure themselves.
Falls among nursing home residents are severe because many are older and have osteoporosis, which makes their bones more fragile.
A nursing home resident falling and striking their head could suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can lead to severe long-term health complications, including:
An elderly loved one falling in the facility could result in a broken hip or knee that might never heal properly. Repeated falls often happen because the medical providers working for the facility fail to reevaluate the resident's health and do not make needed changes to their care plan.
If you have a loved one injured in a fall at a nursing home, it is essential to seek medical care immediately.
Hire Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers to Resolve a Compensation ClaimHave you or a disabled/elderly loved one suffered abuse, neglect, or mistreatment at a nursing facility in Jackson, MS? Are you seeking legal representation and advice to ensure that those responsible are held accountable?
The Jackson, MS personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC protect people's civil rights while helping them recover compensation for their damages. Call our Jackson nursing home abuse attorneys at (800) 926-7565 or use the contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.
Our local Jackson, MS, affiliate personal injury law offices accept every nursing home negligence and abuse case on a contingency fee agreement. This arrangement ensures you pay no upfront fees until your personal injury attorneys resolve your legal matter through a negotiated settlement or jury award.
All sensitive or confidential information you share concerning your loved one during your free consultation with our Jackson nursing home negligence lawyers remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Resources:
Attorney A. Lance Reins, Esq.
Licensed in Mississippi
Chicago Nursing Home Injury Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home