Little Rock Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Every year, many families face the tough decision of placing a loved one in a nursing facility and entrusting their care to the nursing staff. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse in long-term care facilities has risen to worrying levels nationwide, and it’s no different in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Little Rock nursing home abuse & neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC have handled many cases where residents have been inflicted with physical, emotional, sexual, and mental injury by their caregivers.

Was your loved one mistreated, or did they suffer a severe injury, financial exploitation, or abuse while living in a Little Rock nursing home in Arkansas? Let the affiliate Arkansas personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC protect your family’s rights starting now.

Contact the Little Rock nursing home abuse attorneys at (800) 926-7565 today to schedule a free consultation with an affiliate attorney. We will explain how we can help you successfully resolve a claim for compensation to recover damages for your loved one’s injuries. Attorney-client relationship privileged communication covers everything you discuss with our personal injury attorneys.

What Constitutes Forms of Nursing Home Abuse?

Many signs indicate your loved one is being abused in their Little Rock nursing home in Arkansas. These signs vary and can be physical or psychological. You must know these signs and what to do as a family member.

Abuse and neglect in a care facility can come in many forms, such as:

  • Physical abuse, which can happen with unexplained bruising, or broken bones
  • Sexual abuse involves nonconsensual sexual participation or inappropriate touching
  • Malnutrition or dehydration, especially when your loved one needs continuous assistance with eating and drinking.
  • Emotional abuse
  • Financial exploitation can be the illegal or unauthorized use or management of funds, assets, or property of a disabled, infirm, or older person.

Any unexplained changes in mood and anxiety or fear around caretakers could indicate psychological harm.

Is your loved one a victim of abuse in a care facility? Get them to a safe place, call the appropriate authorities, and finally, seek Little Rock nursing home abuse attorneys to understand your rights!

Neglect

While physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse usually happen because someone intends to harm another, neglect is different. However, it can still cause as much harm and suffering when sick, disabled, rehabilitating, or elderly residents are not receiving proper care.

A Little Rock, AR nursing home may not have enough staff to care for each resident, or they don’t have the experience or skill to properly care for your loved one, resulting in personal injury.

Neglect means an act or omission by a caregiver responsible for the care and supervision of disabled, sick, or elderly patients. 

Forms of neglect include negligently failing to:

  • Provide necessary treatment, rehabilitation, care, food, clothing, supervision, or medical services to an impaired or older person
  • Provide essential health care to prevent bed sores and skin injuries, such as lacerations
  • Report health problems of an endangered, impaired, or elderly person to the appropriate medical personnel.
  • Carry out a treatment plan developed or implemented by the facility, causing medication errors and the possibility of severe deficiencies and prolonged suffering.
  • Assist with basic needs, causing the nursing home victim to suffer malnutrition and dehydration.
  • Ensure the resident hygiene needs are met, including clean clothes and bedsheets.
Residents Have the Right To Be Free From Abuse

Under federal law, patients of care facilities have the right to be free from nursing home abuse or injury of all types! They should feel safe in their nursing home and experience the best care.

Based on CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) guidelines, nursing homes must:

  • Have written policies and procedures to prohibit, prevent, and investigate nursing home abuse
  • Train nursing home staff on what constitutes nursing home abuse under federal and Arkansas law
  • Run a background check before every hire to ensure the court did not find the employee guilty of nursing home negligence or abuse, or does not have a finding entered into the state nurse aide registry for nursing home neglect and abuse, or has had a disciplinary action against them for elder abuse.
What a Long-Term Care Facility Must Do With a Report of Home Abuse and Neglect

Nursing facilities must implement safeguards to prevent further potential nursing home abuse. Clear and concise policies of what to do when an abuse claim is of utmost importance, primarily to act quickly and ensure the resident is safe.

The care facility must:

  • Report the nursing home abuse to the State Survey Agency and law enforcement
  • Conduct a thorough investigation of the nursing home abuse
  • Thoroughly document and report the result of the investigation

CMS or state entities will immediately inspect the facility. The nursing home must submit a plan of correction and be surveyed again to ensure the corrections have been made.

It's not up to the facility to decide what they do, but the authorities will make those decisions. They watch the facility closely after a complaint is made for a "probation" period.

Nursing Homes Warning Signs: Poor Overall Environment and Conditions

Any sign that your loved ones are wearing dirty clothes and have soiled bed linens could be a significant red flag.

If patients' rooms look like they haven't been cleaned for some time, that could be another sign of inadequate staffing or other problems the care facility is facing and cannot provide adequate care.

Indications of an unclean space are:

  • Trash cans are constantly full
  • Food trays are left in place without being cleared promptly, causing a foul smell.
  • Sheets that haven't been changed or cleaned in a while
  • Clothes, shoes, and other items are strewn about on the floor

Consistent Understaffing

Always check the amount of staff on hand at any given time and ask for records of the facility’s ratio of staff to patients. Low employee retention could mean the nursing home has poor management since it indicates the team is not treated well and not paid enough, reflecting on the care they provide residents. 

Staffing cost is a major component of profitability. When nursing homes try to save on appropriate caretakers, this could increase the likelihood of medical errors, abuse, and negligence.

A lack of people willing to work due to the pandemic has had a significant impact on workers, especially in nursing homes. An understaffed care facility will cause harm to the individuals that need care. It is a massive issue if many patients are in the building but not many caretakers.

Delayed Response Time to Residents

You should also pay attention to the treatment of patients. If you notice a delayed response to requests for help, that is a bad sign.

Delays mean that staff is not equipped to handle the needs of all residents, which can result in significant injuries, abuse, lack of care, and severe accidents.

How to Prove Little Rock Nursing Home Negligence: Documenting the Signs and Talking to Witnesses

When documenting evidence, photographs are an excellent way to show proof of neglect or abuse.

Photos of physical injuries, unsafe living conditions, bed restraints, soiled bedding, and poor hygiene indicate nursing home abuse. This evidence could serve as proof for a nursing home abuse lawyer to file a legal claim.

Witnesses can be very helpful for a successful lawsuit. Potential witnesses could include:

  • Other residents
  • Family of the victim
  • Friends who visit the resident or facility
  • Staff members

Obtaining Nursing Home Records

Under Medicare and Medicaid programs, a family member can receive and review a loved one’s care facility medical records to look for treatments that may not have been necessary, explanations for injuries, and inconsistencies in care.

Nursing facilities' medical records do not always indicate abuse and other health problems linked to substandard care. One of our affiliate nursing home abuse attorneys can investigate what happened, review records, and speak with eyewitnesses to prove the claim.

Filing a Report Abuse in Arkansas

Family members must know how to file a complaint since, often, their loved ones may be unable to advocate for themselves.

In Arkansas, you may file a Little Rock nursing home abuse complaint against a nursing facility through the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

The Area Agency on Aging, Arkansas, within which a Long-Term Care Ombudsman exists, is another resource seniors and families can use. 

Speak with our Little Rock Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

The Arkansas nursing home abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC believe that aggressively defending the rights of victimized nursing home residents is imperative to holding those responsible for causing the harm financially and legally accountable.

The health, happiness, and well-being of your elderly loved one are of fundamental importance to our team of experienced nursing home abuse lawyers.

Contact our affiliate Little Rock elder abuse attorneys today at (800) 926-7565 to schedule your complete case evaluation. Your consultation with our nursing home abuse attorneys is free, and all the information you share with an affiliate attorney will remain confidential.

All Little Rock nursing home abuse cases are handled through a contingency fee agreement with an attorney. This arrangement ensures our lawyers provide immediate legal representation and takes every aspect of the case without an upfront fee.

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Client Reviews

★★★★★
Jonathan did a great job helping my family navigate through a lengthy lawsuit involving my grandmother's death in a nursing home. Through every step of the case, Jonathan kept my family informed of the progression of the case. Although our case eventually settled at a mediation, I really was impressed at how well prepared Jonathan was to take the case to trial. Lisa
★★★★★
After I read Jonathan’s Nursing Home Blog, I decided to hire him to look into my wife’s treatment at a local nursing home. Jonathan did a great job explaining the process and the laws that apply to nursing homes. I immediately felt at ease and was glad to have him on my side. Though the lawsuit process was at times frustrating, Jonathan reassured me, particularly at my deposition. I really felt like Jonathan cared about my wife’s best interests, and I think that came across to the lawyers for the nursing home. Eric