Missouri Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

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Nursing home abuse and negligence in Missouri and other states has become a pervasive issue that society must now confront.

The longer society continues to disregard the implementation of stringent professional standards in nursing homes, the more elderly individuals will be harmed every year.

Families should know that a long term care facility does not get away with harming loved ones. When you hire a nursing home abuse lawyer, you can get legal results.

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys Can Help You

The nursing home abuse lawyers at the Nursing Home Law Center are standing by to assist families in taking action in nursing home abuse and neglect cases.

Call us today at (800) 726-9565 to schedule your free consultation. We are personal injury lawyers who know how to hold skilled nursing facilities accountable when the profit motive gets in the way of skill.

missouri nursing home abuse lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse Includes Chemical Restraints

In Missouri, research statistics show that over 26 percent of nursing homes dispense unnecessary drugs to residents. These unnecessary drugs are known as “chemical restraints,” and they are often used to control the behavior of nursing home residents. Residents become more sedate, and their movement is also restricted.

This is just one of the many signs of abuse that families should try to notice. Elder abuse includes many other actions or inactions that put your family member's life at risk.

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Many Facilities in Missouri Have Deficiencies

Throughout the year, Medicare gathers information from surveys, investigations and inspections on every Missouri nursing home with deficiencies and violations.

According to the federal agency, 164 (32%) of the 519 nursing facilities rated in Missouri are deemed below average compared to national statistics after investigators identified severe violations the deficient. This is a performance that is below the national average.

Missouri nursing homes also have problems in maintaining a safe atmosphere for residents. Over 37 percent of nursing homes were cited for deficiencies in 2008 for failing to maintain a safe atmosphere.

Family members must be cautious when choosing nursing home facilities for their loved ones, because the statistics show that nursing home abuse and neglect are continual problems in Missouri every year.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Making a Difference

If your family member suffered from injury, neglect, abuse, mistreatment, or died unexpectedly while residing in a nursing facility in St Louis or throughout Missouri, contact the Missouri nursing home physical abuse & neglect attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center today to discuss a compensation claim during a free case evaluation.

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Missouri Nursing Home Abuse and Personal Injury Laws

With the numerous federal and state nursing home abuse and injury laws in place to protect loved ones, one would assume that nursing homes actually followed these laws.

Unfortunately, nursing home administrators frequently feel that they can “get around” the laws in failing to hire an adequate number of staff members.

The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 is the major piece of legislation that stated the rights of all residents in nursing homes and also maintained the standards that nursing facilities must meet.

Nursing home residents must be provided with certain services to ensure their physical, emotional and mental well-being.

Long Term Care Facility Understaffing Causes Problems

When a nursing home attempts to hire too few workers or an improperly trained staff, then residents are the ones who suffer and forego those services that they need to receive quality care. The lack of qualified caregivers means a failure to provide basic help that elders need on a daily basis.

Family members can learn more about the rights of elders in Missouri by reading the Protective Services for Adults: Elder Abuse Act.

This statute creates certain departments in the state government that have the authority to handle allegations of abuse and investigate reports.

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The Rights of Residents Under Federal and State Law

It is necessary to get in touch with a MO nursing home abuse lawyer when you feel that the rights of a loved one have been violated under federal or state laws.

Under federal laws, nursing home residents have rights such as the right to be fully informed, the right to participate in one’s own care, the right to make independent choices, the right to privacy and confidentiality, the right to dignity and respect, right to complain, right to security of one’s possessions and right to be free from abuse, exploitation or neglect.

Specifically, residents have the right to refuse medication or certain treatments. Nursing homes must honor the requests that residents have to be taken off of medications.

If a resident believes that a drug is functioning as a chemical restraint, then nursing homes must end the administration of this drug.

Family members who notice that a nursing home is not respecting the wishes of a loved one should get in touch with a nursing home abuse lawyer to receive additional help.

A nursing home neglect and abuse lawyer can ensure that a nursing home upholds the rights of your family, or assist family members in filing a report with Missouri governmental authorities.

Schedule Your Initial Consultation with a MO Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today

If you have a hunch that something is wrong in the nursing home of your loved one and they have suffered from injury, then trust your instincts. When you learn about nursing home negligence in MO, then it is time to take legal action.

Our nursing home abuse or neglect lawyers are ready to help families throughout the state of Missouri in areas such as:

Call a Missouri nursing home abuse attorney affiliated with the Nursing Home Law Center LLC to schedule an initial consultation today. Your loved one deserves to receive the utmost care.

Attorney Melissa Donlon serves people from across Missouri. You can set an appointment with her at your home or her office at 4700 Bellwood Avenue, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64112.

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MO Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Serving Victims of Bed Sores, Pressure Sores & Decubitus Ulcers

Nursing homes are given the legal responsibility to routinely rotate patients bound in wheelchairs or bedridden at a minimum rate of one time every two hours. Readjusting the patient’s body can easily prevent a developing pressure sore.

However, nursing facilities often fail in this responsibility when they are understaffed or using a workforce that lacks sufficient training to properly monitor each resident and take appropriate proven steps to eliminate the potential of bedsores.

Pressure sores (bedsores; pressure ulcers; decubitus ulcers) can quickly develop when a patient remains immobile for an extended time in the assisted living facility. With the inability to readjust their body on their own, the resident often requires assistance when lying in bed or sitting in a wheelchair.

The pressure against the skin at the point where the body contacts the mattress, pad or bed can restrict blood from reaching the area, depriving it of oxygen.

Common areas where pressure sores occur include:

  • Tailbone, buttocks and hipbones
  • Back of the legs
  • Ankles, heels and toes
  • Shoulders, shoulder blades and spinal column
  • Ears, head and neck

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Negligent Actions or Inactions on the Part of Missouri Medical Facilities

Patients living in nursing homes tend to be highly susceptible to acquiring a bedsore while at the facility.

This is unfortunate because nursing homes are required to follow proven protocols of turning or readjusting the body of every mobility-challenged resident. In addition, the staff is required to monitor every patient’s skin routinely to look for any early signs of a developing pressure sore.

Successful bedsore-preventing protocols require the caregivers to check the patient’s skin at the start of every shift around-the-clock.

At the first sign of a facility-acquired bedsore, the staff is required to take appropriate action to ensure that all pressure is alleviated from the area, and that proper treatment commences. Treating the area properly in the early stage can ensure the sore does not progress to an advanced stage.

A detected pressure ulcer is categorized on its intensity, damage and appearance.

The different stages include:

  • Stage I – Detection of a developing pressure ulcer is simple in its initial stage
  • when blisters or red spots appear on the body, and the affected area feels softer or firmer than the surrounding skin.
  • Stage II – Typically, at Stage II the sore becomes an open wound forming a blister, shallow crater, or shows signs of scrapes or abrasions.
  • Stage III – A deepening crater appears at stage III exposing fatty deposits below the skin surface.
  • Stage IV – This serious final stage usually reveals extensive damage where muscle or bone is exposed at the bottom of a deep crater.

Life-threatening sepsis (blood) and/or osteomyelitis (bone) infection can occur if the pressure sore is allowed to progress to Stage III or Stage IV.

Nursing Home Lawsuit FAQs

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about nursing home abuse lawsuits:

How Long Will My Nursing Home Case Take?

This all depends on how the facility responds to your lawsuit. If they insist on the case going all the way to trial, the end of your case can take several years. However, some homes will try to manage their legal risk and settle your case. This means that your case can be resolved more quickly?

How Do I Win a Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit?

In order to prove your eligibility for financial compensation, you would need to show that the facility was negligent. This means that they breached their duty of care by acting unreasonably and it caused your family member's injury.

How Much Is My Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect Case Worth?

This all depends on how much your loved one has suffered. You are entitled to compensation for:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma
  • Wrongful death damages
  • Loss of consortium
  • Medical bills

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Hiring a Lawyer to Investigate and Litigate a Pressure Sore Abuse Case Involving a MO Nursing Home or Hospital

Your loved one should not have to suffer at the hands of an understaffed nursing facility. This is because the staff has a legal obligation to provide your loved one the best care possible, using recognized protocols, procedures and standards of care.

When they fail in that responsibility, it is essential that you hold them accountable for their negligence and stop the careless acts that are compromising your loved one’s health.

If you notice your loved one is suffering a decubitus ulcer while residing in a nursing facility, it is best to hire a skilled Missouri pressure sore attorney to take legal action.

This is because the bedsore is likely the result of negligence at the facility. Your attorney can send in a team of specialized medical professionals to the nursing home, who are dedicated to treating life-threatening bedsores.

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These services are provided in cities throughout MO including:

  • Kansas City
  • St. Louis
  • Springfield
  • Independence
  • Columbia

Fill in the form here to make contact with the skilled reputable Missouri pressure sore lawyers listed below. They offer you an initial free no obligation consultation to discuss legal options at stopping the neglect now.

Additionally, the lawyer can file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf to obtain financial compensation for the damages endured.

Call (800) 926-7565 Toll-Free for a No Obligation Consultation

Nursing Home Negligence State Laws in Missouri

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
  • 5 years. (Mo. Ann. Stat. §516.120) general negligence.
  • Medical malpractice – 2 years with Discovery Rule. Cases involving a foreign object must be brought within 2 years of discovery. No claim may be brought more than 10 years from date of occurrence . (Mo. Ann. Stat. §516.105)
  • 3 year wrongful death
  • In nursing home wrongful death cases, representative of the estate must file notice with the Attorney General’s office in order to recover attorney fees

DAMAGES CAP

  • Medical malpractice – Noneconomic damages are limited to $350,000 irrespective of the number of defendants. (Mo. Ann. Stat. §538.210)

Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect Resources

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