Nursing home residents should never suffer physical abuse in a facility, especially when their family is entrusting the home to care for their loved one. Even with careful research and meticulous attention to detail, in some cases, there is no way for a family to know that their loved one will suffer physical abuse in the very place they intended for them to receive care and supervision.
Nursing home physical abuse is a horrific violation of the most vulnerable in our society, as residents remain physically or emotionally unable to resist these types of attacks. If your elderly loved one suffered injuries due to physical abuse as a nursing home resident, consider consulting with a Tulsa physical abuse lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. Call us today to see how we can help you with your case for justice.
Violation of Federal Law
Nursing home neglect or abuse that leads to physical injuries is not only a violation of trust given by families to these facilities to care for their loved ones. It is also a violation of federal law.
Under the Nursing Home Reform Act and the Elder Justice Act of 2009, all nursing homes have the legal responsibility to follow specific guidelines regarding the care and supervision of nursing home residents. Any failure to follow those guidelines, or outright physical abuse or neglect, is a violation of federal law.
Elderly Residents Remain Vulnerable to Physical Abuse
There are two significant reasons that elderly residents of nursing homes remain vulnerable to physical abuse.
Medical Conditions and Physical Health
Most elderly residents of a nursing home suffer from medical conditions or take prescription medications that make them either weak, drowsy, or unable to function with the full strength they had as a younger adult.
Additionally, many residents of a nursing home have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, as well as other neurocognitive disorders, which makes it difficult and challenging for them to understand any physical abuse, or remember the exact details following the physical abuse.
Even without serious medical conditions, prescription medications, or neurocognitive disorders, elderly residents are generally weaker than the staff that cares for them, which makes them less able to fight back against any physical abuse successfully.
Dependency on Nursing Home Staff
Another reason that elderly residents remain vulnerable to physical abuse in nursing homes relates to the fact that they remain reliant upon the staff for their physical needs.
For example, elderly residents remain completely dependent on a nursing home facility for their nutritional needs, hydration, assistance with physical hygiene or daily tasks, or even assistance with repositioning for those residents in wheelchairs or who are bedridden. If an elderly resident of a nursing home suffers from physical abuse, they may be afraid to speak out against the abuser after retaliation, as they may suffer more abuse for doing so.
For a free legal consultation with a Tulsa Physical Abuse Lawyer serving Tulsa, call (800) 794-0444
Warning Signs of Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes
Physical abuse of residents in nursing homes typically leaves some sort of physical or emotional damage following the incident. If you discover any of these warning signs of physical abuse in your elderly loved one in a nursing home, you should consider taking immediate action in order to ensure their safety.
Physical Warning Signs of Abuse
- Unexplained bruises, burns, or cuts
- Broken or fractured bones
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injury
- Coma
- Paralysis
- Physical markings of restrain on hands, head, or legs
- Genital bleeding, bruising or inability to stand or sit comfortably or walk
- Malnutrition or dehydration
- Drastic changes in physical hygiene
- Bedsores
- Spinal cord injuries
- Nerve damage
- Any injury that has no identifiable or explainable source
Psychological Warning Signs of Abuse
While your elderly loved one may suffer physical warning signs of abuse in a nursing home, they may also exhibit emotional or psychological symptoms that accompany physical signs of abuse. When an elderly person suffers physical abuse, they may develop emotional or psychological damage. Some of the warning signs of psychological damage following physical abuse in nursing homes include the following:
- Unexplained, or uncontrolled anger, rage, or aggression.
- Changes in behavior that are unexplainable, such as the development of regressive activities including thumb-sucking, or rocking back and forth.
- Development of extremely fearful behavior, specifically around the nursing home staff.
- Changes in personality.
- Changes in sleeping, eating, or daily activities.
- Loss of interest in friends, family, or social activities.
- Refusal to talk about why your loved one’s behavior changed.
- Loss of interest in personal hygiene.
If you believe your elderly loved one suffered physical abuse as a nursing home resident due to the exhibition of any of these types of warning signs, consider visiting with a Tulsa physical abuse lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to help you understand your legal rights.
Tulsa Tulsa Physical Abuse Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
What to Do if You Suspect Physical Abuse
If you suspect that your elderly loved one has suffered any kind of physical abuse in a nursing home, you should first address their immediate safety by getting medical help and relocating them.
Additionally, you have the legal right to contact Adult Protective Services in your area, as well as law enforcement if you feel the facts and circumstances of the physical abuse rise to the level that you would need support from a police officer, or would like to make an official police report.
If you feel the physical abuse occurred, you may consider removing your elderly loved one from the nursing home facility immediately. An attorney might also be able to help you seek compensation for medical bills and relocation costs associated with the abuse.
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Consider How a Tulsa Physical Abuse Lawyer Can Help You
You have a legal right to seek justice against those who physically abused your elderly loved one in a nursing home. Consider contacting our team for free at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to find out how a Tulsa physical abuse lawyer can help you establish a personal injury case on behalf of your loved one against a nursing home facility, and help you receive the compensation and justice your loved one may deserve as a result of their physical abuse.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
