More elderly Americans than ever before are residing in nursing homes across the country. Unfortunately, the residents of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities are at an increased risk of abuse and neglect. If your loved one has faced an incidence of abuse, you may have the option of filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit in Cincinnati. Many nursing home residents may be at heightened risk for abuse due to their fragile conditions. In many instances, frequent visitors are the first to notice and recognize the signs of abuse in their loved ones who reside in assisted living facilities. Contacting our team of injury attorneys to pursue legal recourse for abuse can be the most effective way of fighting back against the injuries that your loved one has suffered.
What to Do If You Suspect Elderly Resident Abuse
If you feel that your loved ones are experiencing abuse in a nursing home setting, your priority is likely to ensure that their loved ones are safe from further harm. Once you are satisfied that your loved ones are safe, you should gather any available evidence and advise the administrator or owner of the nursing home about the abuse that has occurred. Many assisted living facilities have specific grievance or complaint procedures that individuals can follow in reporting abuse. The next crucial step is to file a complaint with the state agencies that monitor nursing homes and investigate complaints. You can contact the Ohio Attorney General and submit an online complaint or contact the Ohio Department of Health online or by phone. You may want to also consider filing a Cincinnati lawsuit for nursing home abuse. Contacting our experienced attorneys can be a crucial step to effectively pursue a legal claim for abuse that occurred in a long-term care facility. These lawsuits allow people to hold nursing homes accountable for the abuse and prevent abuse to other residents in the future.Does Negligence Contribute to Abuse in Nursing Home?
Many nursing home abuse claims focus on the negligence of staff members or administrators that leads to injuries to residents. Nursing homes have a legal obligation to protect their residents from harm and provide for their basic human needs. When the behavior of these individuals fails to meet the minimum standard of care, nursing homes may have liability for any injuries to residents which result. Negligence that causes abuse to nursing home residents can originate from a variety of situations. Some of these scenarios may include:- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to residents by staff members
- Failure to protect residents from assaults by other nursing home residents
- Withholding food, water, and medication from residents
- Overly sedating or unreasonably restraining residents
