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    Rome Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

    With roughly 3.5 million nursing home residents living in nursing care facilities in the United States, nursing home abuse and neglect is a real problem that needs to be addressed and taken seriously, and one that will only become more apparent as nursing home populations increase.

    If you or your loved one experienced nursing home abuse and neglect, an experienced Rome nursing home abuse lawyer can help hold abusive staff members and nursing home facilities accountable for their actions. Seek the services of a compassionate personal injury attorney that could fight for a positive outcome for you.

    Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes

    Physical abuse can take the form of beating, striking, slapping, pinching, kicking, hair pulling, pushing, and throwing residents to the floor. Many people are familiar with hidden camera videos exposing nursing home abuse, in which staff members are seen committing all sorts of physical abuse of residents, including burning them with cigarettes and striking them with objects.

    The inappropriate use of restraints can also be physical abuse, including strapping residents to their beds or toilet chairs, or binding their feet or wrists.

    Identifying Physical Abuse

    The symptoms of physical abuse in a nursing home setting can be easy to hide if the bruises, marks, and contusions occur on parts of the body covered by clothing or gowns.

    In addition, because older residents often have blood disorders and take blood thinner medications, they may bruise more easily, and signs of abuse may be dismissed as commonplace marks that occur on aging seniors during normal day-to-day activities.

    Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes

    Sexual abuse is less common in nursing homes than other forms of abuse, but it does occur. Potential signs of sexual abuse include sexually transmitted diseases, fear of a specific staff member, a relationship between a patient and staff member that seems inappropriate, and repeated bladder, yeast, or urinary tract infections.

    Nursing home residents are vulnerable, and predatory staff members may find them easy targets. The residents may not understand what has happened to them, and the abuser may threaten them into keeping silent.

    However, because staff members are in a position of authority over a nursing home resident, sexual relations of any kind between patients and staff are generally considered inappropriate, regardless of consent or lack thereof. An experienced Rome nursing home abuse lawyer could investigate the circumstances of any such abuse that has taken place.

    Mental, Verbal and Emotional Abuse

    When a nursing home resident experiences emotional trauma caused by a nursing home staff member, this may be considered mental and emotional abuse for which facility staff and administration could be held liable. This abuse can take the form of verbal abuse, name-calling, insults, mocking, and threats, as well as using personal information learned while caring for the resident against the patient. Unwarranted or excessive isolation can also be a form of emotional abuse, or—more commonly—a sign of neglect.

    Neglect of Nursing Home Residents

    Nursing home neglect occurs when a resident’s needs are not taken care of, including when they are not given adequate food, socialization, medical care, and a comfortable and sanitary living environment. Some of the most common signs of nursing home neglect include the presence of bedsore on residents who have not been cared for properly, along with soiled clothes and linens and unchanged adult diapers.

    Consulting a Rome Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

    When determining whether a nursing home resident is suffering neglect or abuse, it is important to remember that nursing home abuse can manifest in a variety of ways. Whether physical, sexual, mental, verbal, or emotional, all forms of abuse and neglect can have serious negative effects, and all claims of maltreatment should likewise be taken seriously. No matter what signs or symptoms you have witnessed regarding your loved one if you suspect nursing home abuse and neglect, a compassionate Rome nursing home abuse lawyer may know how to remedy it. Call today to schedule a consultation.