Nursing home abuse in the United States has turned into an epidemic, leaving our elderly loved ones at risk of abuse and neglect each and every day. To understand the scope of the problem, the National Center on Elder Abuse conducted a study in which 44 percent of nursing home residents reported abuse with 95 percent reporting neglect of themselves or other residents within the past year. At Hupy and Abraham, we believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and those who have been victims of nursing home neglect or abuse should be able to recover for the preventable injuries they suffered.
At Hupy and Abraham, we have represented clients who have suffered from severe abuse and neglect that resulted in successful wrongful death settlements. In one sadly common example, an elderly resident received such poor care that a pressure ulcer (bedsore) was allowed to develop and go untreated for months, resulting in her death. The family of the victim received significant compensation in a wrongful death claim, but it will never undo the pain and suffering that such serious neglect caused. Unfortunately, these atrocities happen all the time.
Many people discover their loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect when a resident suffers a preventable physical injury or dies as a result of negligence. However, nursing home abuse and neglect cases can be difficult to prove. Due to the advanced age or already poor health of a resident, proving that neglect was the cause of an injury or death can be complicated, but there are certain injuries that can indicate that neglect may have occurred.
Types of injuries that can result from neglect or abuse in a nursing home or long-term care facility:
- Falls
- Avoidable bedsores
- Dehydration or malnourishment
- Injury or illness as a result of medication errors
- Broken bones or hypothermia as a result of wandering or elopement
- Infections