What Are the Different Types of Nursing Home Abuse in South Carolina?

March 15, 2019

More and more lately, we see advertisements on television saying to contact a nursing home abuse attorney. This is partly because more people live in nursing homes now than ever before. It’s also because people are getting better at spotting nursing home neglect and abuse.

If your loved one is living in a nursing home, it’s important that you understand what nursing home abuse is. This means you need to be able to recognize the different types of abuse. An experienced nursing abuse attorney in Columbia can help you do this.

Your mom or dad spent their entire lives taking care of their family. Now it’s time for someone to take care of them. The last thing they deserve is to be treated poorly or abused. It’s your job to make sure that, if someone hurts your loved one, they’re held accountable.

Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Can Spot Abuse

There are lawyers who specialize in nursing home abuse cases. They don’t only do it for the money. They do it because they understand that the elderly deserves better. They want to get justice for those of us whose loved ones are hurt.

In order to spot nursing home abuse, you need to know what to look for. Some of the telltale signs of abuse include:

Bruises and injuries
Theft of personal belongings
Under or over medicating
Emotional withdrawal
Verbal complaints of abusive behavior
Neglect such as bedsores or hygiene issues

If you notice any of these things, it may be time to call a Columbia nursing home abuse attorney.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse that Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Handle

There are several types of nursing home abuse. Although most are caused by nursing home staff, some can be at the hands of other residents. Either way, the nursing home is ultimately responsible for both.

The most common types of nursing home abuse include:

Neglect: At a minimum, we should be able to expect that our loved ones are being taken care of. When nursing staff doesn’t do their job, residents get hurt. They may suffer bedsores, infections or even poor hygiene.
Physical Abuse: Sadly, some staff members get frustrated with residents and physically abuse them. They may punch, kick or roughly handle their patients.
Mental and Emotional Abuse: Elderly patients are very sensitive. They need to be treated fairly or they may react worse than you or I would. Some nurses and aids yell at their patients or belittle them. This is considered abuse.
Financial Abuse: Although this type of abuse may not physically harm your family member, it is still wrong. Staff and other residents may steal your loved one’s money and belongings. There have also been cases where employees somehow convince a resident to change their will to include them. This is nursing home abuse.
Sexual Abuse: We hate to think that this could ever happen, but some patients are the victim of sexual abuse. This could be direct abuse at the hands of staff or other residents. But it can also involve being forced to witness or listen to sexual activity of language by third parties.

If your loved one has been the victim of any type of nursing home abuse or neglect, you need to call nursing home abuse lawyers in Columbia.

How Can Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Help?

If you have a feeling that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, there are a few things you should do. Meet with a nursing home abuse attorney in Columbia. They can help you through this process.

As few steps you want to take as soon as you notice there may be abuse going on are:

Get your loved one moved to a different facility. Your nursing home abuse lawyers can help you with this. They can contact the social worker or case worker and request a transfer.
Document your parent’s injuries. Take pictures of any bruises or obvious injuries.
Get documentation from the emergency room physicians of any injuries or illnesses.
Contact the nursing home administrator and let him know your loved one will not be returning to his facility.

These steps are just the first step in getting your loved one justice.

Call The Skilled Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Connell Law Firm

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, you need to contact skilled nursing home abuse lawyers at Connell Law Firm. Your attorneys can help get your family justice. They’ll also get your loved one the compensation she deserved.

Call and schedule your free initial consultation. Your attorney can answer any questions you may have. He can also help put a stop to the abuse right away.