Murfreesboro Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

It can be a difficult decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home. You trust the facility to provide your loved one with the care and attention they deserve. Unfortunately, nursing homes can sometimes negligent or abusive staff, resulting in devastating harm to the residents.

A Murfreesboro nursing home abuse lawyer may be able to provide some justice through a civil claim for damages. If your loved one was harmed while residing in an assisted care facility, you should discuss your legal options with a compassionate injury attorney.

Signs of Elderly Resident Abuse

While some symptoms of abuse are obvious, others can be much more subtle. It is important to recognize the common signs of elderly resident mistreatment so you can act quickly. Some common signs of abuse include:

• Unexplained bruising
• Changes in a resident’s mood
• Bedsores
• Sudden weight loss
• Dehydration
• Changes in legal documents such as wills, deeds, trusts, powers of attorney
• Unexplained checks or credit card purchases

As soon as a family notices these signs of abuse, they should immediately remove their loved one from the nursing home and contact a local attorney. Their lawyer could then advise them on how to proceed with their case.

What Kind of Abuse Occurs in Murfreesboro Nursing Homes?

When nursing homes are poorly staffed, residents could potentially face physical, emotional, or financial abuse.

Physical

Physical abuse can be more than hitting or slapping. Sometimes caregivers use restraints or overmedicate residents so they do not have to watch them closely. Residents may be force-fed, or subject to unwanted sexual contact by a caregiver or another resident.

Emotional

Emotional abuse occurs when a staff member threatens, insults, manipulates, or intimidates a resident. Residents rarely tell anyone they are emotionally abused because they fear the offender will withhold necessary help as punishment.

Financial

Financial abuse occurs when someone with access to a resident’s assets steals or writes checks or uses the resident’s credit cards for their own benefit.

Who is Responsible for Elderly Resident Abuse?

A resident is neglected when there is a failure to provide care that a reasonable person would expect. Both nursing homes and caregivers can be guilty of negligence.

The nursing home could be negligent if it fails to hire staff qualified to care for vulnerable residents or who have a criminal history that makes them ineligible for employment. Nursing homes have a duty to train employees to care for disabled, cognitively impaired, or unruly residents, and could be found negligent if they do not.

Additionally, nursing homes that are inadequately staffed could result in substandard care. Staff members could be found negligent if they fail to:

• Help the resident with everyday personal hygiene
• Make sure a resident eats and is hydrated
• Provide medication at the proper time
• Correct unsanitary conditions, including regular cleaning and changing bedclothes for incontinent residents
• Correct safety hazards, such as spills that can cause elderly residents to fall

Negligent acts committed against nursing home residents in Murfreesboro should be discussed with a local lawyer to see if a lawsuit is an option.

Speak with a Murfreesboro Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today

Nursing home staff are required to provide adequate care to their residents and ensure their health and safety needs are met. If you suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected, contact a Murfreesboro nursing home abuse lawyer. Our attorneys could review your case and provide trustworthy advice on how to proceed.