Nursing Home Lawyer Atlanta, GA

Nursing Home Lawyer Atlanta, GA

A nursing home lawyer, Atlanta, GA trusts from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch knows that when you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected at a nursing home, you need to act quickly to remove them from that situation. Instead of hoping that situation resolves on its own, our lawyers know that the best thing you can do is to protect your loved one. We firmly believe that elderly people in nursing homes should get the respect and care they deserve, but we have seen many situations where they do not.

You may feel that this burden falls squarely on your shoulders to ensure that your family member is protected. However, we are here to help you and let you know that you are not alone. For assistance, contact our law firm as soon as possible.

I’m not sure what abuse can look like. What are some examples?
You may be hesitant to do anything because you are unsure whether your family member is being abused. If they do not have obvious signs of physical abuse, you may be overreacting, right? Wrong. We have seen abuse come in many different forms. Below, we will outline a few of the ways that abuse can present so that you can be aware of the signs.

• Your loved one seems scared of others at the nursing home.
• Your loved one’s finances are moved around in a way that is out of the ordinary.
• Your loved one suddenly makes a change to their will, naming someone from the nursing home in it.
• Your loved one has bedsores.
• Your loved one is not getting the correct dosage of medication.
• Your loved one was injured because someone was not monitoring them.
• Your loved one shows signs of malnourishment/not getting their basic needs met.

In Atlanta, Georgia, our team wants you to know that abuse can be sneaky and not always obvious. You must speak with your loved one regularly to check for signs of abuse. We know that it can be stressful, and you may feel guilty if you discover your loved one has been abused. However, we are here to help right this wrong. If you would like to speak with a trusted lawyer from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch, give us a call now.

Causes of Nursing Home Neglect
The mere thought of nursing home staff abusing residents is difficult to imagine. However, it happens more than you might like to think. Here are the most common reasons for nursing home abuse:

• Understaffing: It is very difficult for nursing home residents to receive the care they need if there’s not enough staff. They may be forced to prioritize certain needs of residents over others. As a result, some residents might not get their medication on time or get proper nutrition.
• Underpaid Staff: If nursing home staff members aren’t compensated fairly, they may lack the motivation to provide a certain standard of care. They won’t go above and beyond, so many residents won’t get the care they deserve. These staff members might believe that they’re not paid enough to do a good job. After a while, this can lead to low morale, which can establish an environment of accepting low care standards.
• Undertrained Staff: Nursing home staff members should receive adequate training before working residents. Unfortunately, some nursing home facilities don’t take the time to train their staff properly. Without proper training, staff members won’t know how to provide residents with proper care. They might not know how to care for residents with certain illnesses and disabilities or lack knowledge about residents’ rights.
• Burnout: Some nursing home staff members work long hours every day and may eventually experience burnout. Unfortunately, the staff may take it out on residents. Instead of releasing their frustrations constructively, they may act abusively towards residents.
• Lack of Consequences: One of the main reasons nursing home abuse continues to go on is a lack of consequences. Even when abuse incidents are reported, local and state authorities might not investigate or punish those accused.

CAUSES OF NURSING HOME NEGLECT INFOGRAPHIC

How a Nursing Home Lawyer Can Help
If your loved one suffered abuse at a nursing home, you should speak to a member of our team as soon as possible. During the initial consultation, your lawyer may want to find out about the circumstances surrounding the allegations of abuse and your family member’s mental and physical capacities.

If we believe that you have a strong case, he or she will bring a lawsuit against the nursing home facility and employees on time. Your lawyer will start the investigation process and gather evidence to support your case. He or she knows the true value of your case and will negotiate with the insurance company. With a skilled lawyer on your side, your loved one has a better chance of getting the justice he or she deserves.

Learning More About Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home abuse is something that no elderly patient should have to experience. Unfortunately, this can be the harsh reality for the aging population, who are among the most vulnerable age groups. While the Nursing Home Reform Act provides guidelines for regulating nursing homes and preventing mistreatment, abuse, and neglect is a very real occurrence. Depending upon the abuse that has occurred, unresolvable issues or concerns for safety should be acted upon immediately.

While there are specific steps that nursing homes can take to resolve the problems in the long run, in some cases, it may be critical to take immediate action to protect a loved one. This process may start with finding a safe place for your aging loved one to receive care, and contacting a lawyer from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch for help.

The Nursing Home Reform Act

All residents living in nursing home facilities deserve to have quality care that supports their needs. As a person ages, they may become more dependent on others to have their basic needs met. In some cases, it may not be possible for an aging person to age in their home, and as a result, the safest way to have their medical, social, emotional, and physical health met could be through care from a nursing home. Our Atlanta, Georgia nursing home lawyer shares that The Nursing Home Reform Act is in place to ensure that residents of nursing homes receive the care they are entitled to by providing the following:

• Nursing support services
• Rehabilitation programs
• Larger nursing homes should have a social worker
• Pharmaceutical services
• Individualized plans of care

Additionally, the Nursing Home Reform Act provides patients with a bill of rights that gives them a right to:

• Privacy
• Live in a safe environment
• Live without fear
• Dignity
• Voice grievances without fear of retaliation
• Be informed of changes to their plan of care
• Social contact

To receive funding from Medicaid or Medicare, nursing homes must meet regulations under the NHRA. While these regulations are in place to protect residents, many nursing homes still fail to meet the expected standards, putting nursing home residents at significant risk.

How Family Members Can Stay Involved

Nursing home mistreatment is actually more common than many people think. Of course, we never want to imagine that our senior loved one is being mistreated in an elder care facility, but it does happen. One of the best things family members can do to safeguard against such incidents is to visit their relatives frequently, place them into a facility with a positive record, and stay involved in their care consistently. Seniors who have serious health conditions or diabilities are increasingly vulnerable to maltreatment, especially if they are unable to vocalize what is happening.

Research shows that senior citizens are much more likely to face abuse or neglect within a nursing home compared to those who live in their own residence. This mistreatment can have tragic physical and emotional impacts on the elderly person. Those who are inflicting this mistreatment must be held accountable for their actions. Trust us when we say that our team is experienced, prepared, and can be relentless when it comes to protecting senior loved ones. We will have you and your loved one’s best of interest in mind the entire way through. We can help you take the steps necessary to ensure their safety while also gathering evidence to file a lawsuit against the offenders.

Types of Nursing Home Mistreatment

Injuries that develop due to abuse or neglect can be physical, sexual, and emotional, or entail financial exploitation. Common forms of senior mistreatment can occur in long-term care settings, assisted living, and nursing homes. Examples of injuries can include but are not limited to the following:

• Being deprived of water or food
• Unreasonable use of restraints (physical or chemical)
• Being force fed
• Unexplained cuts, bruises, or scratches
• Anxiety, depression, PTSD, or mood outbursts
• Cognitive impairments such as disorientation or confusion (as a result of head injuries or being heavily medicated)
• Improper medical care for current health issues
• Conditions that are unsanitary, that may lead to bedsores or infections
• Physical harm of shoving, shaking, slapping, or kicking
• Isolating from friends, family, or other residents when they wish to socialize
• Accidents that could have been avoided by addressing hazards in the environment or ensuring adequate staffing at all times

We understand that sometimes it can be difficult to know for sure whether your relative is suffering from nursing home abuse. Your loved one may be nervous to tell you about what is happening, or the staff claims it is your relative that is causing the problems. What we can do is investigate to see if there are signs of mistreatment. As an experienced team who is familiar with these sensitive cases, we know what to look for. If you feel like something is not right, then it probably isn’t. Call The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch right now for immediate advice on what to do from here.

Causes of Nursing Home Neglect

The mere thought of nursing home staff abusing residents is difficult to imagine. However, it happens more than you might like to think. Here are the most common reasons for nursing home abuse a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, GA sees.

• Understaffing: It is very difficult for nursing home residents to receive the care they need if there’s not enough staff. They may be forced to prioritize certain needs of residents over others. As a result, some residents might not get their medication on time or get proper nutrition.
• Underpaid Staff: If nursing home staff members aren’t compensated fairly, they may lack the motivation to provide a certain standard of care. They won’t go above and beyond, so many residents won’t get the care they deserve. These staff members might believe that they’re not paid enough to do a good job. After a while, this can lead to low morale, which can establish an environment of accepting low standards of care.
• Undertrained Staff: Nursing home staff members should receive adequate training before working residents. However, as a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, GA can confirm, some nursing home facilities don’t take the time to properly train their staff. Without proper training, staff members won’t know how to provide residents with proper care. They might not know how to care for residents with certain illnesses and disabilities or lack knowledge about the rights of residents.
• Burnout: Some nursing home staff members work long hours every day and may eventually experience burnout. Unfortunately, as a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, GA can attest, they may take it out on residents. Instead of releasing their frustrations in a constructive manner, they may act abusively towards residents.
• Lack of Consequences: One of the main reasons nursing home abuse continues to go on is a lack of consequences. Even when incidents of abuse are reported, local and state authorities might not investigate or punish those accused.

How a Nursing Home Lawyer Can Help

If your loved one suffered abuse at a nursing home, you should speak to a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, GA as soon as possible. During the initial consultation, your lawyer may want to find out about the circumstances surrounding the allegations of abuse and your family member’s mental and physical capacities.

If a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, GA believes that you have a strong case, he or she will bring a lawsuit against the nursing home facility and employees in a timely manner. Your lawyer will start the investigation process and gather evidence to support your case. He or she knows the true value of your case and will negotiate with the insurance company. With a skilled lawyer on your side, your loved one has a better chance of getting the justice he or she deserves.

Nursing Home Abuse Often Goes Unreported – Be Aware of the Signs

For many of us, taking care of older loved ones and family members is a part of life. Unfortunately, busy schedules often prevent us from providing the amount of attention they need, while their medical condition may make being in a nursing home or long-term care facility more practical. In these situations, it is important to be alert to any signs that elder abuse or neglect is occurring and then contact a nursing home lawyer Atlanta, GA families trust. Multiple studies and investigations indicate that incidents of abuse occur more commonly than most people think and often end up going unreported by the victims and the nursing home administrators involved.

I’m not sure what abuse can look like. What are some examples?

You may be hesitant to do anything because you are unsure of whether or not your family member is being abused. If they do not have obvious signs of physical abuse, you may be overreacting, right? Wrong. Our Atlanta, GA nursing home lawyer has seen abuse come in many different forms. Below, we will outline a few of the ways that abuse can present so that you can be aware of the signs.

• Your loved one seems scared of others at the nursing home.
• Your loved one’s finances are moved around in a way that is out of the ordinary.
• Your loved one suddenly makes a change to their will, naming someone from the nursing home in it.
• Your loved one has bedsores.
• Your loved one is not getting the correct dosage of medication.
• Your loved one was injured because someone was not monitoring them.
• Your loved one shows signs of malnourishment/not getting their basic needs met.

Our nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia wants you to know that abuse can be sneaky and not always obvious. It is important that you speak with your loved one regularly to check for signs of abuse. We know that it can be stressful and you may feel guilty if you discover your loved one has been abused. However, we are here to help right this wrong. If you would like to speak with a trusted Atlanta nursing home lawyer from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch, give us a call now.

Signs of Elder Abuse

An Atlanta, GA nursing home lawyer knows that elder abuse can take many forms. It may involve physical violence, threats, or sexual assault, all of which can leave the victim depressed, withdrawn, and fearful of speaking out. In some situations, it may involve financial fraud or theft, which victims are often ashamed to admit or unaware that it has occurred. In still other cases, abuse is in the form of neglect, where nursing home residents fail to get the proper medical care, feeding, and attention they need and deserve.

Anytime you have an older loved one being provided with care from others you need to be vigilant, this is even more so the case in situations where the person suffers dementia or other conditions that impair their ability to communicate.

• Signs to look for that may indicate abuse is occurring include:
• The presence of unexplained injuries or medical conditions
• Signs that your loved one is fearful, intimidated, or angry at a specific caregiver
• Having an unkempt appearance during visits and unexplained weight loss
• Being withdrawn and not wanting to engage in activities they previously enjoyed

Filing a Nursing Home Complaint

There are several reasons to consider filing a complaint with the Division of Healthcare Facility Regulation. If you or a loved one either suspects or has experienced abuse or neglect in a nursing home, it may be in your best interest to file a complaint. While you certainly can report your concerns to nursing home administration, the problem may involve nursing home mismanagement in many situations.

Be aware that you have the right to file the complaint anonymously if you choose. However, should you choose to remain anonymous, you will not receive information regarding the investigation outcome.

Taking Action

Overworked, exhausted, underpaid, and burnt-out staff are just a few of the reasons nursing home residents may succumb to abuse. Many problems may present themselves. As a family member of a loved one or a nursing home resident, you may suspect abuse or neglect. If you do, it’s critical to take action immediately to ensure that your loved one is protected. In some cases, the abuse may result in certain damages, especially if physical injuries result.

Medical care will be critical, but the damage that has been done can be devastating in some cases. If nursing home abuse is suspected, taking action to prevent further harm will be incredibly important. In some cases, it may be necessary to ensure that your loved one receives proper medical care and is removed from the dangerous situation.

When damages have resulted, you must take immediate action with the assistance of The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch.. To learn more about the services we provide, contact our Atlanta nursing home lawyer in GA as soon as possible. 

A nursing home lawyer Atlanta, GA trusts from The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch knows that when you suspect your loved one is being abused or neglected at a nursing home, you need to act quickly to remove them from that situation. Instead of hoping that situation resolves on its own, our lawyers know that the best thing you can do is to protect your loved one. We firmly believe that elderly people in nursing homes should get the respect and care they deserve but we have seen many situations where they do not. You may feel that this burden falls squarely on your shoulders to ensure that your family member is protected. However, we are here to help you and let you know that you are not alone. To speak with a nursing home lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia, please call us now.

Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Neglect

According to a 2017 investigative report by National Public Radio (NPR), elder abuse and nursing home neglect may be far more rampant than statistics would have us believe. The report states that as many as one-quarter of all cases in which those over the age of 65 are abused or neglected by their caregivers are not reported to police, even though it is required under both state and federal laws. These cases are not minor incidents, but rather involve serious allegations in which victims suffered potentially life-threatening injuries.

In 2019, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) newspaper investigated nursing home abuse and neglect throughout the state of Georgia. The investigation exposed 600 cases of neglect and 90 cases of abuse that had occurred during the prior four years at 400 assisted living facilities.

Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA), approximately 1 in 10 nursing home residents in the United States experiences some form of abuse. This means that millions of seniors are at risk of being abused or neglected in the very places where they are supposed to be safe and cared for.

There are many different types of nursing home abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial exploitation, and neglect. It is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of nursing home abuse so that you can intervene if you suspect that a loved one is being abused.

Let Us Help You Today

At The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch, we take allegations of elder abuse seriously. We can help put a stop to it while holding guilty parties accountable. If you suspect a loved one is being abused, contact our office to meet with a dedicated Atlanta, GA nursing home lawyer and find out what legal recourse your family may have.   

Atlanta Nursing Home Lawyer

Nursing home residents have certain rights that should be protected, as an Atlanta, GA nursing home lawyer can explain. The laws governing these institutions are rigorous, ensuring that the elderly and vulnerable receive the care and respect they deserve. When one delves into Georgia’s legal landscape, it’s evident how much importance the state places on this vulnerable population. For families and individuals seeking legal guidance in this domain, expertise is essential. Atlanta-based law firm, The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch, stands as a beacon for those needing informed representation. With a deep understanding of the state’s laws, they offer invaluable advice and advocacy.

Georgia’s Bill Of Rights For Residents Of Long-Term Care Facilities

A key piece of legislation that safeguards the rights of nursing home residents in Georgia is the “Bill of Rights for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities.” This legislation emphasizes several pivotal rights for residents. They have the right to receive dignity, respect and protections from any form of abuse. They’re also assured privacy during treatment and care. Furthermore, residents have the right to voice grievances without fear of retaliation, and they can access their medical records and choose their own physician. Their autonomy is recognized, allowing them freedom to participate in crafting their care plan and making informed decisions. 

Regulations On Staffing And Training

Ensuring the well-being of residents goes beyond their rights. It’s about the competence and training of those who care for them. As an Atlanta nursing home lawyer can explain, the state of Georgia has many regulations and laws concerning the number of staff and training requirements.  Notably, all nursing homes in Georgia must have a licensed administrator and a registered nurse as the director of nursing. There’s a keen focus on maintaining an optimal nurse-to-patient ratio, ensuring that every resident receives the care and attention they deserve. Additionally, the state mandates continuous training and professional development for nursing home staff. This proactive approach ensures that the caregivers are always abreast with the latest in care methodologies and best practices.

Legal Recourse For Violations

When nursing home laws and regulations are violated, residents and their families have the right to seek legal recourse. This may encompass actions for negligence, abuse, neglect, or any other harm caused to the resident. Being aware of these rights is essential so that justice can be served.  Penalties for these violations can be severe, ranging from substantial fines to the potential loss of license and even the levying of criminal charges. In these situations, the expertise of Atlanta + nursing home lawyers becomes invaluable. These legal professionals specialize in representing victims and their families, ensuring that they receive the compensation and justice they deserve.

Connect With A Skilled Lawyer 

The state of Georgia has a robust legal framework to ensure the well-being and rights of nursing home residents. From comprehensive bills of rights to stringent staffing requirements, these laws are designed to ensure the highest standards of care for the elderly and vulnerable. As with any legal landscape, staying informed and proactive is key to navigating it effectively. However, it’s essential to remember that laws are only as effective as their enforcement. If you or a loved one have concerns or grievances related to a nursing home in Georgia, seeking informed legal guidance is crucial. The Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch, a premier Atlanta + nursing home lawyer firm, is here to provide expert representation. Contact a lawyer near you right away if you need guidance regarding a nursing home abuse case.