Cleveland Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

What To Watch Out For In Nursing Homes

If your parents or other loved ones are unable to care for themselves, you may have made the difficult decision to entrust them to an Ohio nursing home or assisted living facility. You may have had to scrape together your family’s resources to pay for the exorbitant cost of services. Yet sadly, not all care facilities truly care. A Cleveland nursing home abuse lawyer is a vital resource if your loved one has been harmed by those you trusted to care for them.

If your loved one has received substandard care, turn to Rumizen Weisman Attorneys, in Cleveland. Follow these steps if you suspect nursing home abuse or neglect, and contact our attorneys. Our seasoned trial lawyers have a 40-year track record of success representing victims of nursing home injuries across the state. We are confident that we can assess your situation and determine whether you have grounds for legal recourse.

Cost-Cutting Measures Are Dangerous

The sad truth is that nursing homes are for-profit businesses, so they do what they can to maximize profit and minimize expenses. Unfortunately, it is the elderly residents of these facilities who suffer due to these cost-saving measures in most cases.

When a facility cuts expenses, the quality of care often suffers. This can lead to many types of elder abuse and neglect and a wide array of problems at nursing homes, including:

• Injuries from falls
• Choking on food
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Diabetic comas or renal failure
• Bedsores/pressure ulcers
• Elopement/wandering off

We also represent adults and minors who have been injured at group homes due to abuse or neglect. One of the most challenging aspects of these cases is the fact that, because family members may only see the victim occasionally, it may be difficult for them to assess whether abuse or neglect has been happening.

Nursing home abuse and neglect cases can involve various forms of mistreatment, including:

• Physical abuse. Elder care staff must use appropriate care and caution when helping their residents. Unfortunately, many elderly residents in nursing homes throughout the United States are intentionally physically harmed by their caregivers. This could include being too rough when repositioning residents or more serious acts like overt physical violence.
• Sexual abuse. Some nursing home residents are subjected to various forms of sexual abuse by their caregivers. This can lead to serious criminal charges for the party or parties responsible, as well as penalties for the nursing home organization.
• Financial exploitation. Some caregivers will find their way into residents’ personal finances and may engage in check fraud, credit card fraud, and other forms of financial abuse.
• Psychological abuse. Caregivers may threaten or intimidate their residents, and it is also possible for caregivers to prey upon residents who have memory problems and other disabilities in various ways, causing great psychological distress that can eventually lead to adverse physical symptoms.
• Bedsores. Residents who must remain in bed are often unable to reposition themselves and must be repositioned by nursing home staff regularly to prevent the formation of bedsores and pressure ulcers. Failure to monitor for these conditions can be potentially life-threatening.
• General neglect, such as failure to ensure proper nutrition, hydration, and medication for residents. Neglect can also entail failure to keep residents and their living spaces clean.

Victims of elder abuse are sometimes unable to speak up for themselves, or they may be afraid to speak up due to reprisals from their abusers. Some have cognitive impairments or other disabilities that can make it difficult for them to communicate. It’s crucial for visiting family members to stay vigilant during their interactions and to know the signs of abuse or neglect.

According to 2023 US Census data, there are more than 14,000 residents between the ages of 70 and 74, nearly 9,000 between 75 to 79, over 6,000 between the ages of 80 and 84, and over 6,000 residents over the age of 85. Many people living in the area have elderly family members who rely on nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other businesses to provide daily care, but unfortunately, many of these trusted caregivers fail to meet their obligations.

Know the Signs of Elder Abuse and Neglect

When you visit an elderly family member, pay close attention to the state of their living space and the rest of the facility. All elder care facilities should be neat, clean, and organized. Elder abuse can mean failure to ensure clean living spaces, failure to provide clean sheets and clothing, or failure to ensure residents are bathed regularly.

An elderly loved one who has experienced abuse or neglect may display signs of emotional instability. They may appear withdrawn, depressed, or even angry. If you notice any sudden changes in your loved one’s demeanor, it’s important to investigate whether this could be a response to mistreatment they have experienced.

Similarly, pay close attention to any signs of recent injuries. If your loved one has any type of unexplained injury or if they have signs of recent injury, but the facility cannot provide an adequate answer as to what happened, it is crucial to investigate thoroughly. Whenever a nursing home resident suffers an accidental injury, their caregivers are required to document it in an incident report and, in most cases, notify the family immediately.

Why You Should Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing home abuse cases are inherently difficult in several ways. First, you face the emotional difficulty of confronting the fact that your loved one has been abused or neglected. This can be distressing and incredibly frustrating. Next, you face the challenge of removing them from this dangerous situation, arranging alternative care, and consulting a Cleveland nursing home abuse lawyer who can help you pursue accountability and compensation for your damages.

In addition to liability for the damages the victim and your family have suffered, nursing home abuse penalties can sometimes include criminal charges. If a specific individual engaged in the abuse, they could face prosecution, and it is also possible for the nursing home organization to face penalties as well. Your attorney can explain all applicable Cleveland nursing home abuse laws and how they factor into your case.

Success with your case will require proving exactly how your elderly family member has been abused and identifying the party or parties responsible. In this type of personal injury case, the victim and their family may have grounds to claim various economic damages, including additional medical treatment costs for the victim’s injuries or illness, and compensation for any other economic losses, like lost income if a family member was forced to leave work.

Additionally, the victim may also receive pain and suffering compensation to account for the physical pain and psychological distress they experienced. The court could also order the defendant to pay restitution or punitive damages as well, further increasing the plaintiff’s total recovery. Your Cleveland nursing home abuse lawyer at Rumizen Weisman Attorneys can assist your family with maximizing your total compensation.

We’re Ready To Listen And Help

It is crucial to act quickly if you suspect that your loved one has been subjected to any form of abuse by those you have paid and trusted to care for them. Nursing home abuse cases are inherently difficult in several ways, and you face a time limit for building and filing your case. It is crucial that you connect with legal counsel you trust at your first opportunity to have a better chance of reaching a positive outcome.

Our firm can immediately begin gathering evidence to support your case. We can investigate whether the nursing home or elder care facility has had previous complaints or known incidents of abuse and neglect to establish a pattern of behavior, proving they are liable for the harm your loved one experienced.

We have successfully secured many substantial verdicts and settlements for past clients in a wide range of cases, including elder abuse cases. Trust us to negotiate a settlement on your family’s behalf if possible, but we are fully prepared to represent you in litigation if necessary.

If you believe that your family member was harmed due to neglect or abuse, please call us today at 216-304-2318 and set up a free consultation.

Let the attorneys at Rumizen Weisman Attorneys listen empathetically to your story and advise you about your rights. We will fight for the care and compensation of your loved ones.