Nursing Home Abuse to the Extremes
We have recently highlighted some of the deplorable standards across Ohio for nursing home care and quality. While these every day occurrences and pathetic benchmarks are concerning in and of themselves, we also have extreme cases of abuse across the US.
A nursing home patient is often completely reliant on their providers for care including; medicine, basic hygiene, food and more. When a caregiver violates this trust or worse, where they intend to cause harm or death, we cross into a completely different territory. Intentional abuse, physical or sexual in nature, is not only grounds for a criminal case but can also warrant a civil suit. You have trusted the care of your loved one to a service provider, and it is their duty to ensure the safety and well being of their patients!
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure caregivers follow facility guidelines and above all else do not cause harm. Lack of supervision or poor screening and hiring practices can yield tragic results. Unfortunately, there is no national hiring standard for caregivers in facilities and nursing homes. Individuals with criminal histories are reported to be employed at 92% of all nursing care facilities across the US. All too often a criminal will prey upon the weak, moving from facility to facility undetected and dangerous.
Protecting Our Loved Ones
A recent case in Ontario highlighted the extreme nature this type of behavior can take. A nurse was charged with 14 counts including murder charges, for murdering 8 patients in a nursing home and injuring at least 6 others.
Being vigilant and involved is absolutely the best means of protecting your loved one from nursing home abuse. or neglect. Recognizing the signs of abuse is critical.
- Your loved one becomes withdrawn
- Physical signs of abuse
- Changes in behavior
- Signs of damage to clothing or bedding
- Signs of blood or clean up
- Sudden lack of coherence
- New or worsening fears or paranoia
- Unclear facility policies for hiring / screening / training
- History of issues or abuse
Only about 20% of abuse is reported, which means the guilty individuals can go undetected for decades.
If you or your loved one is suffering from abuse at the hands of their care giver or nursing care facility, you must contact me immediately. As your Ohio nursing home negligence attorney, I’ll be there for you, and I’ll Make Them Pay!®
Author: Tim Misny | For over four decades, personal injury lawyer Tim Misny has represented the injured victim in in birth injury, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injury/wrongful death cases, serving Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, Dayton and neighboring communities. You can reach Tim by email at misnylaw.com/ask-tim-a-question/ or call at 877.944.4373
