Cumming Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Experienced Cumming Attorneys for Nursing Home Neglect

Living with neglect and abuse is a heartbreaking reality for many residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Georgia and nationwide. These cases almost always share a few basic common problems: understaffed facilities that are more concerned with saving a few extra dollars than providing proper medical care, lack of oversight and supervision by the facilities' administrators, or an overall failure to diligently monitor the residents to ensure their basic care needs are being met.

Common nursing home injuries include broken bones caused by falls, bedsores caused by failure to move or monitor a resident, dehydration, and malnutrition. Some cases result in death.

Many of these injuries can be traced back to preventable acts of negligence such as the following:

• Use of unlicensed personnel and certified nursing assistants (CNA) for tasks that only licensed nurses are qualified to perform
• Abuse or inattentive care
• Failure to implement proper care plans that would prevent bedsores (decubitus ulcers) and pressure sores
• Failure to prevent nursing home falls that result in broken hips or other bone fractures
• Overdosing the resident on psychotropic drugs such as Haldol

One of the prime motivating forces of many of the clients of The Manton Law Firm, LLC is prevention of repeated neglect that might cause harm to future residents. Correcting faulty procedures to prevent future neglect and injury is just as important as monetary compensation to families of nursing home residents who are the victims of nursing home neglect and abuse. Pursuing a lawsuit cannot bring back those who have died prematurely due to the negligence of management or personnel at those facilities. A nursing home abuse lawsuit can, however, help to bring about change and hopefully prevent the same thing from happening to future residents and their families.

Identifying Signs of Neglect and Abuse in Nursing Homes

Do you have reason to believe that your elderly family member may be suffering some type of abuse or neglect in a nursing home? As the old saying goes, where there's smoke, there's fire. If you suspect abuse is occurring in the nursing home environment, it probably is. There are certain red-flag warning signs to look for in determining whether your loved one is in a "good" nursing home or not.

Things to watch out for include:

• Missing personal items
• Dirty clothing and evidence of poor hygiene maintenance (such as lying in soiled clothing or bed sheets)
• Bladder incontinence when there were no such problems prior to admission
• Weight loss in a short period of time
• Dehydration and / or malnutrition
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Lack of organized activities for residents
• Observations of staff being rude or inattentive to other residents' needs (of course, they will never be rude or inattentive to your loved one while YOU are there, so it can be a good idea to drop in for an unannounced visit)
• Poor sanitary conditions
• Fall-related injuries, especially multiple falls
• Development of bedsores or pressure sores
• Not enough staff on duty to meet residents' needs, especially on weekends.

Steps to Take if Nursing Home Abuse is Suspected

Of course, none of the aforementioned factors guarantee that you have a potential lawsuit. Sometimes these situations can arise in a nursing home even with good, attentive care. If, however, you are observing or have observed these warning signs at a nursing home then you should be especially alert to the possibility that sub-standard care is being provided to your loved one. You should make the facility's nursing home administrator aware of these situations - do not be afraid to voice your concerns in a polite but firm manner! You should also contact the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to alert them of what you have observed - if you do not have their particular name and number then ask the nursing home administrator or call (888) 454-5826.

Hopefully, you can recognize these warning signs ahead of time, and the nursing home will take the steps necessary to prevent serious injury and / or death to your loved one. It is far more common, however, for these warning signs to remain hidden beneath the surface until it is too late.

If you feel that your loved one's serious injury or death was caused by nursing home neglect or abuse, contact The Manton Law Firm, LLC to schedule a free case evaluation and discuss your options for justice.