Residents and their families should feel confident and secure in their choice of nursing home. After all, these facilities are legally obligated to provide both competent nursing care and a safe environment to residents.
Sadly, failures at every level lead to a high frequency of nursing home resident injuries due to abuse. This abuse can be incredibly detrimental to the physical health and emotional well-being of impacted residents and their families. A nursing home that allows this abuse to occur on its property has an obligation to compensate victims. A Kingstree nursing home abuse lawyer could help residents and family members understand their rights. The capable personal injury attorneys of Whetstone Perkins & Fulda will demand that nursing homes provide the payments necessary to make things right.
What Might Abuse in a Nursing Home Look Like?
Abuse in a Kingstree nursing home can take many forms and happen in several ways. One of the most common types of nursing home injures is a breach of a standard of care on the part of an employee or management. Mistreatment or neglect can seriously and adversely affect the health of residents. A staff member who does not provide proper help in the shower or who does not lend a helping hand in moving to the dining room may commit abuse through omission. Other common injuries that result from staff negligence include bedsores, malnutrition, dehydration, and social isolation.
Intentional Abuse
Another source of nursing home abuse is intentional acts of violence. Unexplained injuries or changes in demeanor are a cause for concern. A Kingstree attorney could help you take legal action if you suspect that your loved is being neglected or intentionally harmed in a nursing home.
Nursing Home Liability
Because every nursing home takes senior citizens under their care, they have a legal duty to keep them safe. Any failure to honor this duty that results in a physical injury creates legal liability. State law requires that nursing homes strive to ensure resident welfare and provide training and hiring services to decrease the chance of abuse.
A Kingstree attorney with experience handling nursing home abuse cases could help investigate the reason for an injury. Ways in which nursing home management or staff can be liable for injuries include:
- Negligent hiring
- Improper training practices
- A failure to properly monitor employees
When to File a Claim
There is limited time under the law to demand compensation for injury-related losses. The three-year time limit, pursuant to South Carolina Code § 15-3-530, applies to most nursing home abuse cases. It is crucial to contact an attorney as quickly as possible in these cases to ensure that all necessary steps are taken within this timeframe.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Kingstree Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today
All nursing home residents deserve to feel safe and secure in their medical care and day-to-day needs. However, nursing homes can be dangerous places, especially when management does not provide proper training or oversight over their employees. This can lead to breaches in standards of care that range from oversight to outright violence.
The victims of these acts deserve compensation. A Kingstree nursing home abuse lawyer at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda is ready to take the lead in investigating the reason for an injury, determining its impact on a resident’s life, and demanding full fair and prompt payments. Reach out to us today to get started.