West Virginia Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys 

It can be difficult to come to decide that they be cared for professionally. Usually after much thought and evaluation of various options, many entrust their care into the hands of the professionals in a nursing home.

Loving families fully believe that their loved one will be cared for with compassion and respect, and that this will help them stay healthy and safe. In recent years, as the population ages, there has been an increase in the number of nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that serve the community and offer to care for the elderly.

Tragically, there has also been a frightening increase in the numbers of cases of abuse, neglect and loss of life through nursing home abuse throughout the state.

Identifying Nursing Home Abuse

More and more senior citizens in the area are living in nursing homes or assisted living communities and when this is the case, they deserve to have their rights and dignity respected by those whom they depend on for daily care. The majority of health care professionals and staff in nursing homes are helpful and well-intentioned individuals who do their jobs, but in an alarming number of cases, elderly people are victimized.

When a nursing home resident is subjected to emotional, physical or sexual abuse at the hands of facility staff, that facility and the individuals who perpetrated the abuse can be held accountable for their acts, even to the point of filing a wrongful death lawsuit. While many cases of this type are based on violence towards the victim, in a large number of cases the claim is based on the fact of negligence, where the victim is left in isolated or unclean quarters. A dedicated West Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer can speak with you about the case and help you get started on a strategy for recovering damages.

Types of Nursing Home Injuries 

Bed Sores and Bruises

Bed sores and bruises are often as a result of an individual being neglected or abandoned by a nursing home attendant. Proper care, attention, regular walks and even basic movement, can all prevent bed sores and bruises from forming. No access to a bathroom, clean sheets, medical care, or general inactivity could cause circulation to be cut off and bed sores and bruises to form.

Broken Bones

When a resident, with limited mobility, is left unattended or abandoned, they may attempt to try and get around on their own. Improper or no railings, wet floors, and other factors could cause the person to fall and break a bone. Malnutrition and dehydration can also contribute to loss of bone density making it easier for a person to have a bone broken, even from a seemingly simply activity.

Head Injuries

Nursing home residents are there for a reason. Most of them require a certain level of care and attention in order to eat, get around and maintain a relatively decent quality of life. Head injuries are often seen when residents have been abandoned or their requests for help go unanswered, and they attempt to accomplish tasks all on their own.

Medication Errors

A common responsibility of a nursing home attendant is giving residents their prescribed medication. Medication errors and potentially life-threatening circumstances can arise when staff is inexperienced, negligent or do not have proper procedures in place to ensure residents are given the correct medication at the correct time.

Poor Hygiene

Hygiene is a fundamental concern of most individuals. In nursing homes, the staff is responsible for ensuring the residents maintain a certain level of cleanliness and hygiene. Poor hygiene leaves individuals susceptible to infections, injuries and illness which could have been avoided had proper hygiene basics been observed.

Doctor and Nursing Errors

Many residents of nursing homes are also under the care of doctors due to specific medical or physical conditions. When a doctor is negligent or fails to follow through with their nursing home patient, they can commit serious errors resulting in potentially life-threatening injuries or illnesses. A mistaken prescription, wrong dosage and more can all have catastrophic effects.

Physical Abuse

Abandonment, neglect and inattention to a resident's needs can all be forms of abuse. One of the worse types of nursing home abuse is blatant physical abuse. Intentionally causing pain and suffering to an already vulnerable individual, who has been entrusted to your care, is inexcusable and should not go unpunished.

Wrongful Death

There is very little more tragic than the wrongful death of a family member or loved one. When a loved one dies as a result of some form of nursing home abuse, at the hands of an individual entrusted to care for them, it is an extremely painful and emotional experience.