Toward the end of 2009, a Greenville, MS family was awarded $1.5 million in a wrongful death suit filed against the owners and operators of a nursing home in which their elderly family member died. At the age of 83, Henry Gibson had a stroke and was placed in a nursing home on the recommendation of his doctor. This was so that he could gain his strength back, and undergo physical therapy.
Mr. Gibson died three years later in a hospital after being abused and neglected in that nursing home. This is the scenario that plays out all too often. We trust nursing homes to care for our elderly relatives, but nursing home abuse and neglect is a fact that concerns lawyers, and families who are considering placing their elderly loved one in a nursing home facility.
Like the victim in this tragic story, many residents of nursing homes suffer dehydration, malnutrition, bedsores and other ailments because they are not given the attention they deserve. Some are also mentally and physically abused. Many of these facilities claim that they are understaffed, which may be the case. However, this is no excuse for the inhumane way that many of our elderly are treated.
Nursing homes are often staffed with nurses who are sent through temporary staffing agencies. Many of these agencies do not perform the proper background checks, and staff that is sent out to work in our nursing homes may have drug addiction problems, or even criminal backgrounds. Elderly residents often have some of the usual symptoms of old age, such as dementia or short term memories. Staff members inflict physical abuse on these patients, knowing that they are not capable of reporting the behavior to their families. They may even threaten the elderly into silence.
Abuse and neglect is not limited to physical punishment. Withholding food, drink and timely medication is also abuse. In many nursing homes, residents are not fed or given medication when it is time. This means that residents suffer from malnutrition, and may even become seriously ill because they were not given their medication as prescribed.
When you visit your loved ones in a nursing home, check for signs of abuse and neglect. Try to talk to your loved one, especially if you suspect that something is not right. Look for evidence of neglect such as bed sores or noticeable weight loss. If you do believe you have cause for concern, speak to authorities of the nursing home. Contact an aggressive and reputable New York nursing home abuse and neglect attorney to learn your rights, and what steps may be necessary if your loved one is suffering at the hands of negligent facilities.
