United States federal authorities recently fined a nursing home more than $185,000 after a report, and investigation of its facilities, revealed that residents suffered verbal and physical abuse in the hands of staff members and a fellow resident.
Nursing home abuse, however, is not an isolated incident in the US. A nursing home advocacy group has released a report showing a prevalence of nursing home abuse in Nevada, citing Nevada nursing homes as ‘among the worst in the country.’
Nevada state law enumerates specific types of elderly abuse such as:
- Abuse
- Neglect
- Exploitation
- Isolation
Furthermore, Nevada nursing home laws define elder abuse as “any intentional, knowing or negligent act by a nursing home caregiver or other person that subjects an older person to harm or serious risk of harm.” You must be at least 60 years old in order to claim elder abuse in a nursing home.
Signs of elder abuse
Abuse may be physical, sexual, verbal, or financial. Incidents of abuse, however, are often unreported by the victims due to their frail physical and weak mental health. Thus, it’s important to pay constant and close attention to your elderly loved ones and be aware of indications of abuse such as:
- Drastic weight loss
- Malnutrition
- Bedsores
- Broken bones and fractures
- Unexplained injuries
- Overmedication
- Bleeding in genital areas
- Affliction of sexually transmitted diseases
- Frequent bank account withdrawals
- Revisions to Deeds, Wills or Trusts
- Losses of personal property
When you suspect nursing home abuse, your first step is to verify incidents by talking to other residents, gathering medical records and photographic evidence of injuries and other signs of abuse. Remove your elderly relative from the facility and seek legal advice from an experienced personal injury lawyer. Your loved ones may be entitled to compensation for their injuries.
In Henderson, Nevada, here at David Boehrer law firm we have years of personal injury experience, and can help clients and their families to recover damages arising from nursing home abuse. We also handle other cases such as auto accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, wrongful death, premises liability and other personal injury cases.