At Bostic Law Group, P.A. in Charleston, we understand that entrusting the care of a loved one to a nursing home or group home can be a difficult decision with many emotions and factors to consider. While full time care is beneficial for many, improper medical treatment and care from the nursing home staff can put your elderly loved ones in danger. If you have suspicions that your loved one has become the victim of nursing home abuse or negligence, it is important to act quickly to end their mistreatment and obtain compensation for additional care and losses stemming from the careless actions of staffers.
Nursing home neglect and abuse can take many forms, including, but not limited to:
- Abuse or neglect
- Bedsores
- Failure to supervise, leading to the resident wandering off
- Injuries
- Over medicating a resident to control or restrain the individual
- Malnutrition & dehydration
- Wrongful death
We are passionate about protecting nursing home and group home residents from harm caused by negligence or abuse. We know how trying it can be to place your loved one’s care, and your trust, into the hands of nursing home employees. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen firsthand the pain and anger our clients have felt after learning that their loved one has been mistreated, neglected, or abused.
We are here to help. Contact our experienced and compassionate Charleston nursing home abuse attorneys at (843) 350-9646 or contact us online for more details.
HOW TO REPORT NURSING HOME ABUSE
Nursing home abuse is tragically common—studies suggest that as many as 5,000,000 elderly people are abused each year in the United States. Sadly, this number may be much lower than the reality as many elderly people are too afraid, or in some cases not lucid enough, to come forward.
Nursing home abuse can fall under one or more of the following categories:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Financial abuse
- Mental abuse
- Neglect
If you suspect for any reason that your elderly family member or friend in nursing home care is being abused, look into it immediately. The same goes if your loved one claims or suggests they have been mistreated. Even if they are or have suffered from delusions in the past, it is important to believe such claims because you never know when they may stem from the truth.
Signs of abuse may include:
- Bed sores
- Frozen joints
- Poor hygiene
- Sudden changes in behavior or mood
- Abruptly changed wills or financial documents
- Large sums of money missing from the resident’s bank account
- The resident’s possessions are lost or missing
- STIs, genital infections, or vaginal or anal bleeding
To report suspected nursing home abuse, contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). The DHEC will investigate on your behalf. If mistreatment is discovered, call us for a legal consultation. Alternatively, if you are certain of abuse, we can investigate the situation for you ourselves.
INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF YOUR LOVED ONE’S INJURIES
If your loved one has experienced an unexplained injury while under the care of a nursing home, it is important to speak to an attorney about the situation as quickly as possible. Unexplained injuries or falls may be the result of nursing home negligence or abuse and may be an indicator of other mistreatment.
Common causes of injuries include:
- Failure to properly secure residents in a wheelchair
- Faulty beds, chairs, or equipment
- Improper administration of medication
- Improper operation of lifting systems during transfers
- Loose railings or wet floors
The most important step in determining whether you have a case to pursue compensation involves investigating the cause of your loved one’s injuries. Our staff will conduct a thorough investigation of the events leading to their injuries, looking for any evidence that the assisted living facility employees were negligent. From the moment you retain us, we will begin investigating the events leading to your loved one’s injuries or fall.
Any evidence of neglect or abuse found during our research will then be used to create a case for a claim against the nursing home. Such a claim is designed to help your family recover compensation for your loved one’s medical care stemming from the injuries, and punitive damages for the pain and suffering they may have experienced as a result of the nursing home’s neglect or abuse. We are happy to meet with you to discuss your case without obligation.
COMMITTED TO ENDING NEGLIGENCE & ABUSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA NURSING HOMES
Our South Carolina nursing home neglect lawyers have seen firsthand the far-reaching impact that nursing home neglect and abuse can have on your loved one in elder care as well as your family. Through aggressive representation, we will fight to help you end the mistreatment of your loved one. We will also help you pursue compensation and punitive damages in an effort to ensure that the parties responsible for your loved one’s mistreatment never commit such acts on other South Carolina residents again.
On you and your family’s behalf, we will conduct settlement negotiations with the nursing home’s insurance company to attempt to secure compensation for your loved one’s medical bills and pain and suffering that have resulted from the negligence. If a settlement appears unreachable or against your family’s best interests, we will gladly take your case to court to prove the nursing home’s negligence and pursue judgment in your favor.
Throughout our service, we will provide the compassionate and attentive support your family deserves during this troubling period in your lives; you will be given constant updates on your proceedings and advice on upcoming steps that require your attention. In short, your family will never be left wondering how your case is progressing, nor will you be left to make important decisions alone.
CONTACT OUR OFFICE TO SCHEDULE A LEGAL CONSULTATION
If your loved one has fallen victim to nursing home neglect or abuse, it is important to contact an attorney immediately; our staff can help you remove your loved one from danger while simultaneously beginning the process of building your case against the nursing home.
To help reduce some of the anxiety you feel during this difficult time, we offer our representation on a contingent basis, meaning that you do not pay legal fees unless we are successful in helping you recover compensation for your loved one’s mistreatment.
Contact our office online or call (843) 350-9646 to schedule a legal consultation to discuss your family’s nursing home neglect concerns with one of our experienced attorneys.
