Orangeburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
Nursing homes provide critical, around-the-clock skilled nursing services to many vulnerable adults in South Carolina. Many of our friends and neighbors have elderly relatives in a nursing home, struggling with dementia or other illnesses. Unfortunately, the care in these homes is not always ideal. In fact, countless residents are being abused but do not know how to cry out for help. Contact The Stanley Law Group if you suspect a loved one is suffering any type of abuse in a long-term care facility: physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse. An Orangeburg nursing home abuse lawyer can investigate and take swift legal action.
Identifying Nursing Home Abuse
Nursing home abuse is not always apparent, and there might be no visible scars. Many concerned family members are left in the dark. However, there are some signs which should cause you to sit up and take notice.
Our firm has helped many people bring legal claims based:
- Physical abuse. This includes pinching, grabbing, punching, suffocating, or any other type of assault. Refusing to feed or hydrate a resident is also a type of physical abuse. Common symptoms include bruises, fractures, bleeding, dehydration, and unexplained trips to the hospital.
- Psychological abuse. Not all abuse is physical. A resident might suffer from teasing, taunting, or attempts to isolate them from friends and family. Some residents will withdraw into a shell. A common red flag is any dramatic change in personality. Someone who was outgoing might no longer talk when you visit.
- Chemical abuse. A nursing home can chemically abuse a resident by giving them unnecessary drugs, often to restrain them. Too many doctors prescribe psychoactive drugs to make a resident unconscious or easier to handle.
- Sexual abuse. Some residents are groped or raped. Some signs include any sexually transmitted infections, bruising around the genitals or buttocks, and torn underwear.
- Financial abuse. Some residents are the victims of identity theft, or someone steals money or objects from them. Common signs are creditors calling to report delinquent payments or collection actions. Pull a credit report and see if an elderly loved one opened any lines of credit recently. That’s usually a sign of identity theft.
Abuse is often committed by staff at a nursing home, including orderlies, kitchen help, or activity directors. However, some abuse might be the fault of other residents, who can wander freely around the facility without any supervision or restraint. Either way, a nursing home is often legally liable for any abuse happening on the premises.
Speak with Our Orangeburg Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers
The Stanley Law Group is available to take your calls. We can take swift action to protect a loved one, including moving them or reporting the nursing home to the state. You might also be able to bring a lawsuit for compensation. Abuse often causes unwarranted pain and suffering, as well as additional medical expenses. For example, someone who is dangerously dehydrated could require months in the hospital. Your loved one deserves compensation—and the nursing home must be held accountable. Call us today.
