Indianapolis Nursing Home Injury Lawyers Seeking Protection & Justice For Vulnerable Loved Ones
Last updated on April 25, 2024
As our population ages, more people will rely on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to provide their health care. Like other medical professionals, nursing home staff members are expected to maintain a certain level of care to protect the people in their facility. Sadly, abuse and nursing home injuries are not uncommon.
Nursing home injuries can occur because of failure to maintain the required level of care. This level of negligence can lead to bedsores, also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, malnutrition, falls and broken bones, and abuse. In many cases, negligence occurs due to inadequate training, lack of supervision, inadequate staffing or improper hiring practices.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home injuries or have been injured by negligent conduct in a nursing home, it is important to act quickly to protect your rights.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
Abuse and neglect can be both physical and mental. Nursing home abuse and neglect can be found in several areas:
- Improper nutrition and hydration
- Poor personal hygiene
- Medication errors
- Inadequate fall protection
- Call button is not in reach or not working
- Turning orders for bed-bound residents not followed
- Leaving a resident in soiled garments for extended periods of time
- The physical striking of a resident
- Inappropriate restraint of a resident
- Verbal abuse
- Ignoring a complaint or punishing a resident for making a complaint
- Withholding medical care
- Sexual assault or rape of a resident
- Taking money or other personal property
Your older loved one doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. Call us today at 888-229-1778 so we can help you seek the justice your loved one deserves.
What Are The Rights Of Nursing Home Residents In Indiana?
The Hoosier State offers numerous rights to older and vulnerable adults in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They include the right to:
- Be treated with care, respect and dignity
- Have access to the services, care and medical treatment they deserve
- Engage in the activities that bring them joy and fulfillment
- Raise concerns about their treatment or the treatment of others inside the facility
- Access their personal and medical records when they want
- Keep their medical, financial and other personal records private
These are only a few examples of the rights to which nursing home residents are entitled while living in a nursing home or assisted living facility. You can review the complete list of rights on the Indiana Ombudsman’s office’s website.
How Do You Document And Report Nursing Home Abuse?
If you feel unsure about what to do, follow these steps:
- Observe your loved ones’ physical appearance/behavior: Do they look exhausted, bruised or malnourished? Do they not seem like their usual self? Are they experiencing extreme mood swings, anxiety or depression? These are often telltale signs of abuse.
- Gather evidence of physical trauma: Take pictures of their bruises, bedsores or scars if they have them, especially if they are new or seem to happen more frequently than usual.
- Report your concerns and evidence to the nursing home: Even if they don’t respond or take appropriate action, their unwillingness to help you could further demonstrate their negligence.
- Report your concerns to the state: You can call the Indiana State Department of Health’s complaint line. They can conduct a broader investigation of the facility and see if more than just your loved one has suffered harm at the hands of staff or specific caretakers.
Once you’ve gathered the evidence and filed formal complaints, we can help you and your loved one hold their nursing home facility accountable for failing to care for your loved one properly. We will dedicate our time, attention, and resources to seek compensation and justice for your family.
How Can You Protect Your Loved One While Their Nursing Home Is Under Investigation?
This can depend on the needs of your loved one and the type of care they prefer. While their home is under investigation, we can help you look into temporary housing for them and thoroughly review any advance medical or care directives they have to determine how to proceed.
What Kind Of Compensation Can You Get In A Nursing Home Abuse Case?
A few of the things it can cover include:
- Nursing home expenses and other associated costs
- Medical and mental health treatment to address the physical or psychological injury to the resident
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Costs of transferring to and paying for a new nursing home
- Recovery compensation from any money the resident lost due to financial abuse by nursing home staff
Have more questions about what else it can cover? Reach out today and we can explain what might be available to you.
Are There State Or Federal Resources Available For Victims Of Nursing Home Abuse?
In Indiana, you can contact Adult Protective Services. They can help you respond appropriately to your loved one’s situation. For federal programs, Medicare and Medicaid offer resources to help you identify, report, and address nursing home abuse. What Medicare and Medicaid can do for you often depends on your loved one’s circumstances.
Contact Us Today
If you or a loved one has been injured by negligent conduct or has been the victim of an injury in a nursing home or similar facility, it is important to act quickly to protect your rights. Our Indianapolis nursing home injury attorneys can assist you.
At Hovde Dassow + Deets, LLC, we are here to provide you with quality legal counsel you can depend on. Call our Indianapolis nursing home injury attorneys at 888-229-1778 to begin.