Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing Home Abuse: Unreasonable Physical or Chemical Restraints

Published on: September 3, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

unlawful use of physical and chemical restraints in nursing homes

Georgia law gives nursing home residents the right to be free from chemical and physical restraints that restrict mobility. While there can be legitimate reasons for them, some nursing care facilities use these tools to keep difficult residents in line.

This can be a violation of state and federal law, as both prohibit using restraints for the sake of convenience rather than out medical necessity.

Physical restraints are any devices or equipment used to restrict a resident’s freedom of movement. Common types of physical restraints used in nursing homes include:

Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: What You Should Know About Heat Injuries

Published on: July 16, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

Although Georgia’s hot and humid summers can be miserable for anyone, the extreme temperatures can be downright deadly for seniors. Elderly adults are particularly vulnerable to heat stress injuries. Not only do older people have a more difficult time adjusting to temperature shifts, but they may also have chronic health conditions that affect the way their body reacts to heat or be taking a prescription drug that impacts temperature regulation.

nursing home neglect heat injuries As a result, the summer months can be especially dangerous for elderly residents in overcrowded and understaffed nursing homes.

Nursing home residents are susceptible to numerous heat-related injuries and illnesses, such as:

Protecting a Loved One From Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect When You Can't Visit Regularly

Published on: May 21, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

taking care of loved ones while far away Van Sant Law

Moving a loved one into a nursing home is a difficult decision. If you have a demanding work schedule or live too far away to visit regularly, you may be especially concerned about whether your relative’s needs are being met. You might also be worried they could become a victim of nursing home abuse.

Sadly, these concerns aren’t unfounded. Studies show nursing home residents who don’t get visitors are more likely to suffer abuse or neglect, as staff members may assume that no one will notice—or challenge—their poor conduct, and seniors

may be too isolated or frightened to report their mistreatment.

Watch for Signs of Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse Over the Holidays

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

During the holiday season, many people visit nursing homes. You may go to a nursing care facility to see friends or family members, or as a volunteer to bring holiday cheer. When visiting a nursing home facility, it is imperative to be on the lookout for signs of any problems that could indicate a vulnerable senior is being abused.

According to WIAT, nursing home abuse is extremely common. One survey of 2,000 residents of nursing home facilities revealed 44 percent said they had personally been the victims of abuse and 95 percent had witnessed someone else being either abused or neglected. Too many seniors are not able to speak up for themselves to put a stop to abuse, and they need someone who can help them to file appropriate reports and file civil lawsuits to get compensation for harm they endure. An elder abuse lawyer can help those who are harmed by abuse, so speak up and get in touch with an attorney if you believe someone in your life has been harmed by poor treatment at a nursing home.

Signs of Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse to Watch For

Selecting a Nursing Home in Atlanta, Georgia

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

When you become unable to live on your own or when a loved one or family member needs full-time assistance, a nursing home may be the best solution. Nursing homes or assisted living facilities promise to provide medical care and attentive support and supervision to patients. Unfortunately not all nursing homes live up to the promise they make, however, and nursing home abuse has become a very real problem in American nursing homes.

With nursing home abuse such a major problem, Atlanta nursing home abuse attorneys urge those choosing a facility for themselves or their loved ones to exercise great care in researching nursing home options. These tips on selecting a nursing home can help you to make sure that you choose the right nursing home and minimize the potential risk of nursing home abuse.

Make sure that the nursing home facility is licensed. Information on licensed facilities in Georgia can be found using the website of the Georgia Department of Community Health

Are Atlanta Nursing Homes Repeatedly Violating the Same Safety Rules?

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

There are safety rules and regulations applicable to nursing homes throughout the Atlanta area in order to prevent nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect. Unfortunately, many of these standards are violated by nursing care facilities. This can have serious consequences for patients.

An in-depth review of nursing homes in one state recently revealed the facilities which are cited for safety violations are often accused of committing repeat offenses. Evidence suggests this trend is widespread throughout the United States, with many homes making the same mistakes and failing patients in the same ways over and over.

Whenever a nursing home fails to provide appropriate care and patients are harmed by substandard conditions, victims and their families should consult with an Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer for help.

It Could Soon Become Easier to Sue Atlanta Nursing Homes

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

Atlanta nursing homes should be sued whenever the facilities fail their patients through abuse or neglect. Some patients and family members, however, are finding out they are unable to file a claim in civil court even when the actions of nursing homes cause injuries or fatalities. Not only are these patients and family members discovering they are forced to submit claims to binding arbitration instead but, in many cases, they are also learning they have to pay a portion of the fees for the arbitrator’s time.

The federal government recognizes this is a serious problem, depriving patients and their loved ones of justice. The government is considering new regulations to ensure family members who admit patients to nursing home facilities are actually informed of the rights they could be giving up and are protected from being required to give up those rights as a condition of admission. Even as these new regulations are considered, however, 15 attorneys general, 34 U.S. Senators, and more than 50 consumer protection groups are encouraging the government to entirely ban arbitration clauses in nursing home admission agreements.

Patients who are injured or who lose their lives due to neglect or abuse deserve to be fully compensated for damages and losses. Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers can provide invaluable assistance to victims and their loved ones. Whether your case goes to arbitration or to court, or settles before a trial, we can help you to make your claim and maximize the compensation available to you.

Can Medicaid Investigations Help Reduce Atlanta Nursing Home Abuse Risks?

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

The job of a Medicaid fraud investigator is to try to identify health care providers who are improperly taking money from the Medicaid system. Medicaid is a form of health insurance for lower income people, so a lot of Medicaid fraud involves things like billing for health services that were not provided or billing too much for treatments that were offered.

However, Medicaid has also become one of the primary payers of nursing home care. Nursing homes are extremely costly and many seniors cannot afford these facilities on their own so instead end up relying on Medicaid to pay the bills. Because Medicaid pays for nursing home care for a large percentage of nursing home residents, fraud investigators can work not only to identify situations where the government is losing money, but also situations where nursing home residents are being mistreated.

Identifying abuse and neglect in nursing homes is difficult because many of the victims have debilitating problems like Alzheimer's that affect their ability to speak out for themselves. Anything that can help to find nursing homes that mistreat patients is extremely important. Those who suspect that someone they love is being victimized by abuse can also contact an Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer at Van Sant Law, LLC for help investigating nursing home abuse and pursuing a claim for compensation.

Sexual Abuse in Nursing Homes is a Problem in Atlanta and Nationwide

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

Nursing home abuse takes many different forms, but one especially devastating type of abuse is sexual abuse against the elderly. Many people do no realize how widespread the problem of nursing home sexual abuse is, but a disturbing new CNN report attempts to shed light on a problem which CNN believes is a much bigger issue than most people are aware of.

When sexual abuse occurs, nursing home residents and can be physically and mentally harmed. The vulnerable seniors who fall victim to abuse deserve to be fully and fairly compensated for economic and non-financial loss. An Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer can represent senior abuse victims and their families and help them to pursue a damage claim after an act of abuse occurs. Often, nursing homes bear at least some responsibility for acts of sexual abuse committed by staff members, and these care facilities can be held responsible for the harm to seniors.

Nursing Home Sexual Abuse is a Serious Problem in Atlanta and Throughout the United States

How to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse in Atlanta, Georgia

Published on: March 20, 2019 | By Van Sant Law

Old age is supposed to be a time for seniors to enjoy the good life, but unfortunately for many elderly individuals, there comes a time when they can no longer live on their own and must turn to nursing homes or caregivers to provide care. These vulnerable seniors deserve to receive professional care from nursing homes and caregivers and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Unfortunately, this is often not the case as the National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that somewhere between one and two million seniors 65 and older are subject to abuse in the United States.

If you have elderly family members or friends who require care in a nursing home or who are cared for by an in-home caregiver, it is important to understand that nursing home abuse is a very real problem. It is also important to be aware that many seniors are unable to speak out about the abuse they endure either due to fear or simply because they suffer from cognitive or other impairments and thus no longer have the ability to stand up for themselves.

Since so many seniors cannot protect themselves from abuse, it is important for everyone to be alert for signs of abuse or neglect and to take action if they have any reasonable suspicion of abuse. Preventing nursing home abuse involves being informed and taking action to punish abusers, including both criminal action and filing civil suits against negligent or abusive nursing homes with the help of an Atlanta nursing home abuse attorney.