Articles Posted in Nursing Home Abuse

Our Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers know that unlicensed nursing care homes are a problem in our state, which is why the Georgia Department of Community Health is partnering with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to crack down on these unlicensed homes, according to news reports.

The partnership also includes the Adult Protective Services, which is under the Department of Human Services. The group will be aggressive in working to stop unlicensed homes from staying in business. Clyde Reese, the commissioner of the Department of Community Health, said the facilities deliver "substandard care to the elderly and disabled.The unlicensed homes are operating throughout Georgia, and many are near Atlanta and in southwest Georgia. Mr. Reese contends that it is a growing problem and that there are hundreds of unlicensed homes in the state, along with increased incidents of elder abuse. This is exacerbated by the vulnerable nature of seniors, who are often unable to defend themselves or even speak up about abuse. And to avoid legal troubles, unlicensed homes often switch residences.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations intends to share intelligence and data gathering with the Department.

Our Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers recently read about another horrific case of elder abuse in our state. The case at Alzheimer's Care of Commerce in Jackson County may include homicide charges, and so far the owner and 20 other employees have been charged with various offenses, according to news reports.

Between the 21 people involved, including Care of Commerce's owner Donna Wright, there are charges of more than 70 offenses involving physical cruelty, neglect, and financial exploitation of the elderly residents. They are accused of violating the Georgia Protection of Disabled Adults and Elder Persons Act. There was also an alleged violation of a state law saying convicted felons can't work at health care facilities €“ Care of Commerce apparently employed a man on parole for voluntary manslaughter, as well as others convicted of felony drug offenses and identity theft.

There were reports of employees hitting patients and throwing water on them. One alleged incident involved an employee punching a resident suffering from dementia in the face in order to force him to sit down. Other abuse alleged included tying residents up with bed sheets and putting them in two diapers at once to have to change them less often. The authorities were tipped off to this abuse by an employee who complained about this horrific treatment. On July 2, after an ongoing investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation raided Care of Commerce. The GBI found three residents had been so mistreated they had to be hospitalized.

Bed rails have been a problem for years, particularly for elderly patients, and our product liability lawyers and nursing home abuse lawyers are hopeful that officials will finally pay attention.

This week, the issue was highlighted in the New York Times in an article that details the bed rail problems that have occurred across the nation for almost two decades. Bed rails are placed on hospital beds and nursing homes beds to assist patients in getting up and also to prevent them from rolling out of bed while sleeping.

Between 2003 and 2012, at least 150 elderly Americans died as a result of becoming trapped in dangerous bed rails. additionally, about 4,000 elderly people are treated each year for bed rail-related injuries.These rails are especially a problem for people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's, as they often become confused and get caught between the mattress and the rail. These types of rails can provide necessary safety for elderly patients, as they are designed to do , but there are particular problems with older devices and also with mixing different products. If the mattress, rails, and frame all come from different manufacturers, you get dangerous gaps when things don't fit smoothly together, exacerbating the problem.

Nursing home abuse is a major problem for seniors throughout Atlanta. Approximately five million reported cases of abuse happen each year, and around 23 cases of abuse go unreported for every one case which comes to the attention of authorities. There are lots of different kinds of abuse which seniors can experience, but CBS reported recently on one surprising type of abuse which does not get a lot of attention: resident-to-resident nursing home abuse in nursing homes and care facilities.

When one nursing home resident harms another, the nursing home can sometimes be held accountable. The key question is whether the nursing home had adequate policies to protect patients and whether staff members provided a reasonable level of care and supervision.

If the staff fell short or if the nursing home's policies were substandard compared with what is customary in the industry, victims and their families could potentially pursue a claim for abuse. An Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer can assist seniors in determining when and if they can make a case against a nursing home based on abuse perpetrated by another resident.

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