FAQs

Nursing Home Abuse

You may have a family member or a loved one currently in a nursing home. These men and women who used to be self-sufficient are now totally dependent on the nursing home staff and administration for their daily living. Nursing home patients deserve the best care, but often this is not the case.

These are some of the early warning signs of nursing home abuse. Many cases are thought to go unreported because the nursing home resident fears disclosing information about their treatment or many simply may not have the physical and/or mental capabilities to do so.

If you witness any of these warning signs you should contact the law firm of Goldstein & Metzger. They specialize in nursing home neglect have the resources needed to conduct an independent research to determine if, in fact, your loved one is being abused.

Remember it's up to you to look for signs because the nursing home resident may not be able to for many reasons!

Warning Signs

Physical abuse such as, bed sores, rapid weight gain or loss, frequent or unusual fractures and breaks, malnutrition or dehydration, over medicated, arks on the wrists (restraints?), lack of activity, untrained staff, isolated in their room, and/or bruises or other marks on the body.

Other signs may come from the abusers themselves. They (the abusers) may not call when your loved one is taken to the hospital for treatments. The staff may not be keeping you informed of what is going on with your loved on. They can't explain odd marks or bruises on the elder. Frequent emergency room visits, and not contacting you when the latter occurs.

Signs of Abuse

1. Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains, or fractures in various stages of healing
2. Bedsores or "frozen" joints
3. Malnutrition or dehydration
4. Elopement or wandering
5. Falls
6. Mental or Physical Abuse
7. Sexual abuse
8. Sudden changes in behavior

Signs of Abusers

1. Staff refusing to allow visitors to see resident or delays in allowing visitors to see resident
2. Staff not allowing resident to be alone with visitor
3. Resident being kept in an over-medicated state
4. Loss of resident's possessions
5. Sudden large withdrawals from bank accounts or changes in banking practices
6. Abrupt changes in will or other financial documents problem

If you suspect elder abuse, investigate at once. Begin collecting facts. The nursing home will not cooperate in this process. Gather all the material you can so that documents cannot be changed.

A potential claimant should always seek the attorney's advice without delay. There are deadlines to meet, claims against governmental entities may require that the entity be put on notice much earlier than the statute of limitations period. A medical and legal analysis must be done prior to filing a lawsuit, so don't wait so the lawyer can have enough time to investigate the claim before it's expiration.

The good news is that finally, after years of providing poor elder care, it seems nursing homes are finally being held accountable. A flood of lawsuits have been filed across the country and grieving families are receiving compensation for pain, suffering and the untimely death of loved ones.

If your elderly loved one has been neglected, abused, or injured while in the care of a nursing home or other healthcare facility, contact our attorneys today. You have legal rights that not only protect your family, but others as well.

Contact us today to discuss your legal options with our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys.

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You should always meet the lawyer who will actually handle your case to make sure you feel comfortable in placing this important matter in his hands. Look over Paul Goldstein and Mark Metzger's biographies and make "The Right Choice".

If you have further questions, please contact us at 1-800-430-7001 or e-mail us at: gm@goldsteinmetzger.com.