Experienced Attorneys Protecting the Rights of the Neglected and Abused
The Nursing Home Law Center is committed to providing the legal resources necessary to hold negligent facilities accountable.
Chesapeake Nursing Home Abuse Neglect Lawyer
When we leave our loved ones in the care of a Chesapeake nursing home, we hope that we are making the best decision to give them the proper care they need. Unfortunately, nursing homes in the area have been failing to care for residents and keep them safe.
It can be devastating for families to find out that their loved one is being abused or neglected, but there are steps we can take to hold the responsible parties accountable. Ensuring that Chesapeake, VA, nursing homes are held liable for nursing home abuse, negligence, or wrongful death will also help prevent others from experiencing life-threatening consequences.
Speaking with our affiliate Virginia personal injury lawyers at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC network can give you the guidance and compassion needed to navigate a neglect case. Our lawyers are experienced in providing representation and supporting clients and families in Virginia nursing home abuse cases.
Contact our Chesapeake, VA law firm today, and we will help you pursue legal action and obtain the compensation your family deserves. Call our Chesapeake nursing home abuse lawyers at (800) 926-7565, and we will schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Chesapeake nursing home abuse lawyers.
What Causes Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?
Nursing home abuse and neglect can be caused by many factors, such as insufficient staffing, inadequate training, and failure to supervise staff properly. Poor communication among staff members can also lead to abuse or neglect.
In some cases, nursing home abuse, mistreatment, and neglect may result from intentional actions by staff members, such as physical or sexual assault.
According to AARP, Virginia is one of the few states that does not have minimum hourly staffing standards for nursing homes, which is cause for great concern. It is well-known that having adequate staff to care for patients is necessary for their care and safety.
Holding Chesapeake nursing homes and assisted living facilities accountable can serve your loved one’s best interest and ensure that those at fault for causing the harm do not hurt others.
Understaffed Chesapeake Nursing Homes
Patients in nursing homes need care and assistance with daily living activities due to old age, disabilities, or health conditions. Some basic tasks they need help with include bathing, eating, going to the restroom, and getting dressed.
Residents of nursing homes require personal and proper medical care accommodating any health condition they struggle with according to their care plan. When insufficient staff members assist with these basic needs, patients risk developing complications, infections, and injuries.
A patient may be left in a wheelchair for too long and start to develop bedsores. Others may be abused by the employees if they are stressed out and overworked due to the inadequate amount of nursing staff.
Unqualified Staff Members Working in Nursing Homes
Unqualified workers may be hired in nursing homes with a staffing shortage. It is crucial to complete background checks to ensure that nursing staff has the certificates and training to properly care for patients.
Background checks may not be performed thoroughly, or new employees are allowed to begin working while waiting for it to be processed.
The consequences of having an untrained staff member caring for a nursing home patient include not having medications administered properly, leaving residents in a wheelchair for an extended period, or lacking supervision for those with special needs.
An unqualified nursing staff member may also resort to abusing a patient if they have not been trained to handle difficult situations. Unknowledgeable staff can lead to accidents such as overdosing on medications or dropping patients.
These consequences of a lack of training can result in newly acquired health conditions, injuries, infections, and complications. Facilities should only hire highly trained staff taking care of the needs of our loved ones in Chesapeake, Virginia, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.
What Is Nursing Home Mistreatment, Neglect, and Abuse?
There are various types of mistreatment and many forms of neglect that Chesapeake nursing home patients have experienced. Nursing facility abuse involves intentional infliction on the patient resulting in physical, sexual, emotional, or financial injury or pain.
Nursing home neglect involves failing to provide a resident with the required standard of care. Neglecting a patient can be intentional, but it can also be unintentional for reasons such as a staff shortage.
Physical Abuse
This type of maltreatment involves physical harm against a patient that could have been caused by staff, other residents, or a visitor. Physical assault can include hitting, pushing, burning, choking, and misuse of physical restraints.
Some signs that a resident is experiencing physical assault can include:
- Bruises, cuts, scratches
- Burns
- Broken bones
- Depression
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse is an action against an individual to cause emotional pain or distress. This mistreatment can include yelling, ignoring, isolating, blaming, and threatening a resident.
Using these tactics in nursing homes to manipulate or humiliate a patient can have devastating effects that can lead to a decline in their health. Some signs that could signal a resident is being emotionally abused include:
- Withdrawn behavior
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Weight loss
- Sudden change in mood around an individual
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is when a sexual act is forced on a victim who is unwilling or unable to give consent. This type of assault can include unwanted touching, rape, masturbation in front of a resident, and sexual remarks.
According to Advocate Magazine, 75% of all female rape victims over 60 experience assault in nursing homes. Women over the age of 75 and who have a mental condition are the most at risk of being sexually abused in nursing homes.
Some of the signs that may reveal a nursing home resident is being sexually abused include:
- Bleeding from genitals
- Bruises in areas around breasts or genitals
- Developing a sexually transmitted disease
- Anxiety
- Withdrawn behavior
Chesapeake, Virginia Nursing Home Negligence
Neglect of Chesapeake nursing home residents can take various forms, including failing to care for and meet basic needs. Some of the everyday situations involving negligence in nursing homes are:
- Leaving a resident in bed for an extended period
- Leaving a resident in a wheelchair for an extended period
- Ignoring a resident’s request
- Not addressing a medical issue to the doctor or nurse
- Not giving a resident food or water
- Allowing a resident to live in unsanitary living conditions
- Not properly tending to wounds
- Not providing personal hygiene
- Not offering activities
Nursing home negligence can leave patients with feelings of discomfort and pain when they are not given care for their needs. Signs that a nursing home resident is dealing with neglect include:
- Pressure sores/bedsores
- Weight loss
- Dehydration
- Malnutrition
- Infections
- Developing mobility issues
Negligence in Chesapeake, VA, nursing homes can lead to significant consequences that affect a patient’s well-being. Some of the most common situations that signal neglect is happening are:
Bed sores
Pressure ulcers or bed sores are injuries to the skin and tissue caused by prolonged pressure. This injury is typical in Chesapeake nursing home patients who are neglected and left in a wheelchair or bed for a long time.
These pressure sores are most likely to develop on the hips, tailbone, buttocks, spine, and back of the head. Those most at risk of developing pressure sores in nursing homes are patients who are bedridden, immobile, or unable to sense pain.
In some severe cases, bed sores can extend deep into the muscle or bone. If the pressure sores are left untreated, complications such as cellulitis, infections, and sepsis can result.
Falls in a Nursing Care Center
A fall can result in a severe injury (broken bones or head injuries) or even death for many nursing home patients who are elderly or disabled.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 95% of hip fractures result from falls. Falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries.
Falls are likely to occur in nursing home patients due to balance issues, poor mobility, and effects of medication. Nursing staff and employees of nursing homes must adequately monitor the patients who need help moving around.
Neglecting to assist or carelessly transferring a patient from the bed to a chair can result in severe injuries, including broken bones. Staff members must also stay vigilant and keep the floors dry and clean to prevent a slip and fall.
Properly monitoring and maintaining a clean environment can be challenging when staffing issues arise.
Newly Acquired Infections
As a patient who needs assistance with basic needs, it is crucial that the staff keeps the residents clean and maintains a clean environment. In nursing homes with a staff shortage, it can be expected for staff to neglect patients by failing to keep them clean.
Allowing a nursing home patient to live in a dirty environment can cause bacteria and viruses to enter the body through the air as droplets, bodily fluids, or cuts. Some of the ways that nursing home neglect can lead to infections include:
- Failing to wash bedding regularly
- Failing to bathe patients regularly
- Failing to keep a resident’s wound clean and dry
- Allowing residents to ingest contaminated food or water
- Failing to change diapers or clothing of residents
- Ignoring a sign of infection such as discoloration of the skin or a foul smell
- Failing to contain airborne pathogens of other ill patients or visitors
These forms of nursing home neglect allow germs to invade a patient’s body and lead to respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, skin and tissue infections, and gastrointestinal infections.
How to Protect Your Loved One From Chesapeake, VA Nursing Home Abuse, Mistreatment, or Neglect
It can be frightening to find out that your family member has experienced maltreatment in a Chesapeake nursing home. You may feel angry or fearful about reporting the mistreatment.
You can take steps to pr otect your loved one from further harm, and resources are available. You can speak with the facility administrators and director so that they can correct the issue by confronting the abuser and filing a report to the appropriate state and federal regulatory agencies.
In cases where the mistreatment is severe, notify the police for protection. File a report with the Virginia Department of Health Professions by calling (800) 533-1560 or online.
Their Enforcement Division investigates complaints concerning nursing homes and may reprimand, impose penalties, impose conditions, or suspend the license of the practice. The Virginia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman is also a program that can assist you with filing a complaint and finding solutions to issues you may be having with the Chesapeake nursing home.
Contact them at 1-800-552-3402 to locate a local Long-Term Care Ombudsman who can provide counseling and act as an advocate to resolve problems involving nursing homes. Consult with a Chesapeake, Virginia, law firm about recovering losses if your beloved family member suffered a severe injury or died due to abuse or neglect.
How A Chesapeake, Virginia Attorney Can Help You Recover Damages
Attorneys experienced in handling Chesapeake nursing home abuse cases can help you pursue legal action to recover for losses and obtain financial compensation for your family. Your Chesapeake, Virginia personal injury law firm can investigate the mistreatment or wrongful death and determine who is liable.
There may be multiple parties who can be held liable depending on the factors involved in your case. Your Chesapeake nursing home attorneys will attempt to settle the claim or may file a lawsuit and take your case to court.
A victim may need long-term treatment and therapy after experiencing mistreatment, and there may be additional expenses for transferring to another nursing facility. If liability can be established, your Virginia attorney and law firm may be able to obtain compensation for:
- Medical bills (current and future)
- Costs of assisted living devices
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
A law firm from our network will be able to help you recover damages and assist you with any other issues you may have with assisted living facilities. A consultation with one of our Chesapeake, Virginia lawyers will help you better understand the legal process and if any other types of compensation are available.
Consult With a Chesapeake, VA Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm in a Free Consultation
Mistreatment in a nursing facility can cause loss and pain to your loved one and family. Chesapeake nursing homes must be held accountable for the dangerous and traumatic experiences that a family member has experienced.
It is in your best interest to consult with a law firm that is experienced in handling cases involving Virginia nursing home abuse and wrongful death. A law firm can help you navigate your wrongful death or nursing home abuse case and provide resources to help your family.
Your Personal Injury Law Firm
When you speak with a Chesapeake nursing home abuse attorney from our network at Nursing Home Law Center LLC, they will be able to review your case and give you options on how to help you obtain financial compensation for your family. Our lawyers are committed to helping victims of nursing home negligence in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Roanoke, and all surrounding areas in Virginia.
Our reputable attorneys are experienced in settling Chesapeake nursing home abuse cases and are passionate about serving clients who have been mistreated.
Contact our Virginia Beach law offices today at (800) 926-7565, or use the contact form to schedule a free consultation with a Chesapeake nursing home abuse lawyer.
Our legal team operates on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay us unless we win your case. All confidential or sensitive information you share with the Chesapeake nursing home abuse lawyer remains private through an attorney-client relationship.