North Charleston Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

South Carolina Personal Injury Attorneys Help to Hold Negligent and Abusive Nursing Homes Accountable for Their Actions

Placing a loved one in a North Charleston nursing home is never an easy decision. However, as the number of dual-income households continues to increase, more families are finding that they do not have the time, space or skills to adequately care for family members who need long-term care. Thus, long-term care facilities are the only option for many families once an aging loved one can no longer live on their own. Indeed, there are currently an estimated 1.4 million nursing home residents across the United States. And this number is expected to balloon to over 3 million by 2030.

Nursing homes vary immensely in the quality of services and level of attentiveness they provide to residents. And while many nursing homes pride themselves on the care provided to patients, that is not always the case. Sadly, each year, tens of thousands of nursing home residents are seriously injured due to nursing home abuse and neglect. Because many nursing home residents have other health issues, these injuries are often fatal. At the Steinberg Law Firm, our North Charleston nursing home abuse attorneys work closely with families of nursing home residents to hold abusive and neglectful nursing homes responsible for their actions.

What Is Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse?

All nursing homes have a duty to provide an acceptable level of care to all residents. Nursing home neglect occurs when a nursing home provides a substandard quality of care, resulting in injury to a resident. While individual staff members are responsible for providing day-to-day care, often, nursing home neglect is the result of a facility’s institutional failure to implement safe and effective caretaking protocol.

Nursing home abuse is defined as any intentional harm committed against residents of a long-term care facility, including physical and sexual assault, emotional injuries and financial exploitation. While nursing home employees are the one who commits the abuse, nursing home administration is responsible for hiring, training, and supervising employees to ensure residents are free from all types of abuse.

Signs of Elder Abuse

While elder abuse in nursing homes is reported at a frighteningly high rate, experts believe that the true number of abuse and neglect incidents is significantly higher than what is reported. In part, this is due to residents’ lack of communication with the outside world.

It is crucial that family members with loved ones in North Charleston nursing homes keep a close eye on their loved ones. Elder abuse or neglect can be difficult to detect, especially if a resident is embarrassed or unable to communicate effectively. However, warning signs of elder abuse include:

• Unexplained bruising, broken bones, or other injuries;
• Signs that the resident was restrained, such as ligature marks on a resident’s wrists;
• Broken glasses;
• Sudden shifts in a resident’s demeanor;
• Nursing home staff members refusing to let the family be alone with the resident; and
• Failing to take medication regularly.

Of course, if a loved one discloses that they have been the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse, their claims should be taken seriously. Too often, family members write off a resident’s claim of abuse or neglect as a sign of mental illness.

Contact a North Charleston Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm Today

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, and believe that they may have been subject to abuse or neglect, contact the North Charleston nursing home abuse attorneys at the Steinberg Law Firm. For more than 95 years, our dedicated team of personal injury lawyers has proudly represented injury victims and their families, helping them obtain the compensation they deserve. With our help, you can pursue a claim for compensation against those responsible for your loved one’s injuries. To learn more, and to schedule a free consultation today, call us at 843-720-2800 to speak with one of our experienced team members. You can also reach us through our online form.