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Nursing Home Neglect / Elder Abuse FAQS
> Who can I speak with at the nursing home to discuss the
quality of my father’s care?
> My mother was not given the nursing care her doctor
prescribed at the nursing home. I’m afraid that if I don’t
do something her health will get worse. Should I file a
complaint with anyone?
> The nurses’ aides did not carefully assist my wife to
the bathroom at the nursing home. She fell, was injured and had
to be hospitalized. Should I call our family lawyer to help in
filing a claim?
> We had to put my father in a nursing home because we were
not able to care for him at our home. When we visited him, we
told the staff that he was weak and not eating. They told us it
was just due to his medicine. He developed diarrhea for several
days and the aides were slow to clean him up. They did not
notify a doctor. Three days later he died. The death certificate
says that the cause of death was a heart attack. We tried to get
the nursing home records, but we were told this will take a
month or so. Should we hire a lawyer at this point?
Who can I speak with at the nursing home to discuss the
quality of my father’s care?
Each nursing home is required to have a director of nursing,
a medical director and an administrator. Their positions, and in
some instances their licenses, may be terminated or revoked for
failure to assure and provide proper care and treatment of a
resident. Any or all of these individuals must be available to
address your questions.
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My mother was not given the nursing care her doctor
prescribed at the nursing home. I’m afraid that if I don’t
do something her health will get worse. Should I file a
complaint with anyone?
Yes. The Department of Aging employs nurse investigators to
investigate complaints and inspect nursing homes. Plans of
correction are then required to be implemented to rectify any
problems. This information is available online to assist you in
selecting a good nursing home. (Go to the Department
of Aging link to get the complaint form.)
In addition, by filing a complaint, the state attorney
general may commence an investigation that develops information
the family may not be able to discover on its own. Under some
circumstances, this complaint process may result in a lawsuit in
which punitive damages and attorney’s fees may be awarded, in
addition to compensatory damages, for a resident’s neglect,
abuse or injury. Consult an attorney
at The Glassman Law Firm, P.C. as soon as possible so that
prompt action can be taken immediately.
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The nurses’ aides did not carefully assist my wife to
the bathroom at the nursing home. She fell, was injured and had
to be hospitalized. Should I call our family lawyer to help in
filing a claim?
The best way to determine if you have a valid case against a
nursing home is to contact an attorney who is familiar with
nursing home statutes and regulations. The attorneys at The
Glassman Law Firm, P.C. are experienced specialists in
evaluating and prosecuting violations of nursing home standards.
If you feel that you may have a valid case of abuse or neglect,
contact
us for an immediate consultation.
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We had to put my father in a nursing home because we were
not able to care for him at our home. When we visited him, we
told the staff that he was weak and not eating. They told us it
was just due to his medicine. He developed diarrhea for several
days and the aides were slow to clean him up. They did not
notify a doctor. Three days later he died. The death certificate
says that the cause of death was a heart attack. We tried to get
the nursing home records, but we were told this will take a
month or so. Should we hire a lawyer at this point?
Absolutely. The failure to contact a physician to evaluate
your father’s deteriorating health is a classic example of
nursing home neglect by inadequately trained staff. The lack of
cooperation in promptly providing your father’s records is
very suspicious. More important than the final “cause of
death” is the reason for death. Was he allowed to develop an
infection that went untreated? Did his kidneys, his lungs and
eventually his heart give out because he was not timely
diagnosed and transferred to a hospital? The attorneys at the
Glassman Law Firm, P.C. have seen numerous similar cases where
nursing homes have attempted to cover up their substandard care
by changing and adding to the medical records after the resident
dies due to neglect. Contact us so
that we can undertake a thorough investigation and see that
justice is done in your case.
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Please see our page on Nursing
Home Neglect / Elder Abuse for more information.
Please see our Nursing Home
Neglect / Elder Abuse Resources / Links.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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