Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Paducah Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

The elderly are our most vulnerable citizens and they should be treated with care, respect, and appreciation for what they have done to build this nation. Unfortunately many nursing homes in Kentucky abuse and neglect the residents they have a duty to care for. This lack of care is sometimes referred to as elder abuse and can come in multiple forms such as physical abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect. If you have a loved one in a nursing home and feel they may be in danger, you should relocate them immediately then contact a Paducah nursing home abuse lawyer.

In 2000, studies of over 2,100 nursing homes showed that over 1/3 of all the nursing homes in the U.S. have been cited for nursing home abuse or negligence. Even more disturbing is that, according to the same study, over ½ of all nursing home staff has admitted to mistreating patients.

What’s Considered Abuse or Neglect of the Elderly in the Commonwealth of Kentucky?

There are several different types of elder abuse including, but not limited to physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect:

Abuse

Physical Abuse

Physical Abuse occurs anytime the actions of staff, other residents, or familiar visitors results in injury or impairment. This can include hitting, kicking, tight restraints, confinement, overmedication etc. Physical Abuse makes up for 15.7% of all nursing home abuse cases.  Signs of physical Elder Abuse include, but are not limited to bruises, fear of Nursing Home Staff, bedsores, or strange injuries that you get no explanation for.

Emotional Abuse

Whereas Physical abuse is the most notable form of abuse in Nursing Homes, Emotional Abuse is the most common. Emotional Abuse accounts for about 20% of all abuse cases. There are several ways that an Elder may be Emotionally Abused. Emotional Abuse is either verbal or non-verbal.

Verbal

  • Yelling at the Elder
  • Threatening the Elder
  • Humiliating or ridiculing the Elder
  • Blaming the Elder or using them as a Scapegoat

Non-Verbal

  • Ignoring the Elder
  • Isolating the Elder from other residents, friends, or family
  • Terrorizing or being a Menace to the elder

Neglect

Nursing home neglect is a failure to fulfill a care giving obligation to an Elderly resident of your Nursing Home. Neglect accounts for 58.5% of all Nursing Home Abuse cases. Neglect, however, can be intentional or unintentional, based on factors of ignorance or denial. The most common signs of Neglect are Malnutrition, Dehydration, Bed Sores, under medication, Overmedication, and an unclean environment in the Nursing Home itself.

Locating an Expert Paducah Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

All nursing home residents have legal rights. If an elderly family member or a friend of yours is being abused or neglected in a Kentucky nursing home, their rights are most certainly being violated. By taking legal action against the facility, you can protect your loved one and ensure no other resident gets hurt or injured again.

To learn more, Contact Daryl T. Dixon to get your loved one the care and respect they deserve. Daryl T. Dixon, Paducah nursing home abuse lawyer, has experience in fighting difficult cases like nursing home abuse cases and can make sure the facility who harmed your loved one doesn’t commit the same crime again.

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