Personal Injury Law

Protecting Your Loved One From North Carolina Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Our Charlotte, North Carolina nursing home negligence lawyers represent patients (and their families) that have been injured or died because of nursing home neglect and abuse. If you suspect that your loved one is suffering due to the mistreatment or lack of care he or she is receiving at an assisted living facility anywhere in North Carolina or South Carolina, do not hesitate to remove your loved one from the nursing home, report the incident, and seek legal advice.

While you can never predict whether or not your loved one will become the victim of Hickory, North Carolina nursing home abuse or neglect, you can take steps to decrease the likelihood by personally inspecting the facility before deciding to place your relative at the home, reading federal and state ratings evaluations, and finding out whether or not the assisted living facility has a history of nursing home negligence or safety violations.

A number of factors can increase the likelihood of nursing home negligence at a long-term care facility, such as:
? Not enough nursing home workers on staff
? Low nursing home worker to patient ratio, leaving each employee to take care of more patients that he/she can handle
? Unsanitary conditions
? Inadequate (or no) criminal background checks conducted on prospective nursing home workers and patients
? Inadequately trained employees
? Inadequate security
? History of nursing home abuse or neglect at the long-term care facility
? History of patients dying or becoming more ill because of poor nursing care

Some signs of possible North Carolina nursing home abuse or neglect:
? Unexplained bruises
? Bedsores
? Sudden weight loss or weight gain
? Malnutrition
? Soiled clothing
? Complaints by the patient that he or she is being mistreated
? Unusual patient behavior
? A resident?s sudden desire for isolation
? The patient appears emotionally aggravated

Related Web Resources:
Elder Abuse and Neglect, Helpguide.org

Nursing Homes, NC Division of Aging and Adult Services

10 Things Nursing Homes Won't Tell You, Smart Money, April 18, 2010

Full post as published by North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog on April 18, 2010 (boomark / email).