NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT
NURSING HOME ABUSE & NEGLECT ATTORNEYS
GETTING HELP AFTER YOUR NURSING HOME INJURY
Call the office of MeyerJensen PC in Alton, IL today to schedule a consultation with one of our qualified attorneys.
Nursing home abuse and neglect is a serious problem in many nursing homes today. Unfortunately the neglect and nursing home abuse that takes place often goes unreported. Victims of nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse deserve proper compensation for their injuries. In reviewing patient care in nursing homes, we have seen patients who are not properly attended to which leading to falls. We have seen inadequate nursing care resulting in bed sores and medication errors. The nursing home may not have proper staffing resulting in poor supervision and patients wandering off and getting lost. Sadly, we have also investigated cases of criminal battery and sexual assault in nursing homes and nursing care facilities.
Our Experience as Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers
At MeyerJensen PC our lawyers have successfully represented dozens of victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. We understand that the root cause of resident injuries in nursing homes is the inadequate and improper care that is received.
Common injuries that can occur with improper care
Bed Sores
Bed sores are caused by poor medical and nursing care. Bed sores frequently occur in hospitals and nursing homes as a result of the failure to take proper precautions such as turning a patient every two hours, allowing a patient to remain in their own urine and the failure to eliminate pressure points on a patient's skin. We have found that although bed sore prevention protocols exist, nursing homes and nursing care facilities often fail to follow them. Proper prevention techniques and good nursing care will prevent bed sores also known as decubitus ulcers from developing. By carefully reviewing a patient's chart and nursing home staffing patterns we have been able to determine that a patient was not turned at proper intervals causing bed sores to develop that went unrecognized and untreated. Frequently the inadequate care of bed sores causes them to become infected, requiring surgery and months of rehabilitation. We have been able to successfully obtain compensation for bed sores caused by serious nursing home neglect.
Falls
Falls often take place as a result of nursing home neglect because without proper aid given to them, patients may be allowed to get out of bed or walk without assistance. Nursing home patients may also be forced to leave their beds and go to the bathroom alone because their calls for assistance have been ignored. In some cases, patient's can fall out of bed because proper bed rails or patient restraints were not in place. In other instances, patients suffering from dementia have wandered out of the nursing home because they were not properly supervised or the nursing home lacked sufficient monitoring equipment. We have even been involved in cases where a patient was dropped because of the lack of transfer skills by nursing home staff or because not enough staff was present to insure a safe transfer. In most instances, falls in nursing home are preventable if proper care and precautions were taken.
Nursing Home Abuse
Sadly, elderly abuse including physical and sexual abuse has been encountered in some nursing home malpractice cases. Untrained personnel as well as those who have not had sufficient background checks have been hired by nursing homes. Also, at times clues that should alert the nursing home administration to elderly abuse are ignored.
Poor Nutrition at Nursing Homes
Poor attention to a nursing home patient's nutritional requirements can lead to injury or even death. Improper hydration of the patient, the failure to provide the patient with a sufficient amount of calories and providing food that a patient cannot tolerate have all been encountered in cases of malnourishment and dehydration.
We Care About Good Nursing Home Care
MeyerJensen PC understands the patterns of neglect in nursing homes. In prosecuting cases of nursing home abuse and neglect, we make it a practice not only to obtain and carefully review a nursing home patient's medical records, we also get court orders allowing us to obtain and review the internal records of the nursing home itself including staffing records, internal memos and rules and policies.
All too often the true facts surrounding nursing home negligence are hidden from patients and their families. Injuries resulting from negligence are not reported to family members and patients do not receive the care they deserve. As nursing home negligence attorneys, we believe that all patients are entitled to quality nursing home care and deserve proper compensation when they are the victim of neglect and malpractice. Additionally, we obtain the records and inspection reports from the Health Department to uncover past patterns of elderly abuse and inadequate nursing home care. We maintain up to date copies of all applicable state nursing home codes that allows us to determine whether a nursing home has complied with state regulations.
We make them pay so you don't have to
At MeyerJensen PC we believe you should not be forced to pay the price for another persons negligence. We are all about helping victims obtain compensation for their injuries and holding liable parties responsible for their behavior. With over 70 years of combined experience, our trial lawyers will fight for your right to a fair and speedy settlement. We will not hesitate to climb into the ring and do whatever it takes to help right the wrong that happened to you.