How to Protect Against Nursing Home Abuse

Deciding to commit your elderly loved ones to a nursing home is often a very difficult decision for the family involved and the choice can sometimes come back to haunt you in a major way, should your relatives undergo any possible nursing home abuse. Should you ever suspect that this is happening, you will want to act quickly to protect your loved ones from additional harm.

You may also want to contact a nursing home abuse lawyer at the Tatum Law Firm to learn more about possible litigation, though all of us would much rather avoid the situation entirely. By following these tips instead, you should be able to better select the perfect nursing home for your elderly.

Consider the Location

You should aim to find a nursing home that is a reasonable distance away so that you have freedom of access to your loved ones. A longer commute, however, can make it much harder to keep an eye on your elderly relatives, which will further strain relationships. Being close enough to help immediately if need be is therefore critical.

Check the Ratings

State law requires that nursing homes be evaluated throughout the year to ensure that proper health and safety regulations are being met. These ratings should be available to the public for free if not posted clearly at the reception desk of each individual nursing home. You should be mindful of these reviews when selecting a nursing home. Obviously, negatively scored nursing homes should be avoided at all cost.

Ask Plenty of Questions

The nursing home administration should be able to answer any of the questions you set before them, from the types of services provided by the home to the number of hours each day staff members interact with the residents. You should be aware, as well, of any staff members qualified to handle special needs residents.

Asking questions means you must also not shy away from speaking with the actual residents and trying to get an unbiased opinion from your loved ones’ potential future neighbors. If the residents are not happy for any reason, you should bring this to the attention of the administration to find out more.

Make Sure Dietary Needs are Satisfied

Many of our elderly relatives have special dietary needs that must be met daily and, before committing to a nursing home, you should make sure that the candidate offers a trained dietician who can accommodate special requests.

In the Event of Abuse, Contact a Lawyer

Despite all your planning, sometimes abuse happens in even the safest and best reviewed nursing homes. If your loved ones are the victims, you should pursue legal action with a professional nursing home abuse lawyer.

The attorneys of the Tatum Law Firm are trained in a variety of personal injury cases and, unfortunately, we have seen our fair share of nursing home abuse. As a result, we are committed to putting you at ease through this troublesome time while guaranteeing fair compensation for the afflicted.

For more information on what an attorney could do for you, contact one of our representatives today.