Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

In Georgia, as our population ages, more of us will face choosing a nursing home for our family members. For many of us, our top concern is how to insure our loved ones receive excellent care, but we also need to be able to recognize the symptoms of abuse. The Atlanta Legal Aid Society conducted a study designed to explore nursing home abuse and neglect in the Atlanta area including nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties. These areas are served by the Atlanta Long Term Care Ombudsman Program which advocates on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities.

Importantly, the study found that in the Atlanta area, 44% of the nursing home residents who were interviewed had been abused and 38% of those residents had seen another resident abused by staff. Of those who saw abuse take place, 56% reported the abuse. Those who did not report the abuse, feared retaliation if they spoke up.

Even more frightening is the fact that 95% of those residents interviewed said they had been neglected or seen others neglected. For example, not giving a resident water or not helping them with personal hygiene. So what signs of neglect or abuse should you look for?

One of the first signs of nursing home abuse or neglectis a change in behavior. Look for a withdrawal from normal activities or depression. The National Center on Elder Abuse listed these additional signs: bruising, broken bones, bedsores, poor hygiene and unusual weight loss as indicators of abuse or neglect.

To be aware of abuse or neglect you must stay involved in the care of your loved one. You are their life-line and you must be willing to advocate on their behalf. There are many resources to help you and the first stop should be the Georgia Ombudsman program discussed in a previous post on nursing home abuse and neglect.

Additional resources:

Georgia Ombudsman

National Center on Elder Abuse

In Georgia, more than 33,982 people live in nursing homes under the care of someone other than a family member. They are there because they need help with everything including walking, daily living activities, or chronic health problems. Many of the more than 346 Georgia nursing home facilities are located in the Atlanta metro area because of the proximity to hospitals and healthcare professionals. If you have ever had a family member in a nursing home, home care or assisted living facility you probably had concerns about their care. And unfortunately, you are right to be concerned. Georgia nursing home abuse and injuries are on the rise.

Our older relatives need us to protect them. They are most susceptible to injury or abuse when they are suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's, and serious physical disabilities. Under the Federal Older Americans Act, every state must have an Ombudsman program which is a fancy word for an advocate, in this case, for residents of in the long term care system in Georgia. If you have a concern about the quality of care your loved one is receiving the Georgia State Ombudsman is a great resource.

In a national study, over 88.1% of all nursing home facilities had deficiencies of some level. A deficiency is any problem which can result in a negative impact on the health and safety of residents. Nursing home neglect includes any failure to care for a person in a way that would avoid harm or pain, such as incorrect body positioning which leads to bed sores and skin breakdown, lack of bathing which affects dignity and hygiene, and ignoring calls for help. Nursing home abuse is the infliction of intentional pain or harm and includes physical, emotional, verbal and sexual abuse such as hitting, pinching, force-feeding, slapping, berating, and rough handling.

When you consider a facility for your family member, do the research, plenty of information is available to you to help select an appropriate nursing home or assisted living facility with a record of good care. Most importantly, you must stay involved in the care of your family member. Frequent visits, a good relationship with the staff and an understanding of the health problems your loved one has will enable you to be an advocate for them.

Continue reading "Georgia Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: What You Need to Know" »