Between 2012 and 2050, the US will experience considerable growth in its elderly population. This means that demand for nursing homes is likely to increase in the years to come. The nursing homes and long term care facilities industries in the US generates a revenue of more than $350 billion a year, which is expected to rise in the coming years, as demand goes up steadily. Whether this revenue is generated by publicly funded or privately run institutions, the question of the quality of the care given remains. Stories of abuse in nursing homes are rampant; abuse is not limited to just federally-funded nursing care, but also present in many privately run nursing homes. According to a study by CNN, not all instances of abuse get reported due to various reasons. The administrations of many nursing homes play a vital role in the reporting of an abusive event. So if a nursing home cares more about their reputation, it is likely that news of the abuse will be covered up, evidence hidden or the administration will push the victim to privately resolve the problem.
The condition of the victims’ health also plays a vital part in whether the abuse is reported or not. Many times victims do not report abuse because they cannot remember details about when, how and by whom the abuse was committed. For instance, someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s might report abuse but are likely to forget details or may not be trusted by the nursing home on the basis of their health condition. Or they are too afraid of the consequences of reporting. Due to this lack of proper investigation and reporting, it is hard to determine the exact details of how much abuse is present in nursing homes and how much of it gets punished by the law. Despite this void, enough abuse gets reported for people to worry about the nursing care choices they make.
State health investigators take abuse very seriously once it is reported. Besides routines inspection they are open to other information that a victim’s loved one, a witness or a victim herself/himself gives them. It is highly likely that if a resident of a nursing home says that they have been abused, sexually or otherwise, there is some truth behind it. If despite under reporting of abuse instances, there are still so many cases of abuse that means something. Many times the instances of abuse can be traced back to nurses, aides and other staff members, which means that if reported properly to the authorities past criminal records and other information about the perpetrators can be easily obtained.
If you or your loved one has suffered any kind of abuse at a nursing home or a long term care facility, you should immediately report it to the police or any other authority so that it is recorded and that relevant agencies can use that information to rate the facility in question. To make your case stronger and to get professional help with gathering information and legal representation, it is highly advisable to reach out to a nursing home abuse attorney in your state. Wormington and Bollinger has a team of passionate medical malpractice attorneys with years of experience in dealing with nursing home abuse and neglect cases in Texas. You should seek counsel from one of our attorneys who understands medical records and the standard of care required by health care givers, including nursing home employees.
To learn more about nursing home neglect or abuse claims or to discuss your claim with an experienced and aggressive McKinney personal injury lawyer, please contact us for a free, confidential consultation.