Nursing Home Abuse

Rhode Island and Massachusetts Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

Resident abuse in nursing homes is more common than anyone would like to believe. If you notice unexplained injuries to your family member during your nursing home visit, contact me, lawyer Jeffrey Padwa. It may be a sign of abuse.

One case that came to my attention was that of a blind woman from Providence who had suffered a stroke and needed help going to the bathroom. She rang the call bell to request a nurse's assistance, but no one responded. She was forced to ring the bell again and again until a nurse finally came to help. When the nurse arrived, she grabbed the blind woman's hand, squeezed it, told her never to use the call bell again, and shoved her against the headboard of the bed, causing significant injuries.

Sadly, this case is not unusual. The American Medical Association estimates that about 1 in 4 older persons experiences some form of physical abuse. The vast majority of elder abuse cases go unreported. A Massachusetts study concluded that only one in 14 cases of nursing home abuse comes to the attention of state authorities.

Padwa Law is a Rhode Island and Massachusetts law firm helping clients across the country.

Another, even more troubling form of patient mistreatment in nursing homes is sexual abuse. One of the cases I handled was that of a Westerly, Rhode Island, woman who was molested by a janitor. When she told the nursing home staff what happened, they did not believe her. The nursing home sent her to a psychiatric hospital against her will for several weeks because they said she was hallucinating and delusional. We proved that she was sexually assaulted and the janitor went to jail.

Another case involved a Alzheimer's resident from Worcester, Massachusetts who suffered an eight centimeter laceration of her vagina. The resident was raped with an object consistent with a plunger handle. The nursing home failed to investigate six months of unexplained vaginal bleeding before the last attack occurred.

Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

You should contact an attorney whenever you notice signs of nursing home abuse or neglect. Those signs may include:

• Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains, or fractures in various stages of healing
• Unexplained venereal disease or genital infections; vaginal or anal bleeding; torn, stained, or bloody underclothing
• Sudden changes in behavior such as withdrawal
• Staff refusing to allow visitors to see resident or delays in allowing visitors to see resident
• Staff not allowing resident to be alone with a visitor
• Resident being kept in an over-medicated state
• Loss of resident's possessions

Many residents do not report abuse or mistreatment because of embarrassment, fear, threat of further abuse, and other reasons.

Nursing Home Liability for Abuse

Many cases of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment in nursing homes and assisted living residences can be traced to understaffing as well as poorly qualified, untrained, and overworked personnel. Nurses and nursing aides are often overworked and stressed, and sometimes take their frustrations out on residents.

A nursing home may be found liable for neglecting or abusing a resident in their care. Lawsuits against nursing homes, assisted living residences, and other healthcare facilities hold wrongdoers accountable, recover money damages for injured persons, help families gain emotional closure and make our community safer by protecting others from similar harm.

Free Consultation: Concerned about your loved one's treatment in a nursing home or assisted living residence? Call nursing home abuse lawyer Jeffrey Padwa.