The Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm can assist you with your nursing home abuse personal injury claims. The goal of a South Carolina nursing home attorney is to not only help you receive monetary compensation for your loved one who has suffered nursing home abuse but to deter other Florence nursing homes from abusing any of the older adults under their care.
What Counts as Elder Abuse and Neglect?
Nursing homes in Florence, South Carolina can be found liable for damages if any of the following has occurred:
- Negligent Hiring: Florence, South Carolina nursing homes have to hire people who are not only qualified but who haven’t got a record of violence or abuse. In cases where a Florence nursing home doesn’t conduct proper background checks, they may be held liable if your loved one is abused at their facility.
- Understaffed: The Center for Disease Control has shown that the average staff to resident ratio is one staff member for every 1.64 residents. If a Florence nursing home has failed to hire the proper amount of staff members, your loved one may be neglected because there’s no one to take care of them. Also, the staff in a Florence nursing home may not be adequately paid for the amount of work they have to do. As a result, they become stressed, which can lead to a loss of morale and compassion for your loved one. Nursing homes in Florence and throughout the state of South Carolina may be found liable if your loved one suffers an injury or dies due to the nursing home being understaffed.
- Not Enough Training: In many cases, Florence nursing home staff are not provided with the proper training to handle some disabled or disobedient residents. As a result, the nursing home doesn’t provide the care that is required by South Carolina law and expected of you and your family. Nursing homes may be found liable if their staff is improperly trained and your loved one is injured.
- Third-Party Claim: Florence nursing homes can be found liable if a third party abused your loved one within the nursing home. The nursing home has a duty to your loved one to provide them with a safe environment. If your loved one was injured by another resident or the guest of another resident, the South Carolina nursing home could be found to be responsible because they did not provide proper security to prevent your loved one from being injured.
- Breach of Regulatory or Statutory Rights: All South Carolina nursing home residents are entitled to dignity, privacy, and autonomy. When a Florence nursing home employee violates any of these rights, the nursing home can be found liable.
- Medication Mistakes: If your loved one isn’t given the proper dose of their medication at the right times, they can suffer. If your loved one is injured due to a prescription medication error, the doctor, pharmacy, or pharmacist may be held liable.
- Physical Abuse: In South Carolina, physical abuse is not just limited to battery or other physical altercations. A Florence nursing home may physically abuse your loved one if they have been force-fed, overmedicated, or suffered from excessive use of chemical or physical restraints.
- Emotional Abuse: In a Florence nursing home, emotional abuse can be verbal threats, isolation, sarcastic remarks, degradation, or insults. Additionally, mental abuse can also be emotional manipulation that happens when a nursing home staff member deceitfully influences your loved one to their advantage.
As an example, a Florence, South Carolina nursing home staff member may manipulate your loved one into not reporting any abuse under threat of not being fed, bathed, or groomed.
Florence nursing home emotional abuse can happen when your loved one is threatened into being quiet about any harm taking place.
- Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse in a Florence nursing home is when your loved one is tricked into unwanted sexual contact, or if they are too weak or sick to give their consent. Your loved one may also be sexually abused by another resident, visitor, staff member, or family member.
- Financial Abuse: Financial abuse in a Florence nursing home can take many forms. The person responsible for monitoring your loved one’s spending may use funds for their benefit, cash checks without consent, force your loved one to sign a will or other legal document, or take advantage of a power of attorney.
- Neglect: In South Carolina, nursing home neglect refers to the failure or your loved one’s caretaker to perform their duties properly. Nursing home neglect can include, failure to provide food, failure to assist with bathing, failure to provide clothing or shelter, failure to provide necessary medical treatment, failure to take care of health and safety hazards, and failure to handle unsanitary conditions that may harm your loved one.
What Are The Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse in South Carolina?
It’s vital that you learn to recognize the signs of nursing home abuse, and not dismiss indicators as being old age or dementia. Each type of nursing home abuse has its symptoms that may indicate your loved one is being abused. The most common signs your loved one is being abused in a Florence, South Carolina nursing home include, but aren’t limited to:
- Emotional abuse: Symptoms may include withdrawal, mood swings, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, involuntary seclusion, sucking, rocking, or biting.
- Bleeding or bruises
- Bedsores
- Dehydration or malnutrition
- Quiet around nursing home staff
- Bruises around your loved one’s genitals
- Diseases or infections that are unexplainable
- Physical discomfort
- Sudden financial problems
- Unpaid bills
- Changes in your loved ones will
- Changes in your loved one’s power of attorney
Keep in mind that in many cases, your loved one may be too ashamed or disgusted to tell you about the abuse they are suffering at a Florence, South Carolina nursing home. Because of this, it’s important that you keep a close eye on your loved one and seek the advice of a qualified Florence, South Carolina nursing home abuse attorney.
What Damages Are Available in a South Carolina Nursing Home Abuse Case?
The damages available in a Florence, South Carolina nursing home abuse case may include medical bills, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and disability.
How a South Carolina Nursing Home Attorney Can Assist Your Loved One
The Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm is there to help in Florence. We will report your loved one’s nursing home abuse to the proper authorities and take the steps necessary to ensure your rights are protected in the event the report of abuse is lost or altered.
It’s vitally important to document all information having to do with your loved one’s Florence nursing home abuse case with detailed accounts. South Carolina nursing home abuse attorney, Dan Pruitt, understands how to file nursing home and legal claims against the negligent nursing homes and their employees.
In cases South Carolina nursing home abuse, Dan Pruitt will notify the nursing home of the allegations and give them a chance to respond. In many cases, the Florence nursing homes will try to settle your case by scheduling a meeting to discuss the matter. By settling, your loved one can recover compensation for their loss, and the Florence, South Carolina nursing home saves time and resources.
The Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm has access to expert medical witnesses who can testify in court as to how your loved one’s injuries are linked to the nursing home’s abuse or negligent behavior. This testimony is vital in the success of a South Carolina nursing home abuse case.
Keep in mind you only have three years from the date your loved one suffered abuse and neglect in a Florence, South Carolina nursing home to file a claim for damages.
If your loved one is suffering from abuse or neglect in a Florence, South Carolina nursing home, contact the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm today for a free consultation.