Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
Serving Canadian County, Oklahoma

There comes a time when every child will eventually have to face the reality that their parents require constant, specialized care. In effect, our parents will likely revert to an almost childlike state themselves someday. It is at this time that the children of such parents must make a very important decision about whom to trust with the people who raised them and showed them love during their childhoods.

When a nursing home as a whole or an individual worker at a nursing home betrays the trust and confidence of children who seek to provide their parents with a safe and nurturing environment, the wronged parties deserve swift and severe justice from those at fault. Much like the abuse of a child is met with some of the justice system’s harshest penalties, abuse of an elder offends the sensibilities in much the same way.

According to nursinghomepatientsrights.com, Types of Abuse and Neglect Include:

• Failure to provide proper nutrition and hydration

• Failure to assist in personal hygiene when needed

• Over-medication or under-medication

• Failure to take reasonable precautions to prevent falls

• Failure to answer call lights in a timely fashion

• Failure to turn residents in their beds (leading to pressure sores)

• Failure to take residents to the toilet (leaving them in soiled garments or beds)

• Slapping or other physical abuse of the resident

• Use of unwarranted chemical or physical restraints

• Emotional or verbal abuse of the resident

• Retaliation for making a complaint or filing a grievance

• Failure to take adequate precautions to prevent injury to the resident

• Failure to provide appropriate medical care

• Sexual assault or rape of the resident

• Theft of the resident’s money or other personal property

Further, the Federal Government Has Outlined Several Standards for The Operation of Nursing Homes. Under the Nursing Home Reform Act, Facilities Must:

• Promote each resident’s quality of life

• Maintain dignity and respect of each resident

• Conduct an initial comprehensive and accurate assessment of each resident’s functional capacity

• Develop a comprehensive care plan for each resident

• Prevent the deterioration of a resident’s ability to bathe, dress, groom, transfer and ambulate, go to the bathroom, eat, and communicate

• Provide, if a resident is unable to carry out activities of daily living, the necessary services to maintain good nutrition, grooming, and personal oral hygiene

• Ensure that residents receive proper treatment and assistive devices to maintain vision and hearing abilities

• Ensure that residents do not develop pressure sores and, if a resident has pressure sores, provide the necessary treatment and services to promote healing, prevent infection, and prevent new sores from developing

• Provide appropriate treatment and services to incontinent residents to restore as much normal bladder functioning as possible

• Maintain acceptable parameters of nutritional status

• Ensure that the resident receives adequate supervision and assistive devices to prevent accidents

• Provide each resident with sufficient fluid intake to maintain proper hydration and health

• Ensure that residents are free of any significant medication errors

• Have sufficient nursing staff

• Ensure that the resident has the right to choose activities, schedules, and healthcare

• Provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident

• Be administered in a manner that enables it [the nursing home] to use its resources effectively and efficiently

• Maintain accurate, complete, and easily accessible clinical records on each resident

If you suspect one or more of the abuses listed above applies to your loved one, then we urge you to contact The Handley Law Center as soon as possible. We have the experience and knowledge to guide you through the process of establishing a winning case that will compensate you and your family for any and all pain and suffering while also punishing those responsible for the mistreatment of the vulnerable individuals to whom they were entrusted.

Everyone Needs a Good Lawyer

When you need legal advocacy combined with personal service, contact The Handley Law Center for a free consultation with one of our Oklahoma personal injury and divorce attorneys. Call us during normal business hours to schedule an appointment. The Handley Law Center maintains offices in Oklahoma City and El Reno, Oklahoma. We accept Visa and MasterCard payments.