Fort Wayne Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

As our parents and grandparents or other older family members become more dependent on us for care, we might find ourselves overwhelmed. Caregiving is a full-time job, and many people are stretched thin as it is. Caring for an elderly parent or grandparent can be hard when you have your own family to take care of. When we cannot care for them ourselves, we trust nursing homes with our loved ones.

Nursing home staff are supposed to be taking care of our loved ones, but sometimes the exact opposite occurs. Nursing home abuse is frightfully common, and patients have suffered significant harm at the hands of staff members. From physical injuries to emotional trauma, nursing home abuse is a huge problem. You should always report suspected abuse to the Long-Term Care Division of the State Department of Health and contact an attorney for assistance.

If you believe your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse, call our Fort Wayne nursing home abuse lawyers immediately. We can help you file a report and gather evidence to prove the nursing home harmed your loved one. Call the offices of Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166 for a free legal consultation.

What Does Nursing Home Abuse Look Like in Fort Wayne?

Nursing home abuse may take many forms. People often think of abuse as physical, but there is more to abuse than just physical injuries. If you suspect your loved one is being abused, you must look for more than just signs of injuries.

While abuse may go beyond just physical injuries, they are often present in abuse cases. Injuries can be bruises, cuts, broken bones, and more. Older patients are often more susceptible to physical injuries. A minor injury for a young person could be very serious for a nursing home patient. While injuries may happen because of real accidents, every injury should be heavily scrutinized. If injuries continue to appear without explanation, call a lawyer right away and report the abuse.

Physical injuries are not always the results of intentional abuse or harm. In many cases, physical injuries come from long-term neglect. Common signs of neglect are weight loss from malnutrition, bedsores from being ignored by staff, or illness from unclean living conditions.

Nursing home abuse also leads to emotional or mental trauma. People often understand that abuse from a spouse or a parent is very traumatic and may take years to recover from. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse is often overlooked. Abuse, no matter where it happens, is a traumatic experience. Look for personality changes. Is your loved one more withdrawn? Do they lash out with angry outbursts? Do they seem depressed? These may be signs of nursing home abuse.

In many abuse cases, nursing home staff members steal from their patients. This is highly abusive because nursing home patients might not have the ability to report the thefts on their own or prevent the thefts from happening. If you notice personal belongings are missing when you visit your loved one, you might want to investigate the situation for abuse.

How Do I Prove a Nursing Home Abuse My Loved One in Fort Wayne?

Proving allegations of abuse requires proof and evidence. The type of evidence you need will vary based on the type of abuse your loved one suffered. Abuse can take many different forms and be perpetrated by any number of people. It is important to speak with our Fort Wayne nursing home abuse attorneys before gathering evidence in your case.

For abuse resulting in physical injuries, you should immediately take your loved one to a doctor and get treatment. A doctor will be in the best position to evaluate the extent of your loved one’s injuries. Also, hospitals keep thorough records of patients’ medical care. By bringing your loved one to a doctor, you create a reliable record of their injuries and treatments.

Discuss your situation with the people in charge at your loved one’s nursing home. Nursing home managers do not usually like to admit when patients have been harmed while in their care. However, they also have a great interest in getting to the bottom of abuse. You might be able to work with nursing home managers and use evidence like security camera footage and testimony from other staff members to determine how the abuse occurred.

Is there any physical evidence that can be used to support your case? Can doctors determine if a particular item was used as a weapon to harm your loved one? Were any of your loved one’s belongings or medications found in the possession of a nursing home staff member? Talk to our Fort Wayne nursing home abuse attorneys about your case. We can help you find evidence in places you might not expect it.

Damages for a Nursing Home Abuse Case in Fort Wayne

Nursing home abuse often leads to considerable damages. Unfortunately, these damages are experienced by your vulnerable and elderly loved one. Depending on how serious your loved one’s injuries are and how long the abuse was allowed to continue, your damages might be very extensive.

When nursing home abuse involves physical injuries, the medical bills to treat the victim can be very costly. In some cases, a nursing home patient is taken to a doctor and treated for mysterious injuries multiple times before abuse is detected. If this is the case, it may be possible to include previous medical bills you believe were incurred due to abuse.

Nursing home abuse often leads to severe pain and suffering, both mentally and physically. Nursing home patients are in very vulnerable positions, and they rely on staff to take care of them. Unfortunately, the people they rely on for care are also their abusers. Nursing home patients are often trapped with their abusers, as they cannot leave on their own. Persistent abuse and the sense of being trapped can lead to extreme pain and suffering for which your loved one deserves compensation.

You should also consider any loss of property as part of your damages calculations. Abusers sometimes steal personal belongings or medication from nursing home patients. If your loved one lost anything of value, like jewelry, watches, or expensive medication, you should include the value of lost property in your damages. Talk to our Fort Wayne nursing home abuse attorneys about determining the extent of the damages in your case.

Call Our Fort Wayne Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

If you suspect your loved one has been abused in their nursing home facility, call for help immediately. Our Fort Wayne nursing home abuse lawyers can help you get your loved one to safety and file a report about the abuse. Call the offices of Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166 for a free legal consultation.