What Is Considered Nursing Home Abuse in Indiana?

Nursing homes take care of our loved ones when we can no longer do so ourselves. Nursing home patients are often very vulnerable and rely on staff members to provide all aspects of care. Unfortunately, instances of abuse sometimes occur in nursing homes, and patients are seriously injured. There is a difference between nursing home neglect and abuse.

After discovering signs of abuse, you can begin legal action to hold the nursing home accountable for their misconduct. In some cases, the signs of abuse are unclear. You might even be unsure what signs of abuse look like. If you notice anything that seems amiss or does not sit right with you, you might be dealing with abuse.

Your abused loved one deserves justice. Vulnerable nursing home patients can get legal assistance from our Indiana nursing home abuse attorneys. Call Wruck Paupore PC Injury Lawyers at (219) 322-1166 for a free case evaluation to begin the process of getting compensation.

What Does Nursing Home Abuse Look Like in Indiana?

Abuse can take many different forms and is not always obvious. When people think of abuse, they likely think of painful and obvious physical injuries, like bruises and black eyes. However, abuse can encompass numerous physical symptoms as well as psychological ones. Our Indiana nursing home abuse attorneys can help you identify the signs of abuse in your loved one.

Physical signs of abuse should always be taken extremely seriously. While accidents like slip and falls sometimes happen in nursing homes, especially to patients with difficulty walking or balancing, they should not happen often. Physical abuse often leaves marks or injuries that cannot be explained. Additionally, physical abuse might present as repeated injuries. If you notice bruises on your loved one’s arms several times a month, this might be a sign of physical abuse. Our Milwaukee slip and fall accident lawyer can help you to prepare the case.

Abuse can also be emotional or mental. Staff members might be verbally abusive or emotionally manipulative to their patients. In many cases, abusive staff members take out their job frustrations on patients who cannot fight back. Harassment, intimidation, and humiliation can all be part of nursing home abuse.

Abuse does not always involve injuring a nursing home patient. Residents in a nursing home often have personal belongings in their rooms. A staff member might take advantage of a patient’s vulnerability and steal items of value from their room. If things like jewelry, money, or other valuable personal items go missing, this might also be considered abuse. Although our firm limits its practice only to cases where the abuse results in physical or psychological injury, you should report theft of belongings to nursing home managers, law enforcement, and to state regulators. Theft of belongings may be a sign of other abuse and neglect which may be harming your loved one’s psychological and physical well-being.

Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse in Indiana

Understanding abuse can be physical or mental, there are certain signs and symptoms you should be looking for. People in nursing homes tend to be very vulnerable. A minor accident could cause a significant injury. This can make it difficult to distinguish between an accidental injury and one caused by abuse. If you have any suspicions whatsoever that your loved one is being abused, contact our Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers immediately.

If you notice injuries on your loved one, demand an explanation. If staff cannot explain how the injury happened, consider signs of abuse, including the following:

• Bruises
• Broken bones
• Cuts and scrapes
• Changes in mobility
• Worsening health conditions
• Changes in personality
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Missing medication
• Bedsores
• Poor hygiene
• Unclean living conditions

While some of the above signs and symptoms might have a reasonable explanation, many of them do not, and none of these signs should not be disregarded. If signs of abuse persist over time, there is a good chance your loved one is being neglected or intentionally abused.

What Should I Do If My Loved One is Being Abused in an Indiana Nursing Home?

If you see signs of neglect or abuse, the first thing you should do is contact the police. Many instances of abuse are also crimes of assault or battery. Intentionally causing someone else bodily harm can be met with criminal charges. However, you should also immediately contact an attorney. There is a good chance the nursing home already has consulted its lawyers, and you and your family member should have one too. Our Hammond nursing home abuse lawyers are here to help.

Your legal team can help you figure out how to move your loved one to a new nursing home while contending with a possible criminal investigation if one is ongoing. We can also help your loved one begin a separate claim for damages. Often times, we can obtain recovery for your loved one without a formal legal action. However, a personal injury lawsuit might be necessary to get full compensation for your loved one’s various damages, both physical, mental, and otherwise. We work on these types of lawsuits daily and have decades of experience in proving these sort of cases.

Getting Help for Disabled Nursing Home Abuse Patients in Indiana

Nursing homes serve very vulnerable people who need nearly constant care and attention. This includes people who are physically and mentally disabled. Disabilities in nursing homes are often complications of old age and chronic medical conditions. Conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s may leave a person incapable of understanding what is happening. In these cases, abuse victims might be unable to file a lawsuit without help.

As a family member of the abuse victim, you can retain legal counsel and file a lawsuit on your loved one’s behalf. However, there are some hurdles to jump before this happens. Typically, we have to demonstrate to a court that your loved one cannot bring a civil action on their own behalf, and they need someone to advocate for them. Some sort of guardianship arrangement may be necessary, and our Fort Wayne, IN nursing home abuse attorneys can handle this process as part of efforts to seek recovery. There is no cost for doing so as it is part of our work to recover damages against the nursing home.

While we are fighting for justice for your loved one in this situation, you or someone else in your family might serve as the guardian as we make decisions during the process of legal recover. shots on their behalf. This allows you to best protect your loved one.

Call Our Indiana Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

Our team has the experience needed to help the families of nursing home abuse victims through this incredibly difficult time.
If a loved one has suffered abuse while living in a nursing home in Indiana, you can help them file a lawsuit to claim compensation for their damages. Call our South Bend nursing home abuse lawyers at (219) 322-1166 for a free case evaluation to begin your process of recovering against the abusive nursing home.