Transcript:
If you suspect nursing home abuse, you should first speak to the person you suspect is being abused, then to the nursing home’s administration. After that, if you still suspect abuse and nothing is being done to end it, file a complaint with Healthcare Facility Regulation, and consult a lawyer to find out how to best represent your loved one’s interests moving forward.
If you suspect your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, you should ask him or her about it, if possible, before taking further action. Do this right away, so that if there is abuse going on, you can end it as soon as possible. However, bear in mind that your loved one may be reluctant to talk about the abuse. Among other things, they may be afraid of what the perpetrator will do to them if they tell, or they may fear that, as the victim of the abuse, they will look weak. Or, commonly, your loved one may have cognitive impairments that prevent him or her from communicating.
The next step is to approach the nursing home’s administration and tell them your concern. When confronting the nursing home, be firm but respectful. Remember the manager may not even know about the abuse, and may be just as shocked as you are. In a best-case scenario, if there is abuse going on, the nursing home’s administration will remove the perpetrator from the situation and suggest steps towards recovery for your loved one.
In a worst-case scenario, the nursing home administration may refuse to acknowledge the abuse, or they may acknowledge it but fail to do anything about it. In this case, you should report the abuse by calling Healthcare Facility Regulation at (800) 878-6442. Finally, if you think your loved one is being abused in a nursing home, you should get a legal consultation. Nursing home abuse is a serious offense in Georgia, and state law requires nursing homes guilty of abuse to compensate the victim for related medical expenses and pain and suffering.
Finally, if you suspect your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, please feel free to call and speak to one of our experienced Georgia nursing home abuse lawyers today. Our consultations are always free. If you would like more information about this topic, be sure to click on our other videos, or better yet, click the subscribe button to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you.
