Discovering that your loved one suffered abuse or neglect in a College Park nursing home can be devastating but there is something you can do. It is important that you take quick action and learn the information you need to know here on our website. You can also call us so we can provide you with the help you need.
Mistreatment by nursing homes occurs due to neglect or abuse. There are some distinctions between the two. Neglect means that your loved one was not provided with adequate care while abuse means that they were intentionally hurt. An example of neglect may be failing to properly reposition an immobile resident which results in the development of pressure ulcers. Generally, neglect is not intentional while abuse is, however, both can result in injuries or the death of a loved one.
Nursing homes are required to provide proper care for their residents. When an injury occurs it may be due to neglect on the part of the nursing home staff or management. It may be necessary to file a claim to request compensation for the damages caused by abuse or neglect in a nursing home.
You will need to show that the facility is responsible for the neglect of your loved one. This will require the use of medical records and possibly expert testimony. The nursing home may dispute your claim, saying that your loved one was injured elsewhere or was hurt before residing in their facility. These claims can be disputed and you can prove that the injuries occurred while under their care.
If you are aware of abuse or an assault on your loved one you may choose to file a police report. This can be done through the local police department or Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement will investigate your claim and they may choose to file charges against the responsible party. It can be helpful for you to obtain medical records so the injuries can be shown to be abusive.
You can file a criminal complaint even if you are unsure whether the actions against your loved one were illegal. It is up to the police or other law enforcement officials to determine exactly what happened and who is criminally responsible. If they find that someone committed a crime they will follow through by bringing criminal charges against the individual.
We offer podcasts, videos and blogs online to support you in learning more about nursing home neglect and abuse. We don’t handle any other types of cases – nursing home abuse and neglect is our sole focus. Once you have had a chance to review the information you may wish to contact us to discuss your specific situation. We are available to come to you wherever you may be located including near the Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum, Lakewood Park or the Spelman College: Museum of Fine Art.
College Park, Georgia is located in Fulton and Clayton Counties and has a population of 14,434 residents. Of those, 8.40% are aged 65 and older. College Park, like other communities in Georgia, suffers from incidences of nursing home abuse and neglect.
In many cases there are symptoms of abuse but sometimes they are subtle. Your loved one may not be willing or able to provide you with information about abuse while under nursing home care. Therefore, it is helpful to know some of the symptoms so that you can watch for them in your loved one.
Many types of injuries may occur in a nursing home. Some injuries are more common than others. The most common types of physical injuries include bone fractures, bedsores, bruises and cuts.
Nursing home abuse isn’t a new problem, but it certainly seems to have escalated in recent years. There may be a number of reasons why nursing home abuse is more prevalent now than ever before.
If your loved one was severely injured or passed away at a College Park, Georgia nursing home, then we recommend that you act as soon as possible to protect your loved one’s rights.
Georgia Department of Community Health
The Georgia Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation investigates nursing homes for neglect and abuse. Their offices also regulate and certify nursing homes in Georgia.
You can file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation online by clicking this link. Here is additional contact information:
Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation
Complaint Hotline: (800) 878-6442
Complaint Fax: (404) 657-5731
Georgia Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
You have another option available to you if your loved one was injured in a nursing home. You may elect to file a complaint with the Georgia Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The ombudsman program offers assistance to those whose loved ones were hurt in nursing homes in Georgia. The ombudsman office advocates on behalf of your family and has authority to go into nursing homes to discuss the problem.
You can file a complaint with the Georgia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman online by clicking on this link. Here is additional contact information:
Middle Region – Capital Ombudsman Program
225 Cameron Road
McDonough, GA 30253
Telephone: (404) 627-1057
Fax: (404) 627-1064
If your loved one suffered an assault or abuse or died due to injuries in a nursing home, it may be necessary to make a police report. Charges may be filed against the responsible party by the District Attorney’s Office: Atlanta Judicial District.
For abuse occurring in a College Park, Georgia nursing home, report the crime to the City of College Park Police Department or to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department.
City of College Park Police Department
3717 College St.
College Park, GA 30337
Telephone: (404) 761-3131
Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
185 Central Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: (404) 612-5100
Fulton County District Attorney’s Office
136 Pryor St. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: (404) 612-4981
If your loved one was hurt while at a nursing home you may want to consider choosing another facility. Not all facilities are alike and some provide better care than others. It can be difficult to know how to compare the care that is provided at various nursing homes. There is a useful online tool that is available to help you view information about nursing homes in the area. The United States Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) compiles data on nursing homes. You can check to see the rating of any nursing home as well as other useful information such as inspection scores and whether the facility has had any recent violations.
Click here to go to the Nursing Home Compare Website.
For your convenience, a list of all nursing homes located within College Park, Georgia is located below, along with their contact information and inspection scores.
The most important factor in a nursing home abuse case is usually the medical history of the resident. The medical records will help to show when an injury first occurred, when it was reported and how it was treated. This can help to prove the cause of the injury, even if your loved one has preexisting health problems. The nursing home may try to discredit the resident’s account of the details of the injury and that is why medical records are essential to the case.
Privacy laws require that the person requesting the medical information has the right to do so. Therefore, you will need to obtain legal authorization in order to secure them. However, this is one of the most important factors in resolving the case. You will be able to request medical information from hospitals and nursing homes where your loved one was treated. The medical records will provide important details of the injury which could prove that the nursing home was negligent in providing care to your loved one.
In order to request medical records you will need to have authorization with a durable power of attorney, a healthcare directive or proof of guardianship. This is necessary even for a spouse, sibling or child to obtain medical information.
If your loved one resided in a College Park nursing home at the time the injury occurred then treatment was likely provided by one of the hospitals listed below. You can make a formal request to the ‘Release of Information’ Department at the hospital as long as you have written authorization. Here is the hospital contact information:
Everyone has the right to file a lawsuit if they have reason to do so. This right doesn’t end when a person passes away. Even after a person dies someone is allowed to bring a lawsuit on his behalf. For instance, when a person is alive he files a lawsuit under his own name as the plaintiff. If the person is deceased someone else may file a lawsuit on behalf of the estate of the person. Therefore, the estate would be considered the plaintiff.
First, an estate must be created for the deceased individual. This must be done through Probate Court in the county where the person passed away. After your loved one passed away you must take steps to set up an estate. An individual must be appointed as the Executor or Administrator of the estate. This person will have the legal authority to act on behalf of the estate and may file a lawsuit if that is appropriate. The executor may also hire an attorney to handle a legal matter on behalf of the estate.
Click here for the Probate Court of Fulton County
Fulton County Probate Court
136 Pryor St. SW, Ste C-230
Atlanta, GA 30303
Telephone: (404) 613-4070
If you are searching for a nursing home in College Park you can find information below. Here you will find details such as the inspection rating, the quality rating and whether any complaints were filed against the facility. This information is provided by the CMS Nursing Home Compare Website.
Healthcare at College Park, LLC 1765 Temple Avenue College Park, GA 30337 | Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 82.3 RN hours per resident per day: 14 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
Health Inspection Rating: 3 out of 5 (Average) Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 04-21-2017 Number of Health Citations: 1 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting in citation: 5 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
You have many choices for legal representation. With more than a million attorneys in the country, we know that there are many options to choose from. We would like you to consider our law firm to represent your loved one. There are several reasons why we think our firm might be a good option for your family:
If your loved one was injured or died in a College Park, Georgia nursing home, please call us at Schenk Smith (678) 823-7678 for a free consultation. You can also check out hundreds of video FAQs on our website.