Your family has legal options if a loved one faces neglect or abuse in a care facility. In this case, you can work with a Kennesaw nursing home abuse lawyer from our team at Schenk Nursing Home Abuse Law.
We have years of experience helping families in your situation and have secured millions in compensation for our clients. You can reach out to us at any time or review our website to take advantage of resources that can help your family.
Find out more by calling or completing our online contact form.
When Should You Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer in Kennesaw, GA?
You should reach out to a nursing home abuse attorney for assistance if you believe your family member suffered mistreatment from staff at a care facility. A lawyer can help with nursing home abuse cases that involve physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect.
In all cases, physical and emotional harm can be severe. We can help you learn the four things to do if you suspect nursing home abuse.
Unfortunately, injuries to nursing home residents happen more often than you might think. If you are concerned that your loved one may have been abused or neglected in an assisted living facility, you can contact us for help today. You can also check out our podcast to learn more.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Abuse lawyer serving Kennesaw, call
Types of Nursing Home Abuse Cases We Handle
You can turn to our legal team for professional assistance if you see any signs of abuse. You may need to hire a:
- Kennesaw Bedsores Lawyer: Bedsores (pressure sores) represent a major cause of concern in care facilities and can develop if employees neglect your loved one.
- Kennesaw Nursing Home Falls Lawyer: Your loved one may fall and sustain an injury, like a broken bone, if workers in an assisted living facility fail to properly monitor them. We can help in this situation.
- Kennesaw Nursing Home Bone Fractures Lawyer: A victim of nursing home abuse may sustain broken bones due to mistreatment from members of the staff. A personal injury attorney can help in this situation.
- Kennesaw Nursing Home Infections Lawyer: We can provide you with legal advice if a loved one develops a severe infection due to neglect or abuse in a care facility.
- Kennesaw Nursing Home Medication Errors Lawyer: In some cases, employees in care facilities provide the wrong medication or do not give patients medicines at the correct times, resulting in severe ailments. In this case, you can turn to us for help.
Kennesaw Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (678) 823-7678
Do You Need to File a Lawsuit for Nursing Home Abuse?
You can sue a nursing home for neglect or abuse. Care homes count on the fact that many people who make charges of abuse and neglect give up before filing a lawsuit. Even though the law requires these facilities to compensate families of harmed residents, these facilities often ignore complaints of abuse and neglect.
Sadly, it often takes a lawsuit—or at least the threat of one—to get action. Making sure your family receives the compensation you deserve is our mission. We’ll discuss the possibility of a lawsuit but may also help negotiate a settlement because, in many cases, we can settle a nursing home abuse case outside of court.
Why Pick Us for Your Nursing Home Abuse Claim?
Rather than striving to be a jack-of-all-trades legal firm, we have chosen to master nursing home law. We don’t divide our attention among multiple legal areas—we only build cases for families who need help handling neglect or abuse in a nursing home. We have a real passion for protecting older people.
Please take a minute to browse our website to learn more about us. Our video library answers many frequently asked questions, and our blog and podcast take in-depth looks into issues facing nursing home residents and their families.
We know there is no shortage of lawyers hoping to get your business, but we hope you’ll choose us to represent your loved one. We are confident that we can help you with your abuse or neglect case. Here are some reasons why:
We Have a Singular Focus
We only handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases. If you choose us, you will benefit from the wealth of knowledge we have developed in this area and our passion for seeking justice for your loved ones.
Our Clients Appreciate Our Work
Our clients say it all. We have the strongest Google reviews of any nursing home abuse law firm in the state of Georgia. Check out our client reviews to learn more.
We Stand as Rising Stars
Attorney Rob Schenk made the coveted Rising Stars list for his dedication to fighting nursing home neglect and abuse. In addition to defending your loved ones legally, we advocate for nursing home residents through education.
With our weekly Nursing Home Abuse Podcast, we explore topics affecting the lives of older adults throughout the state and nationwide.
Feel free to schedule a free consultation at any time. We’ll come to you whether you’re near the Big Shanty Museum, the Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, or the Kennesaw Civil War Museum.
We Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
Most people will consider the cost when deciding whether to hire a lawyer for nursing home abuse or neglect. Happily, most lawyers in this area work on a contingency basis, meaning they do not receive payment unless they win the case.
Because of the contingency, your lawyer will have greater motivation to get results than they might if paid a straight hourly fee. You and your lawyer will agree on the percentage the lawyer will receive after the resolution of your case when you sign the initial paperwork upon deciding to work together.
What Costs Can You Expect for Your Case?
Keep in mind that nursing home abuse or neglect cases will involve costs other than legal fees. The expenses for acquiring complete medical records and expert testimony, as well as court fees and arbitration costs, can total thousands of dollars.
Most nursing home abuse attorneys in Kennesaw who work on a contingency will pay these costs initially, with the understanding that they will receive payment for these expenses upon winning the case.
Compensation Available After Acts of Abuse or Neglect
A nursing home abuse attorney in Kennesaw, GA, can help your family secure compensation for all losses you face. You may qualify for funds to pay for:
A Loved One’s Medical Bills
Physical injuries caused by abuse may leave your family with high medical expenses. We can push the liable party to pay for a victim of nursing home abuse’s emergency treatment, time in a hospital, medications, and physical therapy.
Your Lost Wages
You may need to take time away from your job to care for a loved one who experienced abuse at a nursing facility. We can add up the wages you lose and include them in your claim.
A Loved One’s Pain and Suffering
We know that abuse in nursing homes can have non-economic effects on your loved one. For example, a family member may experience emotional distress, mental anguish, and pain because of abuse or neglect.
A Kennesaw nursing home abuse attorney can determine a fair value for these losses and include them in your claim.
Signs of Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse
Common signs of abuse may include bruises, changes in your loved one’s behavior, and other factors. For example, does your loved one seem unusually weak, ill, or underweight? All of these issues could represent a sign of abuse.
Other Signs of Neglect
Does your loved one have an unkempt appearance? Maintaining daily hygiene is an essential component of resident care. When staff take shortcuts in hygiene routines or omit them altogether, they may endanger the health of residents.
Urinary tract infections, bedsores, and other health problems are more likely to occur without adequate bathing, personal care, and house cleaning. Signs that your loved one is not receiving proper hygiene include:
- Uncombed hair
- Foul-smelling breath
- Dirty clothes or linens
These problems may also lead to behavioral changes, such as depression or irritability.
The Most Typical Nursing Home Injuries
Some of the most common injuries caused by abuse or neglect in care facilities include bedsores, broken bones, dehydration, and injuries associated with poor nutrition. All of these injuries should receive immediate medical care.
Why Are Injuries Common in Care Facilities?
As we age, our eyesight worsens, and our mobility and coordination weaken. These limitations increase the risk of falling among seniors. Therefore, residents must receive assistance with walking when needed, walkers and other mobility aids must stay in proper working condition, and living spaces must be free of obstacles.
Failure to provide proper aid can lead to broken bones, head injuries, and sometimes even death.
Limited Mobility Can Increase the Risk of Injury
When an elderly person’s mobility is limited, they are at risk of getting bedsores or pressure ulcers. This issue becomes more likely if the resident is incontinent and does not receive proper sanitary care.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires that residents be checked for changes in skin condition daily. Proper sanitation and frequent repositioning of residents can prevent most bedsores. However, they are so easy to contract that up to ten percent of residents in long-term care facilities face this issue at all times.
Disorientation Can Cause Injuries
Elderly residents may become easily disoriented and wander away from a care home. Many people come and go from a crowded facility all day, so a resident may slip away undetected. Once away from the controlled environment of the home, residents may encounter hazards such as:
- Traffic
- Footpath obstacles
- Extreme temperatures
Leaving a facility without assistance can be extremely dangerous for people with cognitive and physical impairments.
Why do Nursing Home Staff Commit Neglect?
Neglect is unintentional. It occurs when a facility lacks the resources to provide quality care. The facility may suffer from budgetary problems, understaffing, insufficient training, or any combination of these issues.
Like any other business, nursing homes may cut corners to maximize revenue. Thus, they may perceive staff as an area where costs might be cut, inadvertently leaving remaining workers with more responsibilities than they can execute properly. Facilities may decide to hire workers with less experience because they can pay them less, as well.
Effects of Improper Staffing
When a facility doesn’t hire enough staff, lays off staff, or replaces experienced workers with those newer to the field, the remaining staff members face difficult challenges. With too many tasks on their plate, they cannot provide enough attention to individual residents.
Taking the time to reposition one resident to avoid bedsores may mean rushing through another’s oral hygiene regimen. Overworking employees can also lead to high turnover, further exacerbating the problem.
Effects of Improper Training
Employees must receive proper training to perform well in their jobs. Facility management may opt to abbreviate or eliminate certain training when staff numbers are low simply to address immediate needs for direct care.
Employees who do not get enough guidance on how to execute the tasks of their jobs may become frustrated and quit. New employees coming in will likely have less experience, and the higher the turnover rate, the lower the overall skill level of the staff.
Regardless of the reason for your loved one’s injury, you can turn to a Kennesaw nursing home abuse lawyer for help.
Where do You Report Nursing Home Abuse?
You may consider filing a complaint with the Georgia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Ombudsmen are advocates for nursing home patients who help resolve conflicts between nursing homes and residents. They reside throughout the state and are trained and legally authorized to visit nursing homes and ask questions.
If your loved one suffered abuse or neglect at a nursing home, resulting in injury or death, you have the option to file a police report. If the actions of the nursing home are deemed unlawful, criminal charges may be brought against the staff by the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
If you witness abuse in a Kennesaw, Georgia, nursing home, report the crime to the Kennesaw Police Department or the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department.
You May Need to Place Your Loved One in a Different Facility
If your loved one is not receiving proper care at their current care facility, you will want to place them in a new facility. Finding a home that offers better care, is in a good location for your family, and takes Medicare and Medicaid can be intimidating.
The Nursing Home Compare website, created by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), can help you compare area assisted living facilities easily. The website compares long-term care facilities in your area according to criteria such as staffing quality and inspection scores.
Once you’ve done some research on the website, you’ll want to visit any nursing homes of interest in person. Spend some time at each contender to really get a feel for the place. Speak with residents, staff, and medical personnel if possible. If you don’t receive a warm welcome and ready information, consider that a red flag.
What Information do You Need After an Act of Abuse?
When you file a claim about the mistreatment of your loved one, you will need their medical records to prove that their health suffered due to abuse or neglect in the facility. The nursing home or hospital where the resident received treatment may keep these records.
Since federal law protects all patients’ privacy, you will need written authorization—in the form of paperwork demonstrating a healthcare directive, power of attorney, or guardianship—to gain access to the records.
If your loved one sustains injuries at a nursing home in Kennesaw, Georgia, they will likely receive treatment at an area hospital.
Talk to Us After Abuse in a Care Facility in Kennesaw, GA
You can hire a Kennesaw nursing home abuse lawyer from our team at Schenk Nursing Home Abuse Law to handle all legal matters for your family. You can learn more about our firm and then reach out for personalized help.
We’re ready to assist during this challenging time, so call or complete our online contact form.