You’re afraid that a loved one is suffering from neglect or even physical and emotional abuse at the hands of staff members in a nearby Redan nursing home. Under truly tragic circumstances, this loved one may even have lost his or her life due to the negligence or purposeful acts of the nursing staff.
The nursing home assumes that you aren’t paying close attention. But you sense something is wrong. This may be in the form of physical abuse (bruising, cut skin, scratch marks) or through neglect (bedsores, unclean sheets, or the onset of depression).
It is at this point that hiring an experienced abuse and neglect lawyer is necessary to ensure an honest and just outcome for the person you love. If you’re unsure where to start, you can visit our website, which contains a resource base for all your most pressing questions.
The Nursing Home Injured My Loved One—Should I File a Lawsuit?
If your loved one shows signs of physical abuse or emotional suffering, you have every right to file a lawsuit against the nursing home. In fact, sometimes a lawsuit is the only way to get the nursing home to stop the abusing behavior.
They may believe they don’t have to listen to your suspicions. But when a lawyer shows up with a demand letter, their opinion on the matter can change very quickly.
The abuse to your loved one must stop. That’s priority number one. By filing a lawsuit, you make it clear to the nursing home that they are being watched closely, and that their actions have consequences.
How Can I Afford a Lawyer?
Easy. If you hire a lawyer that works on a contingency basis, you may never have to go out of pocket to file a lawsuit. That means everybody in the state of Georgia can afford a nursing home abuse lawyer.
Law firms that work on contingency only accept payment when a case in won. This is how we operate at Schenk Smith LLC. We take a percentage of settlement funds once they’ve been secured by the client, along with any additional costs associated with hiring expert witnesses to provide testimony during your case.
Rest assured, you will not pay a penny in legal fees unless we win your case.
We Are Schenk Smith, Your Redan Nursing Home Lawyers
At Schenk Smith, we believe nursing homes should never get a free pass to abuse or neglect the elderly in their care. You and your loved one are entitled to a fair and just outcome in court. That’s a fact.
Don’t expect the nursing home to be of any help. They will do everything in their power to ensure you do not win. That’s why it so important to hire an experienced nursing home abuse law firm like Schenk Smith.
With over a hundred cases under our belts and millions in verdicts and settlements won in the past two years alone, we stand as one of the premier nursing home abuse law firms in the state of Georgia.
We are the only nursing home abuse attorneys in Georgia with a weekly video podcast educating our community, and we have the strongest Google reviews of any nursing home abuse lawyers in the state.
Do not hesitate to call us if you suspect that your loved one is being abused or neglected by nursing home staff. We serve Redan and all surrounding areas, including Redan Park, Hairston Road, and The Meadows.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in Redan, Georgia- What you need to know.
Redan, Georgia is located in DeKalb Conty and has a population of 33,841 residents. Of those, 12% are aged 65 and older. Many of these men and women cannot defend themselves or even voice their fears, making it all the more important that we keep a watchful eye on their safety and wellbeing.
Are There Specific Signs of Nursing Home Neglect?
Yes. When you know what to look for, the signs of neglect are easy to spot. Below are some of the most important health issues to look out for:
- Does your loved one have bedsores? Bedsores are a red flag for neglect that every family member should be aware of when visiting their loved one in a nursing facility. Bedsores happen when the nurse staff fails to move a bedridden individual on a regular basis. Tiny red splotches then form around the heels, tailbone, elbow, shoulder or back of head, which can quickly become open wounds if not treated right away.
- Unsanitary living conditions: If you notice soiled bedsheets, dirty toilets, dust on the ceiling fans, or cockroaches and pests in the room with your loved one, then this is a clear sign that the nursing staff is failing to provide a safe an infection-free living environment for your loved one.
- Loss of weight, hair, or skin tone: Weight loss is common among elderly individuals. What you’re looking for, however, is a very abrupt, very obvious drop in weight. If your loved one looks frail or has physical signs of nutrition deficiencies (loss of skin color, loss of hair) then you should absolutely bring it up with the nursing staff to determine the cause. If things do not change, neglect may be the cause.
What Are Common Injuries of Nursing Home Residents?
Nursing homes are required by law to provide a safe environment for their residents. However, incidents leading to physical injuries can and do happen frequently, many of which are due to nursing staff negligence. Some of the most common nursing home injuries include:
- Broken bones and concussions due to falls: Falls happen often in nursing homes. Some of these may not have been avoided, while others are due to the negligence or even direct action of nursing home staff. Falls may cause concussions, broken bones, twisted ankles and fractures. If a nursing home staff has not provided alarms on each and every one of its residents, or fails to check on its residents regularly, those falls could lead to death.
- Bed sores: Bed sores are common in elderly care facilities, which is unfortunate because all of them are preventable with proper care by nursing staff.
- Cuts and bruises: Elderly people are prone to bruises and cuts like everybody else. However, if you are seeing these things regularly, it may be a sign of elder abuse. Always make sure to investigate where these wounds came from by asking your loved one or nursing staff.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Abuse lawyer serving Redan, call (678) 823-7678
Why Does Neglect Occur So Much in Nursing Homes?
Every day, families like yours are shocked to discover that a loved one has been neglected by nursing home staff. The thought of this nursing home ignoring your loved one or even withholding necessary care out of selfish motives is both wrong and despicable.
The reasons for neglect are varied, but some of the most common include:
- The salary for nurses in many lower cost nursing homes may be lower than average, leading to less qualified individuals taking these positions.
- Education plays an important role. Many nurses never receive proper training from management, leading to poor care which can quickly deteriorate into neglect.
- Nursing homes are high stress environments. And some elderly require a great deal of care to maintain quality of life. Not every nurse is cut out to provide this kind of care. Eventually, these nurses begin to cut corners and avoid certain duties out of distaste for them.
- Unfortunately, nursing homes may attract predatory individuals who enjoy harming those who cannot care for themselves. What may begin as neglect by these nurses can quickly manifest into emotional and even physical abuse.
You should always follow your instinct. If you have even the slightest suspicion that your loved one may be neglected, contact the necessary authorities and consider hiring an attorney to protect the interests of your loved one in court.
Redan Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (678) 823-7678
My loved one was hurt in a Redan nursing home- What do I do next?
If your loved one was severely injured or passed away at a Redan, Georgia nursing home, then we recommend that you act as soon as possible to protect your loved one’s rights.
First, report the incident to the appropriate Georgia authorities
Georgia Department of Community Health
Residents of Redan, GA can contact the Healthcare Facility Regulation—a division of the Georgia Department of Community Health—to report suspicions of elderly abuse and neglect at any time. The HFR inspects and licenses all nursing homes in Georgia and is one of the most important resources you have at your disposal to stop the abuse of your loved one.
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 may also wish to contact the Georgia Office of the State Long-Term Ombudsman. This office is tasked with investigating possible abuses within nursing homes and long term care facilities. Ombudsman officials are here to mediate disputes between nursing home residents and the owners of these facilities.
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:
Western Region –Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
1743 Hardin Avenue
College Park, GA 30337-2059
Telephone: (678) 378-2934
Fax: (404) 768-8512
You may report physical assault or abuse to local law enforcement
Physical abuse or even assault of a loved one within a nursing home must be met with swift action on the part of the family. Under such conditions, involving law enforcement is essential to ending the abuse quickly. You may also want to contact the District Attorney’s Office Stone Mountain Judicial District.
Abuse by any nursing home in Redan, GA should be reported to the DeKalb County Police Department or to the DeKalb County Sheriff.
DeKalb County Police Department
1816 Candler Road
Decatur, GA 30032
Telephone: (404) 286-7900
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office
4415 Memorial Dr.
Decatur, GA, 30032
Telephone: (404) 298-8100
Stone Mountain Judicial District DA’s Office
556 N McDonough St, Ste 700
Decatur, GA, 30030
Telephone: (404) 371-2561
Find another facility for your loved one.
We understand the stress, anxiety, and fear you’re feeling for your loved one. We believe that the best way to put a positive spin on those emotions is to focus on finding a safer and kinder facility for the person in your care.
In order to help you identify a new nursing home as fast as possible, we’ve provided a link to Nursing Home Compare, a tool provided by the Medicare.gov website. This tool lets you search nursing homes in your area based on health inspection rating, staffing reputation, quality measures, and overall rating.
Click here to go to the Nursing Home Compare Website.
For your convenience, a list of all nursing homes located within Redan, Georgia is located below, along with their contact information and inspection scores.
Get the medical records from the hospital and the nursing home.
You have reason to believe that your loved one has been abused or neglected while staying in a nearby nursing home. But those crimes may go unpunished if evidence is not found pointing to that abuse or neglect.
It’s for this reason that Schenk Smith always recommends that our clients seek out any and all relevant medical records from both the nursing home and all nearby hospitals that your loved one may have gone to. It is important to do this as soon as you become aware of the abuse, before the paper trail gets cold and evidence gets “conveniently” misplaced.
A few tips to help you recover these medical documents:
- Search all hospitals in the area. You never know which one the nursing home took your loved one to, especially if they are trying to hide something.
- You will need written authorization, usually in the form of a power of attorney, guardianship paperwork, or healthcare directive.
- If you are confused and not sure where to start, don’t hesitate to call us for a free consultation.
For your convenience, we’ve provided the contact information for all major hospitals in the Redan area. You can find links to the hospitals and telephone numbers below.
Begin the probate process if your loved one has passed away.
Your loved one has passed away, and the nursing home that cared for your family member may also have caused his or her death, either through negligence or due to physical abuse. In order to discover the truth and ensure a just outcome for the deceased individual, you must begin the process of setting up an estate in their name.
An estate allows an appointed representative—maybe a family member, maybe somebody you trust—to file a lawsuit on behalf of the deceased loved one. In order to create an estate, one must petition the probate court in the county in which you reside.
The process of setting up an estate may seem like a daunting task. If you feel overwhelmed by the process, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Schenk Smith is available 24/7 to answer your questions and assist with your case.
Click here for the Probate Court of DeKalb County
DeKalb County Probate Court
445 N. McDonough St
Decatur, GA 30030
Click to contact our nursing home abuse lawyers today
Nursing Homes in Redan, Georgia
Are you looking for a new nursing home for elderly family member? Below you’ll find all of the nursing homes in the Redan area, along with ratings and contact information, courtesy of the CMS’ Nursing Home Compare Website.
| Traditions Health and Rehabilitation 2816 Evans Mill Road Lithonia, GA 30058 | Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Number of Beds: 182 Number of Residents: 168 RN hours per resident per day: 24min (GA Avg: 34min) |
| Health Inspection Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 12-15-2017 Number of Health Citations: 0 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting in citation: 16 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 1 ($6,500 on 12-06-2017) | |
| Pebblebrook Health Center at Park Springs 5610 New Bermuda Road Stone Mountain, GA 30087 | Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Number of Beds: 60 Number of Residents: 43 RN hours per resident per day: 44min (GA Avg: 34min) |
| Health Inspection Rating: 3 out of 5 (Average) Staff Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Quality Measure Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 08-26-2017 Number of Health Citations: 3 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting in citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 1 ($6,529 on 08/26/2017) | |
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Why Choose Schenk Smith as your Nursing Home Lawyers?
Schenk Smith is a law firm that believes in just and fair outcomes for nursing home residents across the state of Georgia. We have defended hundreds of residents across this great state, many of whom had nowhere else to go and no one to turn to.
We believe the elderly need protectors now more than ever before. It is terrible to consider, but predators stalk the halls of nursing homes around the country, and they have the power to do terrible harm to the people we love. Schenk Smith has settled hundreds of cases and taken hundreds more to court. We know what you’re facing, and we’re here to help.
Here are a few additional reasons why Schenk Smith is Georgia’s go-to Nursing Home Law Firm:
- Your case will not be handled by a case manager or inexperienced general practice lawyer. Rob Schenk and Schenk Firm will see to your needs personally.
- Over the past two years we’ve put millions of dollars back into the pockets of Georgia residents who were unfairly treated by nursing homes across the state.
- No other Georgia law firm specializing in nursing home abuse can match our reputation and the number of online reviews.
If your loved one was injured or died in a Columbus, 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.
Call or text (678) 823-7678 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form