Was your loved one a recent victim of elder abuse or neglect? If so, you and your loved one may be entitled to a significant cash settlement. Don’t hesitate to learn more about your options on our website (www.schenkfirm.com). Better yet, give us a call to set up your free consultation.
Elder abuse and neglect are regular occurrences in Georgia nursing homes. Abusive behavior may involve threats, physical violence, psychological trauma, and theft, while neglect may increase the risk of injuries from falls and bedsores, and can quickly lead to malnourishment, bad hygiene, and depression.
The Nursing Home Hurt My Loved One—Can I File a Suit?
Yes. You have the right to file a lawsuit against a nursing home if you notice abusive or neglectful behavior. If that nursing home failed to comply with state and federal regulations, then they are at fault for the pain and suffering caused to your loved one, and should be punished for it.
Even if you have a strong case, a lawsuit may not always make its way to court. More often than not, the nursing home decides to settle and avoid the costs of a serious court battle. In this case, if you agree to the settlement, the suit is dropped and you and your family receive reparations for the pain and suffering caused to your loved one.
What Are Your Attorney’s Fees?
Good news! We don’t have any.
That isn’t to say we work for free of course. But we do work on contingency. That means you don’t pay a dime for our legal services unless we win your case. If we win, we take a small percentage from the settlement funds, and release the rest to you.
This is great news for Georgia families in Rome and throughout the state. It is now possible for anyone to be able to afford an experienced attorney and fight back against elder abuse and neglect.
Last but not least, our initial consultation is always 100% free, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.
We Are Schenk Smith, Your Rome Nursing Home Lawyers
If you’re a resident of Georgia and your loved one has been abused or neglected in a state nursing facility, contacting Schenk Smith may be the smartest move you’ll ever make. When you call Schenk Smith, you speak directly with an experienced elder law attorney. You will never get the runaround from us. And we will always be honest with you about the odds of your case in court.
Worried about the costs of hiring an attorney? Don’t be. Schenk Smith works on contingency and will never request a dime from you up front. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by contacting our law firm today.
Schenk Smith is happy to travel to residents who live in Rome, Georgia. Whether you live out by Ridge Ferry Park, Rome Clock Tower, or the Historic Myrtle Hill Cemetery, we’ve got you covered.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in Rome, Georgia- What you need to know.
Rome, Georgia is located in Floyd County and has a population of 36,340 residents. Of those, 14.8% are aged 65 and older. Protecting these senior citizens is our highest priority here at Schenk Smith LLC.
Are There Signs of Nursing Home Neglect?
Yes. If you know where to look, you can easily spot signs of neglect. In fact, you can become an expert at identifying neglect by following a few simple rules:
- Check for bedsores regularly. Bedsores are one of the most common signs of neglect and occur most often in bony prominences such as the ankle, tailbone, back of the head, and elbow. Assess your loved one for red splotches or open wounds every time you visit them.
- Follow your nose. If you regularly smell urine, feces, or body odor in your loved one’s nursing home, there’s a very good chance the staff is overworked and severely behind on their daily tasks.
- Regularly assess your loved one’s hygiene. Matted hair, bad breath, long fingernails and bad-smelling clothing or bedding are clear indicators of neglect. If you find yourself constantly asking nurses to perform these simple duties, then neglect could absolutely be at play.
Our elderly loved ones rely on us to keep abuse and neglect at bay. We need to watch out for them, because there is no guarantee that the nursing home will. If you aren’t sure whether you have a case for neglect, feel free to contact Schenk Smith for a free consultation.
Nursing Home Neglect—What Are the Common Injuries?
When people think about neglect, they often don’t consider physical injuries. But wounds, infections, and even broken bones may be an indication that neglect occurred. This isn’t always the case of course. But to be safe, you should educate yourself on the most common injuries caused by nursing home neglect, and how to stop them.
- Broken bones, bruising, and fractures from falls: Falls happen every day in nursing homes, and many of them could have been avoided if nursing home staff and management had followed proper procedures and regulations. By neglecting to perform regular assessments of their residents (considering age, medications, and other factors) a nursing home could be held liable for injuries caused by a fall.
- Bedsores: Bedsores are one of the most common types of injuries in a nursing home, and with the right care, they are entirely preventable. If you spot a bedsore, there is a good chance that nursing home staff is overworked and cannot provide proper care to all of its residents. A stage one bedsore may be just a fluke. But if you see larger bedsores that have become open wounds, you should contact Georgia authorities and secure the services of a capable nursing home neglect attorney right away.
Why Is There So Much Nursing Home Neglect?
The number of cases of neglect in Georgia nursing homes is increasing at a rapid pace. While nobody knows for sure why neglect is such a regular occurrence in nursing homes, experts have narrowed it down to a few likely reasons, including:
- Nationwide nursing shortage: Qualified nurses are hard to come by, and many choose to work at hospitals rather than nursing homes. Meanwhile, the nurses that do work at nursing facilities experience fatigue and even depression, leading to a situation where the residents of the nursing homes do not get the care they need.
- Higher prices of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals: Nursing homes do not have unlimited funds at their disposal. As the price of medical equipment, supplies, and drugs continues to skyrocket, it is the residents of nursing homes who suffer most.
- Bad and ineffective management: Management is in charge of following proper protocol and regulations, keeping the facility clean and updated, and making sure staff is content and doing a great job. When bad management comes to a nursing home, it can undermine the entire facility. Again, it’s the residents who suffer most.
My loved one was hurt in a Rome nursing home- What do I do next?
If your loved one was severely injured or passed away at a Rome, 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
If you suspect a nursing home is abusing or neglecting its residents, you may wish to contact the Georgia Department of Community Health. The DCH regulates and licenses hundreds of nursing homes across the state, and should be notified in the event of a violation or infraction of state or federal nursing home law.
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
The Georgia Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman helps Georgia residents and nursing homes mediate disputes between one another. Ombudsman officials are authorized to enter nursing home premises and review their locations for possible regulatory infractions.
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:
North Region –Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
4080 Mundy Mill Road
Oakwood, GA 30566
Telephone: (770) 538-2685
Fax: (770) 538-2696
You may report physical assault or abuse to local law enforcement
If you witnessed a theft or physical assault by one or more of the staff at a local nursing home, you may contact state officials to file a criminal complaint. Complaints may go through the local police, the sheriff, or the local district attorney’s office, or all three if you so choose.
For abuse occurring in a Rome, Georgia nursing home, report the crime to the Rome Police Department or to the Floyd County Sheriff.
Rome City Police Department
5 Government Plaza,
Rome, GA 30161
Telephone: (706) 238-5111
Floyd County Sheriff’s Office
3 Government Plaza
Rome, GA 30161
Telephone: (706) 314-0710
District Attorney’s Office: Rome Judicial District
3 Government Plaza, Ste 108
Rome, GA 30161
Telephone: (706) 291-5210
Find another facility for your loved one.
Once you discover your loved one is a victim of abuse or neglect, your first priority will be to remove him or her from those living conditions as quickly as possible. Once you know your loved one is safe, you can then follow up with legal action against the nursing home.
Locating a new nursing home can be stressful to you, to your loved one, and to your family. Fortunately there are tools which make the task much easier. At Schenk Smith, our tool of choice is medicare.gov’s Nursing Home Compare Tool. Click here to go to the Nursing Home Compare Website.
The Nursing Home Compare Tool lets you compare ratings for nursing homes throughout the state. You can compare based on the number of regulatory infractions, the quality of the staff, and the overall score of the facility.
For your convenience, a list of all nursing homes located within Rome, Georgia is located below, along with their contact information and inspection scores.
Get the medical records from the hospital and the nursing home.
It’s one thing to have suspicions that an injury was caused by abuse or neglect. It’s another thing entirely to prove it in a court of law. To make sure your loved one receives the justice he or she deserves, we will need evidence pointing to wrongdoing. And many times, that evidence can be found in a hospital’s medical records.
Medical records hold a wealth of information, including the type of injury that occurred, the likely cause of the injury, and the time frame in which the injury took place. That information gives an attorney a strong foundation for building a case against the nursing home.
Unfortunately, obtaining medical records may prove difficult. First, you’ll need a power of attorney over your loved one to secure their release. Second, you’ll need to hunt down the hospital where your loved one was taken. Don’t expect the nursing home to be much help here. They will likely fight to keep as much information away from you as possible.
To help get you started, we’ve provided a list of local hospitals and their contact information. If at any time you feel overwhelmed about the process, don’t hesitate to reach out to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
Redmond Regional Medical Center
Telephone: (706) 291-0291
Telephone: (706) 378-6800
Telephone: (706) 509-5000
Begin the probate process if your loved one has passed away.
Your loved one passed away from injuries received in a local nursing home, and you suspect those injuries had something to do with an abusive or neglectful environment. If you plan on filing a lawsuit against the nursing home for your loved one’s premature death, then you will need to visit your county’s local probate court to begin the process of creating an estate in their name.
You would create an estate for a number of reasons. Most of the time, estates allow an administrator or executor a chance to fulfill a deceased person’s last wishes, often in the form of a will. In other instances, an estate allows the administrator to file a lawsuit against a person or entity who may have had a hand in their loved one’s death.
To begin the estate process, you’ll need to visit your county’s probate court. The process of setting up an estate isn’t always easy to understand. So if you have any questions at all during the process, don’t hesitate to reach out to the attorneys at Schenk Smith LLC.
Click here for the Probate Court of Floyd County
3 Government Plaza
Rome, GA 30161
Telephone: (706) 291-5136
Rome Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (678) 823-7678
Nursing Homes in Rome, Georgia
As promised, we’ve provided you with a list of nursing homes in your local area. This information is taken from our CMS’ Nursing Home Compare Website.
| Fifth Avenue Health Care
505 North Fifth Avenue |
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 (Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 92.2 RN hours per resident per day: 9 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average)
Staff Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 06-08-2017 Number of Health Citations: 2 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
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| Etowah Landing
809 South Broad Street |
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 91.8 RN hours per resident per day: 23 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average)
Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 05-04-2017 Number of Health Citations: 1 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 1 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
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| Rome Health and Rehabilitation Center
1345 Redmond Road |
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 86.2 RN hours per resident per day: 23 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average)
Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 07-13-2017 Number of Health Citations: 0 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 3 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
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| Evergreen Health & Rehabilitation Center
139 Moran Lake Road, NE |
Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 90.4 RN hours per resident per day: Not Available (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average)
Staff Rating: Not Available Quality Measure Rating: 3 out of 5 (Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 07-20-2017 Number of Health Citations: 5 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 1 ($17,218 fine on 07-20-2017) |
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| Pruitthealth – Rome
2 Three Mile Road NE |
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 92.2 RN hours per resident per day: 19 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average)
Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 10-26-2017 Number of Health Citations: 0 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
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| Winthrop Health and Rehabilitation
12 Chateau Drive |
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 92.4 RN hours per resident per day: 21 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 5 out of 5 (Much Above Average)
Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 02-08-2018 Number of Health Citations: 1 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 |
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| Chulio Hills Health and Rehab
1170 Chulio Road |
Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average)
Number of Beds: 100 Number of Residents: 87.9 RN hours per resident per day: 28 min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average)
Staff Rating: 3 out of 5 (Average) Quality Measure Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 09-29-2017 Number of Health Citations: 7 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 2 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 2 ($10,000 fine on 04-03-2016; $13,627 fine on 09-29-2017) |
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Why Choose Schenk Smith as Your Nursing Home Lawyers?
You want justice for your loved one and reparations for the pain and suffering caused to your family. So do we. At Schenk Smith, our mission is to make sure your loved one receives the best outcome possible in their case. To date, we’ve helped over a hundred Georgia families do exactly that. And we’re not even close to being finished.
- Millions of dollars in settlements to date: Schenk Smith LLC has helped 100+ families collect millions of dollars in settlements since 2013.
- Highest Google rated elder abuse law firm in Georgia: Our law firm has earned more positive Google reviews than any of our competitors across the state of Georgia.
- Huge library of self–help videos: We’ve produced over a hundred educational videos on our website, and even host a weekly podcast to help families identify and stop elder abuse.
If you believe your loved one is a victim of elder abuse and neglect, then don’t hesitate to contact Schenk Smith for your free consultation. Remember, we work on a contingency basis, so you’ll never pay us out of pocket for services rendered. This type of payment model has allowed families who could never afford an attorney a chance to seek justice for their victimized loved ones.
If your loved one was injured or died in a Rome, 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.