Portage, IN Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Abuse of any kind might change a victim’s life, but being abused as a nursing home resident could be particularly distressing, as victims might be isolated from loved ones and face challenges reporting the abuse and getting help.

Families can respond to seniors being abused in nursing homes by urging them to report the abuse and moving them to another, safer facility. Documenting the abuse is crucial, especially if victims need compensation for medical bills or non-economic damages, which many do. Abuse is not always obvious, though there are warning signs victims’ loved ones can look for, such as a sudden decline in health, unexplainable or constant injuries, withdrawal from family and friends, and depleting victims’ savings. When preparing compensation claims against negligent senior living facilities, our lawyers will investigate by interviewing witnesses, gathering victims’ medical records, and calculating their economic and non-economic losses.

Call Wruck Paupore at (219) 322-1166 for a confidential and free case analysis from our nursing home abuse lawyers.

Responding to Nursing Home Abuse in Portage, IN

How victims’ families respond to reports of nursing home abuse can make the difference in their future compensation claims to hold negligent facilities accountable in Portage.

Whether the victim reports abuse directly or you suspect abuse based on their behaviors or statements, you can report it to Indiana’s Adult Protective Services or urge the victim to report to the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. These agencies can investigate abuse claims further and facilitate reporting to negligent nursing homes. Victims may also report abuse to law enforcement in Portage.

Generally speaking, moving the victim to another senior living facility is the next step. Even if the facility immediately fires an abusive staff member, remaining in the facility could be deeply upsetting for an abused resident, hindering their ability to heal from the experience.

As our lawyers start to build compensation claims for victims, we may ask if they reported the abuse to anyone else or if anyone, like other residents or staff members, witnessed their mistreatment firsthand. Preserving the statements of such individuals will be crucial, and our lawyers can conduct interviews soon after victims report abuse.

Victims with physical injuries from abuse should seek medical care after coming forward and may also need treatment from mental health professionals to work through their pain and suffering.

Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse to Look for in Portage, IN

Identifying abuse can be challenging for victims and their families, especially when victims live in nursing homes and have limited contact with their loved ones. Knowing the warning signs of different types of abuse can help family and friends help victims get the support they need and document their mistreatment.

Unexplainable or Constant Injuries

Having unexplainable or suspicious injuries, like constant bruises or fractures from supposed falls, could be a sign that a nursing home resident is being neglected or physically abused. If a resident suffers an accidental fall, the facility should properly document it and get them the appropriate treatment. If there are no records of your loved one’s injuries from an accident, it could be that they suffered injuries from intentional misconduct, like abuse.

Sudden Decline in Health

Nursing home residents may have various medical conditions, and a sudden decline in their health or worsening of those conditions could be because of abuse. Abusive staff might withhold medications from victims, or victims might become seriously depressed or withdrawn, leading to other medical issues.

Withdrawing from Family and Friends

When victims are being abused, they might become extremely withdrawn, depressed, and isolated, leading to less contact with family and friends. Abusive staff members might restrict contact with those outside the facility to reduce the chance of victims reporting mistreatment to their loved ones.

Losing Personal Items or Depleting Savings

Financial abuse is common in senior living facilities. Staff members might take victims’ personal belongings, like jewelry or other expensive items, or deplete their savings, leaving them without the means to pay to live in a nursing home. Monitoring seniors’ bank accounts and finances, in general, is wise after they move to a nursing home so that families can catch financial abuse or theft quickly.

Preparing Nursing Home Abuse Claims in Portage, IN

To begin, our lawyers must know when the abuse began and ended, such as with the victim’s reporting of abuse to the facility or moving to another nursing home. We must also know the exact type of abuse the victim endured, such as physical, sexual, financial, or psychological. This can be very challenging for victims to recount, but vital for the success of their compensation claims.

We will also investigate previous reports of abuse to the facility and whether or not it responded appropriately. Failing to take reports of any abuse seriously could be another breach of the facility’s duty of care to residents, and our nursing home abuse lawyers may use this as evidence of liability in your claim.

Victims might confide in close friends or family about the abuse, or other residents might witness it taking place over time. We can quickly interview anyone with knowledge about the victim’s experience to keep their statements intact. We can also gather any medical evidence that is relevant to the claim and get experts to give statements explaining some of the more complex matters, like the effect of abuse on the victim’s quality of life. While our lawyers do this, we will also calculate victims’ damages, both economic and non-economic, so they understand their deserved recoveries. Non-economic damages in these claims may be great, and we can quantify these losses before victims file so that they do not accept lowball settlements that do not benefit them.

Call Our Attorneys in Portage, IN for Help with Your Case Today

Call Wruck Paupore for help with your case from our nursing home abuse lawyers at (219) 322-1166.