PORTLAND NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE AND ABUSE ATTORNEY

We Handle Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse Cases in Portland and Throughout Oregon

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Many individuals struggle with the decision of whether or not to place their elderly loved ones in a nursing home. On the one hand, a nursing home can meet all of an elderly individual’s medical and day-to-day living needs; on the other hand, nursing homes oftentimes feel cold and impersonal, and they are devoid of all the memories of a family home. The biggest concern that most individuals have regarding nursing homes though is nursing home abuse. At Johnston Law Firm, P.C., attorney Marc A. Johnston has experience in helping families and individuals through the emotional trauma that stems from nursing home abuse by ensuring that they are able to file a nursing home abuse claim, have their case heard, and achieve the best possible outcome provided the available evidence.

Protecting the Rights 
of Your Elderly Loved Ones

Nursing home abuse is much more prevalent than most individuals think, with nearly one-third of all nursing homes in the United States having received at least one citation for elderly abuse or neglect. Families have a number of factors to consider before placing an elderly loved one in a nursing home, but some of the most important to consider are the following:

• More than 40 percent of nursing home residents have reported abuse, and more than 90 percent have reported neglect;
• Nearly half of all nursing home attendants have admitted to committing elderly abuse or neglect at one point or another during their career as a nursing home attendant;
• More than half of all Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in nursing home facilities have admitted to verbally abusing, yelling at, or cursing at elderly care residents.

Additionally, elder abuse is not limited to physical and verbal violence; it is also characterized by neglect. Elderly individuals require a great deal of care and attention. Many have strict dietary needs, medication requirements, and physical and mental limitations that must be catered to. If their special needs are not met, it can mean injury, illness, or even death for the elderly person.

Financial Elderly Abuse

Financial exploitation is one of the most common forms of non-physical abuse of the elderly. Caregivers in nursing homes have been caught committing the following acts of financial abuse:

• Misuse of an elderly individual’s checks, accounts, or credit cards;
• Theft of money, checks, or belongings;
• Forging signatures;
• Unauthorized withdrawals or transfer of funds; and
• Theft of the patient’s identity.

Nursing home caregivers use other crafty methods to swindle money from their elderly patients, such as convincing the elderly individual that they have won a “prize,” asking them to donate to phony charities, or even convincing them to participate in fake investment opportunities.

Nursing Home Malpractice

While the statistics of nursing home abuse are quite shocking, they are oftentimes incomplete and outdated. Elderly abuse is a highly underreported crime for a number of reasons, including:

• The normally deteriorated mental and/or physical state of nursing home patients;
• Fear of the caregiver(s);
• A pervasive sense of helplessness; and
• The deliberate and wrongful distribution of medications by caregivers in order to put elderly patients in a lethargic state.  

While government officials have taken notice of nursing home abuse and are implementing measures to put an end to the problem, there is only so much they can do without the help of nursing home patients and their families. At Johnston Law Firm, P.C., our Portland, Oregon nursing home abuse attorney recommends hiring legal representation to stand up for your loved one and be the voice of justice they so greatly need.

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Signs of 
Nursing Home Abuse

Our Portland nursing home malpractice attorney is experienced in spotting nursing home abuse and helping our clients put an end to it. If you suspect that a loved one is not being treated with the love and care that they deserve, we recommend looking for the following signs to use as evidence in a nursing home abuse claim:

• Bruises, sores, or broken bones;
• Dehydration or weight loss;
• Unexplained lethargy, disorientation, or aggression;
• Unexplained mood swings;
• Dirty or torn clothing;
• Refusal to eat or take medications;
• Reclusiveness;
• Frequent infections; and
• Caregivers refuse to let patients be left alone with non-patients.