How To Gather Evidence Of Nursing Home Abuse

You might notice warning signs of nursing home abuse such as bruises, malnutrition, or changes in behavior, but proving that your loved one is being abused can be notoriously difficult. You will need to obtain evidence that can quickly disappear as a nursing home attempts to cover up what happened. 

Why Nursing Home Cases Are So Difficult

One of the challenges of nursing home cases is that the patient is aware of who was responsible for his injuries. However, the patient might be afraid to admit that they are being abused or may not be capable of articulating what is occurring. Therefore, you will need to be proactive when proving that your loved one was injured by the nursing home. You will need to take photographs to show the conditions that your loved one is living under and the type of injuries they have experienced. 

Fortunately, there may be witnesses who can help you prove that there was a case of abuse or neglect. This can come from other patients, other professionals who work with the nursing home, or nursing home staff members.

Services That Can Help

If the nursing home is participating in Medicare or Medicaid, you will receive your loved one's nursing home records. Look at the records and make sure that there aren't any inconsistencies. You will want to look for things like the following:

  • Unnecessary treatments
  • Lack of explanation for injuries
  • Use of medications

Then, you will want to speak with a nursing home abuse attorney who can use the information you provide to build a case against the nursing home provider.

Ombudsman Complaints

Make sure to file an ombudsman complaint involving the local nursing home. Then, you can use other complaints filed to the ombudsman to show that there is a history of problems with the nursing home facility that you are seeking legal action against. 

Also, look for past inspections. Records of past inspections can reveal patterns that show that the nursing home has been negligent. The only way to hold nursing homes accountable is to use hard evidence to seek compensation for any injuries that your loved one has suffered. 

Nursing Home Attorneys

A nursing home attorney will help you obtain documents that you might otherwise not know how to obtain. For example, an attorney can file a motion that can compel a nursing home to supply documents. Your attorney can also gather all of the documents necessary to help you win your case.

To learn more, contact a nursing home abuse attorney.


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