West Virginia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Elders' Rights and Injury Claims for Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

When our loved ones get older, they can have physical conditions and needs that we are unable to properly care for. We carefully search out a nursing home that we believe will care for them, treat them with the dignity and compassion they deserve, and protect their health. Unfortunately, certain facilities fail to train their staff, or hire unqualified personnel that have abused or neglected innocent victims. Often, the elderly person is unable to communicate the abuse, or is frightened or over-medicated. If you suspect that your loved one has been abused or neglected while in a nursing home, contact a West Virginia nursing home abuse attorney from Mani Ellis & Layne PLLC. We advocate for the rights of elderly victims of nursing home abuse, and will help you take legal action. With 35 years of combined experience, and many millions in settlements and verdicts, our accomplished legal team knows how to fight for justice and compensation.

We offer our services in cases of nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect. We know the signs of nursing home abuse, which can include bedsores, broken bones, dehydration, malnutrition, other types of behavior that could indicate that they have been suffering under the hands of criminal staff. If your loved one has been a victim in such a case, you need to know how to report elder abuse, and our firm can assist you in handling abuse. There are also cases of abuse at assisted living facilities, and elderly people who suffer the consequences of abandonment, a failure to treat, fall accidents, and lack of proper care. Some cases involve medication errors, physical abuse, and even sexual abuse. The Nursing Home Reform Act was passed to protect the rights of residents of nursing homes, and if violations have taken place, legal action should be taken at once.

Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in West Virginia

It can be a shocking and horrifying situation to discover that your parent or other relative is being abused. It is important that you are aware of the indicators of abuse, many of which are emotional. If your loved one is withdrawn, flinches when you come near, has bruises, or is always sleeping when you come to visit, it may be necessary to look more closely at the situation. Some nursing homes have been found to have used restraints illegally, and bruising around the wrists and ankles can be evident in such cases.

A nursing home facility should be providing the level of care that the resident needs, including providing them with good nutrition, medical care, and watching over them so that they are not in danger of wandering off or falling. Ronald Reagan signed the Nursing Home Reform Act into law in 1987. This legislation mandated that facilities that received payments from Medicare or Medicaid were required to provide services for nursing home residents that allowed them to "attain and maintain her highest practicable physical, mental and psycho-social well-being." Sadly, many of these facilities are falling far short of this goal, and endangering the lives and health of the residents through neglect, sub-standard care or abuse.

Legal Representation for Nursing Home Abuse Cases in West Virginia

If you have observed that your loved one is not clean, is always in bed, has developed bedsores, is losing weight rapidly, or appears to be over-medicated, it is vital that you act quickly. Elderly people are physically fragile and their health can decline rapidly if action is not taken to halt the abuse or neglect. Our legal team fights for justice and the rights of the elderly. We can assist you to take action against any nursing home that has allowed abuse to take place.

Contact a West Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm for more information.