Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

With our growing aging population, nursing homes, Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) are very profitable businesses. The easiest way for these businesses to make the most money is by cutting corners and “warehousing” residents. Facilities are staffed poorly. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs), which are cheaper than licensed nurses, perform the majority of hands on care, and they are spread very thinly. Staff are often poorly trained. When an incident occurs that results in injury to a resident, a cover-up almost always occurs to avoid scrutiny. Elder abuse and neglect are rampant, and our state government does little to protect our Kupuna. Laura Ozak, RN, JD has handled some horrific cases of abuse and neglect. Some of the signs that your loved one may be abused or neglected include:

• Withdraws from conversation during your visit.
• Reports falling, but has an unusual explanation.
• Has unexplained bruises or other injuries, such as burn marks or cuts.
• Has developed pressure ulcers (bedsores).
• Weight loss.
• Appears thirsty and dehydrated.
• Sleepy, listless, not very responsive.
• Unclean, unkempt.

Elder abuse and neglect is a complex and very specialized area of the law. A large part of our practice is devoted to these cases. If you are concerned about your loved one’s treatment in a nursing home, contact Laura Ozak, RN, JD, LLC.