How to Document Nursing Home Abuse
If you believe that an elderly relative is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, there are two important things that you must do immediately to protect them. The first thing to do is to report the abuse to the Adult Protective Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Human Services. After the abuse has been reported, it is also important that you document as many facts as you can about what has happened.
Keeping a journal is an effective method of documenting nursing home abuse, because you can write down information as you see, hear, or experience it. Make sure that you keep your journal in a safe place, as the person or people who have been abusing your relative would certainly destroy it if they were to discover it. Include as many details as you can in your journal entries, including the date, the time, who was present, and any other information that you can think of. It is better to write more now, than to write a few bits of information and hope that you will remember the rest later on.
There are many different types of information that could prove useful in a nursing home abuse case. Making notes of the following items in your journal can help you to provide a complete picture of the abuse that your relative has experienced. Include notes about any reports that you make to the Department of Human Services, the staff at the nursing home, or anyone else, including who you called and when, and what they said to you. Speak to other family members, because they may have visited your relative at different times, and they may have additional information regarding the condition of your elderly relative during the time that they were visiting them. If you become aware of any witnesses who may have seen or heard the abuse taking place, make note of their name and contact information, as well as whatever they have to say about what they saw, heard, or experienced.
Pictures and videos are also useful in documenting nursing home abuse. There have been quite a few recent news stories describing abusers who have been caught after family members placed hidden cameras in their elderly relatives’ rooms. Pictures of wounds can help you to determine when they first appeared and whether they appear to improve or worsen with the passage of time. As you collect photographic and video evidence, keep in mind that if your photographs or videos are turned over to the police during the course of an investigation, they may become part of the evidence in the case against the abuser, and they may also be used publicly.
Medical records are sometimes altered following an allegation of abuse, and they are also an important source of information regarding the treatment of any injuries or health conditions which resulted from the abuse. Obtain copies of your relative’s medical records as soon as you can, so that you can have access to the information that they contain.
When relatives of abused nursing home residents collect information about the abuse that their loved ones have experienced, that information can play an important role in ensuring that the abusers are identified and held responsible for their actions. If you suspect that your elderly relative is being abused by nursing home staff, report the abuse immediately and document it as well as you can. Also contact the Memphis Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC as soon as you can at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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