Preventing Nursing Home Abuse in Tennessee

The decision to put your elderly loved one in a nursing home is never an easy one. Whether it is your grandparent or parent, it can be a gut wrenching decision to place your relative’s health and safety in the hands of strangers. Even more difficult is the knowledge that the people who have promised to take care of your relative have abused or neglected their care.

Elder abuse is absolutely rampant in the United States, which is really a terrible thing to discover. In fact, every year approximately 5 million older Americans become victims of elder abuse or neglect – and those are only the ones whose stories were reported according to the National Center for Elder Abuse.

Recently, a jury in Oklahoma awarded $1.2 million to the family of a woman who was abused in a nursing home. When Erytha Mayberry’s three daughters suspected that their mother was being abused, they installed a hidden camera in her room. Video footage showed their mother’s care takers abusing her and stealing from her. The two nursing home employees lost their job and face criminal charges. The jury found the nursing facility guilty of abusing and neglecting the patient. The Quail Creek nursing home plans to appeal the verdict.

What are some of the signs of nursing home abuse?

If your elderly relative has dementia or is otherwise unable to communicate to you that they are being hurt or neglected, you can still figure out if something is amiss with their care. Here are a few signs to watch for if you suspect that your relative is being abused in a nursing care facility:

• Bedsores
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Unexplained bruises or cuts
• Broken bones
• Soiled clothing or linens

How does Tennessee law address nursing home abuse?

Under the Tennessee Adult Protection Act, Tennessee defines elder abuse as “the infliction of physical pain, injury, or mental anguish, or the deprivation of services by a caretaker which are necessary to maintain the health and welfare of an adult, or a situation in which an adult is unable to provide or obtain the services which are necessary to maintain that person’s health or welfare.”

In Tennessee, nursing home staff, doctors, social workers and nurses are all mandatory reports, which means that if they suspect that an adult in a nursing care facility has been abused or neglected, they are required by law to report it to their supervisor and a law enforcement agency so that the issue can be investigated.

If you have a loved one who is living in a nursing home and you are concerned for their safety, here are a few tips to help make sure that they are being cared for properly:

• Stop by the nursing facility on a consistent basis.
• Get to know the nurses and the staff. Be a regular, visible presence at the facility.
• Keep an eye out for anything that does not look right. Is the facility clean? Do the residents look healthy and well cared for?

For more information about where to report elder abuse in Tennessee visit the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s website.

If your loved one has been a victim of abuse or neglect at the hand of a staff member at a nursing care facility, you can talk to a personal injury attorney who handles nursing home abuse cases. You can discuss your case and get the answers you need to seek justice on behalf of your elderly relative. Contact the law firm of Bailey & Greer PLLC today to schedule a consultation today.