A nursing home’s job is to keep its residents safe, but unfortunately, that standard is often not met. If you have a parent, grandparent, or other loved one in an Alabama nursing home, you need to be your loved one’s advocate and intervene if you have reason to believe they are being neglected.
Know the warning signs and don’t depend on the nursing home to take action
Stay involved in their care, visit frequently, and if something seems wrong, say something. And if you need help protecting your family’s legal rights, talk to an experienced nursing home neglect attorney right away.
Warning signs of nursing home neglect
- Poor hygiene: nursing homes are responsible for bathing residents regularly and ensuring they have clean clothes.
- Poor sanitation: your loved one’s room should be clean, and their sheets should be regularly changed.
- Unexplained weight loss: if your loved one looks thin or emaciated, that may be a sign of malnutrition.
- Unexplained injuries: the nursing home’s job is to prevent accidents and intervene promptly if a resident falls or otherwise gets hurt.
- New medical conditions: bedsores, infections, and illnesses such as pneumonia are often the result of nursing home neglect.
- Poorly maintained premises: pay attention to the physical environment of the nursing home and look out for clutter, fire hazards, or maintenance issues.
What to do if you suspect nursing home neglect
If you spot any of these or other warning signs of neglect, you need to take immediate action to ensure your loved one’s safety. If your loved one needs medical care, remove them from the facility right away. Tell the nursing home to send them to the hospital; if they won’t do that, call 911 and do it yourself. Your loved one needs to get checked out by a doctor who isn’t affiliated with the nursing home to ensure that their condition is properly diagnosed and they get the treatment they need.
Why are nursing homes reluctant to send residents to the hospital? It’s because sending your loved one to the hospital means the neglect will be documented and reported to the state, which can affect the nursing home’s funding and their ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). According to CMS, nursing homes and rehab facilities in the Birmingham, Alabama, area that have earned one-star ratings include:
- Oak Knoll Health and Rehabilitation, LLC (Birmingham)
- Elite Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center (Birmingham)
- Cherry Hill Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center (Birmingham)
- North Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Ctr, LLC (Birmingham)
- Aspire Physical Recovery Center at Hoover, LLC
- Aspire Physical Recovery Center at Cahaba River (Vestavia)
- Caregivers of Pleasant Grove, Inc
- Legacy Health and Rehabilitation of Pleasant Grove
- Magnolia Ridge (Gardendale)
- Oak Crest Health & Wellness (Bessemer)
- Self Skilled Nursing & Rehab (Hueytown)
- Oaks on Parkwood Skilled Nursing Facility (Bessemer)
- Diversicare of Bessemer
- Village at Cook Springs Skilled Nursing Facility (Pell City)
When nursing homes control the treatment, they also control the documentation, which helps them avoid the hit to their funding and ratings. We’ve seen over and over again that nursing homes can and do write fraudulent reports about a resident's illness or death. When someone passes away in a nursing home, there is often no medical writeup; you must rely on the nursing home to know the cause of death.
If your loved one is a victim of nursing home neglect, talk to an experienced attorney
When nursing homes fail in their responsibility to keep their residents safe, families deserve accountability. For decades, attorney Perry Shuttlesworth and the team at Shuttlesworth Law Firm, P.C. have been representing victims and their families in Birmingham and throughout Alabama.
For instance, in one case, we obtained a $1 million settlement after a nursing home's neglect resulted in bedsores, causing a resident's death.
If your loved one was abused or neglected in a nursing home, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your rights. Give us a call or contact us online for a free consultation.
