Protecting vulnerable adults from abuse in nursing homes
Abuse in Nursing Homes
My name is Mike Ashworth. I’m a personal injury lawyer in Oklahoma. Abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of vulnerable adults are most commonly associated with nursing homes or senior residential care-type facilities. The fastest growing population and generation in the United States now are those who are reaching their 60s like myself.
I’m in my 60s now, 70s, 80s, and like my mother, she just passed away at 93 and she was far from the oldest person in the nursing home. There were many older than her. So abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. What happens? It happens far too often and it can be both financial or physical and it can be emotional.
It can be a neglecting treatment. For example, a person should be turned every two hours is the standard and they’re not. They may be laying in urine and feces and they may be getting ammonia burns from the urine. Plus it can contribute to skin breakdown which can cause decubitus ulcers which are very dangerous in a senior because then it could lead to what’s called sepsis and septic shock which is often fatal.
Recognizing Signs of Abuse
When you have a loved one that is in some kind of residential care placement and they don’t have to be a senior. My brother has Down syndrome. He happens to be 67 but there are times there may be people with closed head injuries that may be 30, 35, or 40 years old that may be in these placements. If something happens to them, give me a call at 918-924-5528.
I’ve tried several nursing home jury trials across Oklahoma. I’ve been in more nursing homes and logged more hours of reading 25-67 state surveys that I can’t even count. But if it just doesn’t feel right, it doesn’t look right, and it doesn’t smell right. If you walk into a possible adult placement and it smells, it smells like urine or feces.
Or one time I went to a nursing home, and the smell was unbelievable. Didn’t know what it was. Went down the wing, the hallway, and it was because someone had massive decubitus ulcers. So people don’t deserve that kind of treatment. Don’t care how old they are. I don’t care if they’re being treated with hospice because death is inevitable. It’s inevitable for all of us, by the way.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
I am Mike Ashworth, a nursing home neglect attorney in Tulsa. Give me a call at 918-924-5528 or visit us online at tulsapersonalinjurylawyer.pro. If you suspect abuse or negligence in a nursing home or residential care facility, don’t hesitate to reach out. We offer a free consultation to discuss your situation and provide guidance on the next steps to take.
