Indianapolis Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

“Abuse” shouldn’t be a word that you ever hear in connection with a nursing home, yet the fact remains that patients are abused in Indianapolis nursing homes every year – and far too many of these incidents go unacknowledged. Because of age, mobility limitations, or cognitive impairment, nursing home residents are frequently dependent upon their abusers and may be too frightened or simply unable to tell someone that they are being harmed.

But if your loved one has been abused or neglected in a residential nursing facility in Indianapolis, reach out to the Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers at Hensley Legal Group. Our firm has been staunchly advocating for the innocent victims of negligence for more than 25 years, and we are passionate about ensuring that the elderly are treated with the dignity that they deserve.

You can schedule a free consultation with one of our dedicated Indianapolis nursing home abuse attorneys by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.

What Are Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect?

Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of ways in which someone could be harmed in a nursing home, though most civil cases initiated for the benefit of nursing home patients allege either abuse or neglect. These are distinct yet related categories of misbehavior at nursing home facilities, neither of which is acceptable and both of which could expose the facility and its employees to legal and financial liability.

Nursing home abuse

Abuse is the intentional infliction of injury. In nursing homes and assisted living facilities, most abuse is perpetrated by staffers who are obligated to take care of the abused residents, though patients could also be abused by fellow residents or visitors.

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, though the main categories include:

Physical abuse – Bodily injury from physical contact (e.g. slapping, shoving, kicking) or the deliberate withholding of necessities (food, water, medicine)

Mental abuse – Mental and emotional pain, anguish, or distress incurred through either verbal (threats, vulgar language) or nonverbal (glares, obscene gestures) means

Sexual abuse – Sexual contact or exposure to sexual behaviors without consent

Exploitation – Misuse, concealment, or theft of money, property, or assets

Essentially, when Indianapolis nursing home residents are being preyed upon by dishonest individuals seeking to gratify or enrich themselves, it can probably be considered abuse.

Nursing home neglect

While nursing home abuse is harm that is intentional in nature, neglect refers to the “unintentional” physical, mental, or emotional harm that befalls nursing home residents when the facility and its staff do not fulfill their duties to keep the residents safe and healthy.

Examples of nursing home neglect may include:

Inadequate nutrition or hydration

Inconsistent medical treatment

Medication mistakes

Ignoring medical emergencies

Not moving residents or taking them to the toilet

Lax hygiene, grooming, and laundry services

Irregular cleaning and maintenance of common spaces and resident rooms

Separating patients from friends or social interactions

The reasons for nursing home neglect can vary, though it generally comes down to dollars and cents. Sadly, many nursing homes value their bottom lines at the expense of their residents’ well-being and thus may try to cut corners by:

Not maintaining sufficient staff levels

Hiring inexperienced workers and not training them

Disregarding complaints of abuse by patients and their families

Ignoring laws, regulations, and industry standard practices

The hurt that neglected patients can suffer because of these callous decisions may not have been intended, but the consequences can be as dire as they would be from abuse and could result in permanent damage or even death.

Yet no matter if your relative is being abused or neglected in a residential facility in the Indianapolis area, Hensley’s Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers will be ready to go after the ones responsible.

Recognizing the Signs of Abuse and Neglect in Nursing Homes

The first step to remedying a major problem like nursing home abuse or neglect is discovering that there is a problem, which can sometimes be challenging, since nursing home residents are often reluctant to speak up about their mistreatment out of fear or shame. With this in mind, it is incumbent upon everyone who is concerned about them to recognize signs of abuse and neglect in nursing homes, such as:

Injuries or broken bones – Facilities that don’t inform families about patients’ injuries could be hiding neglect or abuse.

Burns – Caretakers should shield residents from anything that could burn or scald them.

Uniform bruises – Accidents happen, but a patient who is repeatedly hit with a belt or another object may develop bruises that are comparable in size or shape.

Insensitivity to pain – A patient’s inability to respond appropriately to pain could be a sign that he or she has lost sensation secondary to routine abuse.

Changes in appearance – Sudden weight loss or gain, poor hygiene, or ripped or stained clothing could indicate patient neglect or abuse.

Changes in behavior – Similarly, abuse or neglect could lead to changes in habits, mood, or behavior, with residents becoming withdrawn, depressed, worried about being left alone, or anxious in the presence of providers.

Medication errors – Some changes in behavior may be the outcomes of medication errors, potentially because a patient’s drugs are being stolen for sale.

Odd nursing home staff behavior – Staffers who behave oddly towards outsiders or who seem inebriated or high may be likelier to treat patients badly.

Isolation – There is a chance that patients whose families are finding it harder to get in touch with them are being kept in isolation so that they will not reveal their abuse or neglect.

Health issues are an inevitable part of aging, but those issues could be pushed past the breaking point by abuse or neglect, so it is critical to talk to an Indianapolis nursing home abuse attorney and report it to the authorities if you suspect that a nursing home resident is in jeopardy.

Why You Should Report Indianapolis Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Reporting suspected elder abuse in Indianapolis isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the law. The State of Indiana expects anyone who is aware of the “neglect, battery, or exploitation of an endangered adult” to notify law enforcement or Adult Protective Services (APS), an agency that was created to address misconduct in elder care facilities.

The sooner that you deal with these heinous acts, the better, since evidence of nursing home abuse and neglect has a tendency to diminish or mysteriously “disappear” over time. As such, don’t delay in documenting or preserving proof that your loved one has been mistreated by his or her caregivers, since those who are capable of harming the most vulnerable among us will have no qualms about destroying anything that links them to their crimes.

Indeed, the advice that “If you see something, say something” is rarely more important than it is when a nursing home resident is being abused or neglected. It is always preferable to direct attention to perceived wrongdoing that may not have actually occurred than it is to stay silent about a genuine instance of abuse and neglect until it is too late to do anything about it.

We realize that this process can be overwhelming, but you can rely Hensley’s Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers to guide you through the legal system while laying the groundwork for a rock-solid case on your loved one’s behalf.

What Our Indianapolis Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Can Do for You

Nursing home abuse cases are some of the most troubling in personal injury litigation because of how profoundly unfair they are – unfair that seniors have to live in constant dread when they should finally be able to rest. Moreover, if you attempt to get a relative the funds required to alleviate the burdens associated with his or her abuse or neglect, you could face stiff opposition from nursing home giants and their insurers.

You need attorneys who are empathetic enough to support your family through its struggles and skilled enough to get you through them, like the Indianapolis nursing home abuse attorneys at Hensley Legal Group. No feat is too daunting or adversary too intimidating to stop us from doing whatever it takes to come to the aid of our abused or neglected clients.

If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation to identify the abuse or neglect that a loved one is undergoing and everyone who has contributed to it. Next, we will establish valid claims and/or file suit against them all within the window allotted by law and alert the proper government agencies so that they can determine whether criminal charges are merited. We will then move swiftly to amass the materials to build your case, coordinating our efforts with experts in their field when it is warranted.

Upon putting together the strongest case possible against each of the at-fault parties, we will enter into negotiations with their insurance carriers, working tirelessly for a settlement that reflects everything that these unscrupulous characters have taken from your relative. And if we do not receive an offer that is worthy of this claim, we are more than willing to go to trial for a verdict that is, unlike many of our competitors, who seldom venture into a courtroom.

No two cases are exactly the same, but our Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers will strive to obtain the maximum amount of compensation for yours.

You Won’t Pay Us Anything Until We Win

We imagine that agreeing to more expenditures may be the last thing that your family wants to do at this moment, so you may be pleased to learn that Hensley Legal Group works on a contingency basis. This means that you won’t have to pay us anything until our Indianapolis nursing home abuse attorneys win your case.

Our elderly should never be abused or neglected, but we will do everything in our power to get them justice when they are.

Count on Our Indianapolis Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

We owe so much to our seniors, and the least we owe them is the opportunity to enjoy their golden years in peace and quiet, not subjected to terror and humiliation because of the cruelty and indifference of the very people who were supposed to have their best interests at heart. If your close family member has been neglected or abused in a nursing facility in Indianapolis, you can count on the Indianapolis nursing home abuse lawyers at Hensley Legal Group to help, like our firm has helped so many seriously injured Hoosiers since 1998.

For a complimentary case review with a seasoned Indianapolis nursing home abuse attorney, call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form today.