Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

A nursing home is required to provide the highest care possible to ensure the physical and mental well-being of its residents. Far too often, this does not occur and patients are neglected—meaning their basic needs are not being met. At Maurer Law, we are nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys who vigorously fight the the rights of our clients and their loved ones in the Raleigh area and all throughout North Carolina.

Across the United States, an estimated two million people reside at nursing homes. These folks depend on others to meet all or most of their basic human and medical needs. They are a vulnerable lot who deserve the best quality of life they can have regardless of the circumstances. All too often, proper patient care is sacrificed in favor of increased profits. The results can be tragic.

As attorneys fighting or for the rights of victims, the most common types of nursing home abuse and neglect we see in Raleigh and throughout North Carolina are the following:

• Physical abuse: pain or injury inflicted upon a victim by someone who stands in a position of trust to the patient, such as a nursing assistant¬–often known as a CNA (certified nursing assistant);
• Neglect: the failure to provide for the basic human needs, medical needs, or safety of the patient;
• Financial: the theft or misuse of the elderly person’s money or improper billing practices resulting in higher cost to the patient and/or family;
• Psychological or Emotional: the isolation of the elder or the infliction of mental suffering by a person in a position of trust.

Nursing home residents who do not have visitors very often are the most vulnerable of all because there is no one to make sure that proper care is being given.

In North Carolina, most nursing home negligence cases fall under the umbrella of “medical malpractice,” since it involves medical care that failed to meet the applicable “standard of care.” Standard of care refers to the minimum level of diligence, skill, and overall care that is owed by the medical provider to the patient.

Just because there may have been negligence in any given situation, this does not automatically mean that there is a viable case of medical malpractice against the provider(s). The ultimate question is whether there was a violation of the standard of care and whether the violation resulted in some sort of significant condition or injury to the patient. Nursing home negligence cases are difficult to prove because there are often times no witnesses available to testify about the lack of adequate care.

At Maurer Law, we vigorously pursue nursing home abuse and neglect and fight for those who are unable to fight on their own. Even where there are not many witnesses available to testify, as long as a case meets our selection criteria and other forms of proof are available, we may be able to help.

If you suspect your loved one has been abused or neglected by nursing home staff, please give us a call today for a free consultation at 888-258-1087.