Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

More and more Americans rely on nursing home personnel to help them lead peaceful and comfortable lives in their later years. Nursing home residents are often among the most vulnerable members of society, completely dependent on their caretakers. Because of this reality, both federal and state laws and regulations have been enacted to protect nursing home residents from abuse and neglect.

If you suspect that someone you love has been injured as a result of abuse or neglect in a nursing home, whether in Blount County or elsewhere in Tennessee, you should discuss the situation with an experienced personal injury attorney. Unfortunately, many nursing home residents can’t speak up or otherwise act to protect themselves.

Nursing home abuse may be physical or psychological; it may also be financial. Signs that a nursing home resident may be abused or neglected include

• Untreated bedsores
• Sudden unexplained weight loss
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Unhygienic living conditions (whether related to the resident’s personal hygiene or the hygiene of the nursing home overall)
• Unexplained, sudden changes in personality or behavior.

According to the Tennessee’s Department of Health’s most recent report to the Tennessee General Assembly, 325 nursing homes were licensed to operate in Tennessee in 2009. Nineteen of them were cited that year for providing a substandard level of care defined as “Immediate Jeopardy.” Admissions at 12 Tennessee nursing homes were suspended in 2009, following complaints. The Tennessee Department of Health website provides extended information about Tennessee nursing homes.

If you suspect that a nursing home resident has been injured as a result of neglect or abuse, whether in Blount County or elsewhere in Tennessee, please contact the Hartsoe Law Firm. Maryville Personal Injury Attorney Mark C. Hartsoe has been representing victims of negligence for more than 27 years. Mr. Hartsoe was recently selected by City View Magazine as one of the top nursing home lawyers in the Knoxville legal community. He is dedicated to pursuing compensation for nursing home injuries from the people and entities that should have provided due care but failed to do so. In cases where the conduct of a wrongdoer is particularly egregious, an injured victim may also seek punitive damages—a sum of money intended to act as a fine and a deterrent to similar conduct.

By speaking up to hold people and entities responsible for nursing home abuse and negligence, you may be helping many other people, as well.

September 2010 – Mark Hartsoe is selected as one of the Top Attorneys in the Knoxville region in the area of representing victims of nursing home abuse and neglect.

To discuss a possible case of nursing home abuse or neglect, please contact us today by calling 865-804-1011, or filling out and submitting our online “Contact Us” form.