Understanding Nursing Home Malpractice in Oregon: Common Types and Signs Explained by Our Portland Lawyers
Nursing homes are busy places. They are also places where individuals who are elderly, sick, recovering from a condition or surgery, or who are suffering from a debilitating condition may go. Therefore, nursing homes residents typically need more care and attention than other individuals. This is, after all, why individuals go into nursing homes. And it is usually a very difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing home. It typically signals that family members can no longer care for their loved one like they used to be able to do. But families expect that their loved ones receive the care and treatment that they need in a nursing home to live safely. Unfortunately, this does not always happen and sometimes there is nursing home malpractice in Oregon.
But most family members do not know what nursing home malpractice looks like. They also do not know how to detect the signs of nursing home malpractice, including abuse or neglect. Many families ask how do I know if a loved one suffered from nursing home malpractice in Oregon, especially when there is a serious injury. Our Portland nursing home malpractice and abuse lawyer explains some of these very common issues.
What is Nursing Home Malpractice, Abuse, or Neglect?
To understand warning signs, one most first understand what it is. Nursing home malpractice is generally when the negligence of another person or nursing home commits egregious errors. This can include improperly treating and caring for a loved one by improperly doing wound care, mixing up medications, or failing to otherwise treat residents for medical ailments. This also includes failing to refer clients to hospitals when they need to be transported. These can all be forms of medical negligence such as failing to treat a patient properly.
There are also issues with nursing home abuse. There are many forms of nursing home abuse, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, emotional abuse, or psychological harm. These are intentional by the nursing home staff or by the other residents. It can result in serious personal injuries that can be fatal.
Finally there is nursing home neglect. This could be intentional, which is really a form of abuse. This is when a staff member will not work with a resident at all, sometimes as punishment but sometimes because the resident might be more needy due to medical conditions that at the staff member does not want to work with. Other times neglect can be unintentional, such as low staffing or when staff just forget a resident’s medications, help a resident out of bed, or to take a resident to the bathroom.
How Do I Know if a Loved One Suffered Nursing Home Abuse in Oregon?
There are several ways for you to know this. But most are often. The first rule is that if you think something does not seem right, ASK our Portland nursing home abuse lawyer for a free consultation. This is particularly true if your loved one suffered serious personal injuries that cannot be explained by the nursing home.
Some other warning signs that you should be worried about because they could indicate nursing home abuse includes the following:
- Unexplained bruises or cuts
- Broken bones
- Infections leading to sepsis
- Changes in behavior
- New STDs or injuries to private parts
- Burn marks or bite marks
- Cuts to hidden parts of the body, like under shirt on back, on upper legs, etc.
- A loved one complains but it does not sound truthful or possible (take it seriously and investigate, sometimes an elderly person could have something happen to them but they do not know how to explain it due to medical conditions)
- Excessive medications or less frequent prescription renewals, and
- Many other abnormal signs that could indicate something is wrong.
Ask Our Portland Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyer How We Can Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect contact the Oregon Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take Nursing Home Abuse cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.
