Tulsa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Tulsa, OK

As we age, becoming unable to care for ourselves becomes a very sobering reality. When it comes time to move into a nursing home or to help a senior loved one make the transition, we want to do everything in our power to make sure the new environment is safe, caring, and supportive. Whether you’ve moved into a facility in Highland Park or are visiting a loved one at a facility in South Bolewood and suspect neglect, a Tulsa nursing home abuse lawyer can help.

Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

The decision to move a senior loved one into a nursing home or other care facility is never easy. At Fulmer Sill, our Tulsa personal injury lawyers understand how much thought and angst have been placed into this decision. When these choices are made, we expect our loved ones to get the dignified and safe care they deserve in their later years. The unfortunate reality is that some nursing homes or assisted living facilities fall short of this duty, and many residents can be subjected to abuse and neglect.

For decades, the lead attorney at Fulmer Sill has been securing compensation on behalf of clients in a litany of injury and abuse claims, including negligent or harmful nursing home situations. Our team is not afraid of taking your loved one’s case all the way to trial if the need arises, and we have earned ourselves the reputation of never giving up without uncovering every possible legal avenue.

While the reality remains that no past result can guarantee the outcome of a future case, we have recovered over $200 million in compensation for previous clients and are now ready to turn our time and attention to you. We understand how important your loved one’s care and well-being are to your family, so let us protect it today.

Common Kinds of Nursing Home Abuse Present in Tulsa

In long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes or assisted living communities, two in every three members of staff report that they have committed some type of abuse to a resident in the last year. This is a staggering number, especially when you realize that only one in every 24 abuse cases is actually reported to authorities.

Nursing home abuse can take various forms, and it is important to be aware of how this abuse can manifest to stay vigilant and protect your loved one should you suspect mistreatment. The most common kinds of nursing home abuse include:

• Physical abuse. This form of abuse can range anywhere from hitting, slapping, or pushing to the improper or over-usage of physical restraints. Physical abuse can include any kind of physical contact between the resident and a caregiver that is intentional and causes harm or catastrophic injury to the resident.
• Neglect. When the nursing home staff fail to meet the basic needs of their residents, such as needs involving food, clothing, cleanliness, and assistance with everyday activities, this can be considered neglect.
• Emotional abuse. This form of nursing home abuse can include any actions or words that are used to intentionally cause the resident psychological harm, distress, or fear. Common examples of this form of abuse can include threats being made, name-calling, intimidation tactics, social isolation of the elderly residents from others, and yelling at the residents.
• Sexual abuse. The unfortunate reality is that sexual abuse is very common in nursing homes. According to a recent study, women and elderly residents suffering from dementia are more likely to be victims of nursing home sexual abuse, and women make up around 65.6% of the nursing home population in the US. Sexual abuse can include any unwanted intimate touching, rape, forced nudity, or forced viewing of masturbation.
• Financial abuse and exploitation. This can include any form of theft or exploitation regarding a resident’s assets or their personal property. It can also include the stealing of funds, coercing a resident to alter a financial document, or forging a resident’s signature.

If you believe your loved one has suffered any kind of nursing home abuse in Tulsa, it is essential that you reach out to Fulmer Sill as soon as possible. These are tragic cases, especially when the abuse causes the death of an elderly resident, and our team is here to seek the justice and compensation you and your family deserve at this challenging time.

Signs of Possible Nursing Home Abuse

Due to a litany of reasons, many nursing home residents are physically and cognitively unable to communicate abuse or neglect. Others may refuse to report mistreatment for fear of retaliation from staff members. For these reasons, keeping an eye out for specific signs of abuse or neglect is crucial, especially when the abuse suspected is subtle or indirect. Common signs include:

• Sudden weight loss and a decrease in appetite
• Changes in the resident’s mood and overall personality
• Untreated bedsores
• Soiled sheets and a dirty or unkempt room
• An avoidance of certain staff members or a reluctance to speak in front of certain staff members
• Bruising, chafing, or bleeding around private areas
• Bone fractures, bruises, or lacerations that cannot be explained by your loved ones or nursing home staff
• Medication errors
• Unexplainable and odd financial transactions
• A resident showing signs of withdrawal from social interactions or participation in activities they once enjoyed

If your loved one is showing any of these signs, it is important that you reach out to a trusted and experienced nursing home abuse lawyer. At Fulmer Sill, we are passionate about empowering injured individuals and seeking the justice they deserve.

Liability for Nursing Home Abuse in Oklahoma

When abuse or neglect takes place in a Tulsa nursing home, there are several parties who might share liability and who can legally be held accountable. These parties include:

• The nursing home facility. In most cases of abuse and neglect, it is the nursing home facility that is held liable. This can be the case if they have failed to screen or properly train their staff, or if they have neglected to address known safety hazards.
• Nursing home staff. An individual staff member can be held liable if they are to blame for any kind of abusive behavior or if they fail to provide adequate care, which leads to harm.
• Third-party contractors. In certain cases, a nursing home can rely on outside parties, like maintenance workers or medical professionals, to perform services inside the nursing home. Sometimes, these parties can act in negligent or abusive manners, leading to liability.
• Other residents. Abuse may come from another resident in the facility, and while this individual could be held liable, the nursing home itself may also hold some form of liability if they have failed to intervene or supervise.

FAQs

How Can a Lawyer Help Me File a Nursing Home Abuse Claim in OK?

In Tulsa, OK, a lawyer can help you in several ways when it comes to filing a nursing home abuse claim. First, they are there to gather all available evidence that can help prove abuse or neglect. This evidence might include medical records and witness testimony. They can also file your official claim paperwork and negotiate for a settlement. If negotiations prove unsuccessful, they can take your case to court.

Who Can File a Nursing Home Abuse Claim?

In most nursing home abuse or negligence claims, there are only a handful of specific parties who can bring a claim forward. These parties include the resident themself, if they can do so, the family members or legal guardians of the elderly individual if the patient cannot speak or advocate for themselves, and, in rare cases, the estate of the individual in cases where the victim has died as a result of the abuse or neglect.

What Kind of Compensation Is Available in Nursing Home Abuse Cases?

In nursing home abuse cases, there are several forms of compensation you may be able to recover. These can include medical expenses, mental anguish, pain and suffering, property damage, loss of the quality of enjoyment of life, reimbursement for any stolen goods, particularly in cases of financial abuse, wrongful death damages, and even possible punitive damages.

What Counts As Neglect in a Nursing Home?

In a nursing home, neglect can take several different forms and is unfortunately more likely to occur than direct abuse. Neglect is often more difficult to pinpoint and prove, as it typically takes place in more subtle or indirect ways than abuse does. However, neglect can be just as damaging as actual abuse. Neglect can include forgetting to change the soil bedclothes, not turning into a bedridden patient to avoid bedsores, and not bringing medicines on time.

Tulsa Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

At Fulmer Sill, when you hire a nursing home abuse lawyer from our firm, we are here to advocate for your rights and aggressively seek the outcome and compensation you and your loved ones deserve. We are committed to holding abusive and negligent nursing homes and care facilities liable for the harm your family has suffered and can represent you and support you every step of the way. Contact our offices today to learn more and to schedule a consultation.