Skip to content Skip to footer
Close
areas of practice

We Believe in Proper Care and Respect for the Elderly

If you have been injured, or have a loved one who has been injured or neglected, you may not know where to turn. Such situations can leave you feeling vulnerable. Our Memphis nursing home abuse lawyers understand this at Jehl Law Group. When you need an attorney for help with a legal problem, you might not know where to start or what to expect. If you or a loved one has been injured or neglected in a health care setting, our Memphis nursing home abuse lawyers are here to aid and counsel you.

Practice areas

areas of practice

We Believe in Proper Care and Respect for the Elderly

If you have been injured, or have a loved one who has been injured or neglected, you may not know where to turn. Such situations can leave you feeling vulnerable. Our Memphis nursing home abuse lawyers understand this at Jehl Law Group. When you need an attorney for help with a legal problem, you might not know where to start or what to expect. If you or a loved one has been injured or neglected in a health care setting, our Memphis nursing home abuse lawyers are here to aid and counsel you.

pRESSURE SORES

Pressure sores are one of the most visible and dangerous results of nursing home neglect. It is the caretaker’s duty to assess risk and implement care methods to maintain skin integrity and prevent breakdown. 

Falls, Fractures, & Physical Trauma

A fall, even one that does not occur from a significant height, can have devastating effects on an elderly nursing home resident. Broken or fractured bones and head injuries can require long hospitalizations and lead to a decline in an individual’s overall health.

infections

Infections are far too common in nursing homes, and elderly residents are particularly vulnerable to infection. Estimates suggest that millions of infections occur in nursing homes every year,

Choking incidents

It is always tragic to hear about a nursing home resident’s injury or death due to a preventable choking incident. Staff at the facility is responsible for identifying which residents are at risk of choking or aspiration. Aspiration is the misdirection of mouth secretions or gastric contents into the larynx and lower respiratory tract.

impactions

For nursing home patients, bowel impaction can be the result of continuous neglect and repeated failures to take appropriate action, rather than a single act or omission. Bowel impaction occurs after prolonged constipation resulting from a hardened stool stuck in the rectum or a problem with the colon which results in a similar issue. 

Sexual Abuse

Unfortunately, the elderly and infirm can’t always rely on protective family members to look after them 24 hours a day. While licensed institutions are under a legal obligation to protect those under their care, sadly we continue to see cases of sexual abuse involving nursing home and long term care residents.

pRESSURE SORES

Pressure sores are one of the most visible and dangerous results of nursing home neglect. It is the caretaker’s duty to assess risk and implement care methods to maintain skin integrity and prevent breakdown. Pressure sores — also called bedsores, pressure ulcers, and decubitus ulcers — develop when there has been too much pressure on an area of the body where skin is thinly stretched over a bone, a “bony prominence.” Bedsores are most frequently found on an individual’s heels, tailbone, elbows, and shoulder blades, but can also be found on other areas of the body. Elderly patients are at risk for developing pressure ulcers after admission to care facilities, and a nursing home should take steps to maintain skin integrity and prevent breakdown.

Falls, Fractures, & Physical Trauma

A fall, even one that does not occur from a significant height, can have devastating effects on an elderly nursing home resident. Broken or fractured bones and head injuries can require long hospitalizations and lead to a decline in an individual’s overall health. Nursing homes are responsible for evaluating their residents for their risk of falls and preventing them from falling. Nursing homes are responsible for evaluating their residents for their risk of falls and preventing them from falling. Common Injuries from Falls in a Nursing Home Broken or fractured bones, including hips, wrists, arms, and ankles Head injuries, such as concussions, brain hemorrhages (bleeding in the brain), or other types of brain injuries Lacerations, which are deep cuts or tears in the skin Bruises Pain 

infections

Infections are far too common in nursing homes, and elderly residents are particularly vulnerable to infection. Estimates suggest that millions of infections occur in nursing homes every year, and they are a major cause of hospitalizations and even death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website). Nursing homes have a responsibility to provide care in a manner that minimizes the development and spread of infection. Additionally, caregivers need to be trained to recognize the symptoms of infections so that they can provide treatment as soon as possible because, if left untreated, infections can have devastating effects.

Chocking incidents

It is always tragic to hear about a nursing home resident’s injury or death due to a preventable choking incident. Staff at the facility is responsible for identifying which residents are at risk of choking or aspiration. Aspiration is the misdirection of mouth secretions or gastric contents into the larynx and lower respiratory tract. If a nursing home fails to properly monitor a resident who has demonstrated a high risk of choking, then the nursing home may be liable for any injuries resulting from the facility’s failure to monitor or address these issues. Such failures can include failure to update care plans, failure to ensure the resident is on a proper diet, or failure to notify the treating physician of signs and symptoms of aspiration. Often these problems relate to a facility’s failure to provide enough staff to supervise the residents or a failure to properly train staff at the facility.

impactions

For nursing home patients, bowel impaction can be the result of continuous neglect and repeated failures to take appropriate action, rather than a single act or omission. Bowel impaction occurs after prolonged constipation resulting from a hardened stool stuck in the rectum or a problem with the colon which results in a similar issue. Other complications with that sensitive area may develop if the problem is not promptly addressed. Typical symptoms of fecal impaction may include abdominal pain and distention, nausea, vomiting, and a lack of appetite. Fecal impaction can be the result of poor nutrition and dehydration, as well as a side effect of some drugs.With as many as half of nursing home residents suffering from constipation, impaction can result from continuous neglect, poor nutrition and dehydration.

Sexual Abuse

Unfortunately, the elderly and infirm can’t always rely on protective family members to look after them 24 hours a day. While licensed institutions are under a legal obligation to protect those under their care, sadly we continue to see cases of sexual abuse involving nursing home and long term care residents. Nursing home residents who are victims of sexual abuse suffer doubly. They not only experience trauma from the sheer violence of such an event, but also the agonizing isolation that is often caused by the ensuing fear.

A central reality of all sexual abuse cases is that they typically involve the violation of a weaker person by an overpowering brutality. Elders depend on their caretakers to be just that–caretakers. When any one of these entrusted personnel or fellow residents assaults a resident, it often goes unreported.