Nursing home residents may require help with medications, meals, mobility, hygiene, wound care, and serious medical conditions. Families have the right to expect that this care will be delivered competently and compassionately.
Unfortunately, nursing home neglect and abuse remain serious concerns in Oklahoma. Harm may be caused by abusive staff members, inadequate training, poor supervision, understaffing, medication errors, and failure to follow a resident’s care plan.
The Oklahoma City nursing home neglect and abuse attorneys at Maples Harrison Zeaman PLLC can review medical records, staffing documents, incident reports, care plans, photographs, and witness accounts to determine whether a preventable failure contributed to the harm you loved one has suffered.
What Is Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect?
Nursing home abuse involves intentional conduct that harms, threatens, intimidates, or exploits a resident. Nursing home neglect usually involves the failure to provide the care, supervision, or medical attention reasonably necessary to protect a resident.
Examples of abuse or neglect may include:
- Physical assault or unnecessary force
- Failure to prevent avoidable falls
- Medication errors or chemical restraints
- Dehydration and malnutrition
- Untreated infections
- Bedsores or pressure ulcers
- Poor hygiene and unsanitary living conditions
- Emotional intimidation or humiliation
- Sexual abuse
- Financial exploitation
- Failure to obtain appropriate medical care
- Ignoring changes in a resident’s condition
- Leaving residents unattended for extended periods
Bedsores May Be a Sign of Inadequate Care
Bedsores, also referred to as pressure ulcers. These injuries develop when prolonged pressure restricts blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue. Residents with limited mobility are particularly vulnerable.
Nursing homes should assess each resident’s risk and implement appropriate preventive measures. These may include repositioning the resident, keeping the skin clean and dry, providing adequate nutrition, using pressure-relieving surfaces, and monitoring vulnerable areas.
CMS instructs inspectors to evaluate whether nursing homes properly identify pressure-ulcer risks, implement interventions, monitor residents, and revise care when necessary. A pressure ulcer may be considered avoidable when a facility fails to take appropriate assessment, prevention, monitoring, or treatment measures.
Warning signs include:
- Red, purple, or discolored skin
- Open wounds
- Drainage or foul odors
- Blackened tissue
- Fever
- Increasing pain
- Signs of infection or sepsis
Severe pressure ulcers can damage muscle and bone and may lead to dangerous infections.
Falls Should Always Be Investigated
Older adults may face an increased risk of falling, but that does not mean every nursing home fall is unavoidable. A fall may result from:
- Inadequate supervision
- Failure to answer call lights
- Improper transfers
- Missing mobility equipment
- Wet floors or clutter
- Poor lighting
- Medication side effects
- Failure to follow fall-prevention measures
- Leaving a high-risk resident unattended
After a fall, the facility should evaluate the resident for injuries, notify the appropriate parties, document what happened, and update the care plan when necessary. Repeated falls may suggest that the nursing home recognized a danger but failed to take effective precautions.
Medication Errors Can Have Devastating Consequences
Residents often depend entirely on nursing home staff to administer medications correctly. Medication errors can cause falls, bleeding, organ damage, confusion, hospitalization, or death. Unexplained sedation, sudden behavioral changes, or rapid physical decline may justify a review of the resident’s medication administration records.
Medications errors may include:
- Giving the wrong medication
- Administering the wrong dosage
- Missing scheduled doses
- Giving medication to the wrong resident
- Failing to monitor dangerous side effects
- Continuing discontinued prescriptions
- Using sedating drugs for staff convenience
What Are the Signs of Nursing Home Abuse?
One warning sign may have an innocent explanation. A pattern of injuries, poor care, inconsistent answers, or delayed treatment requires closer examination. Families should pay attention to unexplained changes in a resident’s health, appearance, finances, or behavior.
Warning signs may include:
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, or fractures
- Frequent falls
- Bedsores
- Weight loss or dehydration
- Poor hygiene
- Soiled bedding or clothing
- Untreated pain
- Missing medications
- Sudden fear of particular caregivers
- Withdrawal or depression
- Unexplained bank withdrawals
- Missing jewelry or personal property
- Staff members refusing private visits
- Conflicting explanations for injuries
What Should Families Do When They Suspect Neglect or Abuse?
First, address any immediate medical emergency. Call 911 or arrange outside medical treatment when necessary.
Oklahoma’s Ombudsman Program serves residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and similar adult care homes. Complaints regarding care or residents’ rights can also be directed through the state’s long-term care complaint process.
If you suspect neglect or abuse, you’ll want to take these steps:
- Photograph visible injuries, wounds, poor room conditions, or other hazards.
- Write down dates, symptoms, staff names, and explanations.
- Request copies of relevant medical and care records.
- Speak privately with the resident when possible.
- Report your concerns to the administrator or director of nursing in writing.
- Obtain contact information from witnesses and other families.
- Preserve emails, text messages, bills, and financial records.
- Contact the Oklahoma Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program or another appropriate state agency.
Speak With a Trusted Oklahoma Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney
The personal injury lawyers at Maples Harrison Zeaman PLLC have been representing individuals and families harmed by nursing home neglect and abuse since 2002, and we have won millions of dollars for our clients.
If you believe a loved one has suffered serious neglect or abuse, call (405) 705-5050 to schedule a free consultation. Our attorneys can review what happened, explain your legal options, and determine whether your family has grounds to pursue an Oklahoma nursing home negligence claim or lawsuit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse in Oklahoma
What are the most common signs of nursing home abuse or neglect?
The signs of nursing home abuse can include unexplained bruises, bedsores, frequent falls, sudden weight loss, dehydration, poor hygiene, untreated infections, medication errors, emotional withdrawal, or changes in behavior.
When should I contact a nursing home abuse lawyer?
You should contact a nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as you suspect your loved one has suffered preventable harm. An attorney can help preserve evidence, obtain medical and facility records, investigate whether neglect or abuse occurred, and explain your legal options.
What compensation may be available in an elder neglect claim?
Successful elder neglect claims may allow families to recover compensation for medical expenses, hospitalization, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, and other losses resulting from the neglect. If the abuse or neglect contributed to a resident’s death, surviving family members may have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim under Oklahoma law.
