Eugene Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Compassionately Advocating for Injured Victims for Over 200 Years – Call 503-594-4944

Placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision. You expect a high standard of care, and hope they will be treated will the dignity they deserve. Nursing homes are held to strict federal and state regulations, but all too often they are understaffed and employees are overworked. Because older adults are much more likely to be physically, cognitively, or mentally impaired, neglect of residents can go unnoticed for long periods of time. If your trust is betrayed by nursing home staff through the abuse of a loved one, they should be held liable, and you may be entitled to compensation.

Why Choose Our Nursing Home Abuse Law Firm?

• Our Attorneys Bring Over a Century of Combined Experience
• No Fee Until We Win Your Case
• Free, Confidential Case Consultations
• As the State’s Largest Injury Law Firm, We Have Statewide Resources

For over 45 years, our compassionate Eugene nursing home abuse attorneys at The Gatti Law Firm have helped victims secure financial compensation for any injuries, medical costs, and/or emotional pain and suffering they experience. If you or your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect, contact The Gatti Law Firm to seek justice.

Call 503-594-4944 today or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

How Can I Prove Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including physical, sexual, psychological, or financial. It often takes the form of neglect, as well. Unfortunately, both neglect and abuse often go unnoticed, even by the watchful eye. Part of our jobs as your attorneys will be to gather the necessary evidence to prove the abuse and/or neglect occurred.

The following documentation can be useful in proving nursing home abuse:

• Photos of unexplained injuries
• Documentation of infections or bedsores
• Dehydration due to lack of adequate water
• Poor personal hygiene, such as not changing diapers often enough
• Sudden weight loss, especially if the resident feeds him- or herself
• Frequent falling and associated injuries
• Abnormal changes in behavior, such as failure to sustain healthy interaction with staff, visitors, and other residents
• Hazards in the resident’s environment, such as slippery floors, poor lighting, inadequate wheelchairs or walkers, or unsafe furniture

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Out of malicious intent, recklessness, or neglect, caretakers in nursing homes and visiting family members may abuse senior residents in various ways. Not all types of nursing home abuse are strictly physical. However, all types can be met with legal action to bring it to an end and to seek compensation on behalf of the abused.

Four common types of nursing home abuse are:

• Physical: Seniors living in nursing homes are often susceptible to physical injury in accidents, such as if they slip or trip and fall in the assisted living center. As a result, physical nursing home abuse can be caused by intentional acts like assault or unintentional neglect.
• Sexual: As unthinkable as it might be, sexual assault is reported in nursing homes across the country. Many victims of nursing home sexual abuse are residents with mental health difficulties like dementia, making it a challenge for them to even realize the assault is taking place.
• Financial: Dishonest caretakers and family members may use the unintentional aloofness of a senior in a nursing home to their advantage, stealing from them however they can. Financial abuse can include petty theft, falsified credit card charges, coercing the elder to write a check or transfer funds, and even manipulation of their estate plan through deceit or intimidation.
• Emotional: The mental and emotional harm inflicted upon elders by abusive parties can be so constant and severe that it triggers depression, anxiety, and other complications. In such a case, it could be considered emotional abuse.

Should You Report Abuse for Your Elder?

If you suspect that your elderly loved one is being abused in their nursing home, you may feel conflicted about what to do next. Is it your responsibility to report the abuse, or is that something they should handle themselves? To do what is best for the wellbeing and safety of your loved one, you should report the abuse to the proper authorities and one of our attorneys.

Oftentimes, elders in nursing homes do not have the opportunity or wherewithal to report the abuse. Mental health difficulties that develop with age may make them not realize the severity of the abuse, or such problems could cause them to forget about it soon after it occurs. Some elders are aware of the abuse but feel too scared to speak up, fearing some sort of retribution inflicted by their abuser if they find out about the report.

With these situations in mind, it becomes the responsibility of loved ones to identify nursing home abuse and report it. Without your intervention, your elder could be subjected to worsened abuse.

Do I Need a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer?

If you or your loved one was abused in a nursing home, don’t wait to speak to a qualified nursing home abuse lawyer in Eugene. Even if you only suspect mistreatment, you can contact our nursing home abuse attorneys in Eugene for a free case evaluation. We are prepared to hold the responsible parties accountable. And, because you don’t pay unless we win your injury case, you have nothing to lose by booking a confidential consultation with our law firm to discuss your options.

Call 503-594-4944 to book a free consultation with a Eugene nursing home abuse attorney from The Gatti Law Firm.