Texas Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Serving Houston and all of the Great State of Texas
When our friends and family members are living in Texas nursing homes, we expect caregivers to treat our loved ones with the utmost care and the respect they deserve. While many nursing homes provide excellent care, there are others that don’t value the lives of our loved ones or give them the attention they need. It’s time we stand up for the rights of our loved ones and take action to protect everyone who lives in Texas nursing homes. If you suspect your friend or family member is being neglected or abused by nursing home employees, Texas nursing home abuse lawyer Terry Bryant may be able to help.
While the causes behind Texas nursing home neglect and abuse vary, there are a few common factors. For example, many times nursing home employees may not be properly trained and not know how to safely treat residents, which can result in unintentional maltreatment of residents. Also, Texas nursing homes may not have enough employees to care for all the residents, which can result in overworked employees who are unable to meet residents’ medical, physical, and emotional needs in a timely manner.
What qualifies as neglect or abuse?
Neglect, which may or may not be intentional, is defined as not properly caring for a person or not properly reacting to a situation that could result in a harmful outcome. Abuse occurs when intentional pain or harm is inflicted on a resident.
The easiest way to uncover abuse or neglect is to communicate with your loved one. Give him or her every opportunity to tell you about neglect or abuse. If your loved one mentions being neglected or abused, look for some of the common physical signs of nursing home abuse and neglect. These include untreated bedsores; open wounds, cuts, bruises, or welts; torn clothing or broken personal items; bruises in a pattern that would suggest restraints; excessive and sudden weight loss; fleas, lice, or dirt on resident or in resident’s room; abnormally pale complexion; fecal/urine odors; poor personal hygiene; or other unattended health problems.
What should you do?
Immediately contact the administrative staff at the nursing home if you suspect your loved one is being neglected or abused. If changes are not promptly made to rectify the situation, you may have a Texas nursing home abuse case. If you are concerned about a loved one, contact a Texas nursing home abuse lawyer at the office of Terry Bryant by completing a free consultation form online or calling 1-800-444-5000 today.
To help protect the safety of your loved one, keep an organized file of medical records regarding possible neglect or abuse. Take photographs of your loved one’s bruises, cuts, or other physical signs of abuse as well as any poor living conditions at the nursing home. Keep notes of conversations with nursing home employees, documenting the dates, times, and what was discussed.
A Free Consultation Is a Click Away
If you are concerned about a loved one in a nursing home, contact Terry Bryant, a Texas nursing home abuse lawyer. Our office is located in Houston, Texas, but we help clients throughout Texas including: Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Ft. Worth, Harlingen, Laredo, Longview, Lubbock, McAllen, Odessa/Midland, Port Arthur, San Angelo, San Antonio, Texarkana, Tyler, Waco, and Wichita Falls. Complete a FREE consultation form online or call him today.
