Physical abuse is rampant in American nursing homes. About 2500 cases of physical abuse by nursing home staff are being reported each year. Battery is the most obvious type of physical abuse, but this crime can also include putting the patient in excessive restraints or physically confining residents for no valid reason. It is surprising to some that physical abuse in nursing homes is easily hidden. Very often, nursing home staffs will explain away injuries by claiming a victim has fallen – not an uncommon occurrence among elderly people. Even if they are explained, frequent bruises, cuts, sprains or factures could be a sign of abuse. And it is important to know that sometimes a nursing home resident will concur with the staffs’ explanation of an injury simply because they have been intimidated into doing so. There are many reasons cited for this epidemic of physical abuse in nursing homes. The National Center on Elder Abuse says that the hiring of poorly trained and underpaid workers, together with rampant understaffing, is partly to blame for nursing home abuse. Only 41 states require that nursing home workers undergo criminal background checks, and the poor pay often leads nursing homes to hire staff with unsavory histories. Understaffing can also take a toll on workers, causing them to lose patience with difficult residents. But whatever the cause, any form of nursing abuse is inexcusable and should not be tolerated. Physical abuse in a nursing home robs already vulnerable people of their sense of security and turns their last years into a nightmare. If someone you love has been subjected to physical abuse in a nursing home they may be entitled to compensation. Please fill out the form at the right for a free case review by an attorney.
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Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

Physical abuse is a major problem in North Carolina nursing homes, including such facilities in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area.  Over 2000 cases of physical abuse by nursing home staff are reported annually.   Battery (inappropriate touching) is the most obvious type of physical abuse, but this crime can also include putting the patient in excessive restraints or physically confining residents without a good reason.  

Physical abuse in nursing homes is concealed very easily.  Nursing home staffs will often explain away injuries by claiming a victim has fallen – not an uncommon occurrence among elderly people.   Even if they are explained, frequent bruises, cuts, sprains or factures could be a sign of abuse.  And it is important to know that sometimes a nursing home resident will concur with the staffs’ explanation of an injury simply because they have been intimidated into doing so.

The National Center on Elder Abuse says that nursing home abuse can be blamed in part on the hiring of poorly trained and underpaid workers, together with rampant understaffing.  Significantly, only 41 states require that nursing home workers undergo criminal background checks, and the poor pay often leads nursing homes to hire staff with bad histories.  Understaffing can also take a toll on workers, causing them to lose patience with difficult residents.  But whatever the cause, any form of nursing abuse cannot under any circumtance be tolerated. 

Physical abuse in a nursing home steals the dignity and security of already vulnerable people, turning their last years into a nightmare.  If someone you love has been subjected to physical abuse in a nursing home in Fayetteville or other North Carolina areas, Thomas Pleasant can help.  Contact The Law Offices of Thomas Waitt Pleasant today for a free evaluation of your North Carolina nursing home abuse or neglect case.

Library for Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect:

  •   
    Description: Medicare's handbook for skilled nursing facilities for the use of the "Resident Assessment Instrument" which is critical for patient care planning and avoiding injury and death of nursing home residents.
  • Nursing Home Resident Assessment Instrument Handbook   
    Description: Medicare's handbook for skilled nursing facilities for the use of the "Resident Assessment Instrument" which is critical for patient care planning and avoiding injury and death of nursing home residents.
  • Nursing Home Resident Assessment Instrument Handbook   
    Description: Medicare's handbook for skilled nursing facilities for the use of the "Resident Assessment Instrument" which is critical for patient care planning and avoiding injury and death of nursing home residents.
  • American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) Clinical Practice Guidelines   
    Description: The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) is the key association of nursing home medical directors (e.g., the doctor in charge of care at a nursing home). These clinical guidelines are specifically applicable to nursing home care, and may provide useful information to families who have experienced the abuse or neglect of a loved one in a nursing home. Also, these guidelines might prove helpful to families in avoiding problems with the care (or lack of care) at a nursing home.
  • 12 Tips for Nursing Home Abuse, Neglect and Wrongful Death (A Free E-Book By Attorney Thomas Pleasant) [PDF]   
    Description: An e-book by North Carolina nursing home injury and wrongful death attorney Thomas Waitt Pleasant, outlining 12 tips for dealing withe nursing home abuse, neglect and wrongful death situations.
  • Paper: New Opportunities to Imrpove Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment [PDF]   
    Description: International Expert Wound Care Advisory Panel paper discussing better practices for treatment and prevention of pressure sores/ulcers in the health care setting, including nursing homes.
  • 2008 Nursing Home Improvement Plan from Medicare [PDF]   
    Description: Medicare's 2008 plan for improving problems in nursing homes in North Carolina and elsewhere
  • Medicare "Bad Nursing Homes" List [PDF]   
    Description: CMS List of Nursing Homes targeted for high risk pressure ulcer and.or physical restraint improvement

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Web Resources for Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect:

  • Clinical Geriatrics (Mediccal Journal with Nursing Home Medical Topics)

    Description: Clinical Geriatrics deals with the clinical and practical issues related to the treatment and management of elderly patients, including those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Articles deal with many medical conditions including cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, musculoskeletal disease, nephrology, neurology, oncology, pain management, psychiatry, pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, and urology. Nursing home residents' doctors typically specialize in geriatrics, and useful information for the families of nursing home residents may be found on this website.

  • Ostomy Wound Management (Pressure Sores/Ulcers in Nursing Homes, etc.)

    Description: Ostomy/Wound Management deals with the overlapping disciplines of ostomy care, wound care, incontinence care, and related skin and nutritional issues. It is the premier journal dealing with these issues, which are so important in the nursing home context. The goals of the journal include the furtherance of the art and science of the care of skin, wounds, ostomy, and incontinence (essential topics related to pressure sores, pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers in nursing homes). Pressure sores leading to infection and death in nursing homes happens. If you know someone who had a pressure sore in a nursing home, you may find useful information on this website.

  • American Geriatrics Society (Nursing Home Doctors, etc.)

    Description: The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is holds itself out as supporting efforts to improve the health, independence and quality of life of the nation's elderly by providing leadership to doctors, nurses, other health care professionals, and nursing homes; and advocating nursing home and other health care facility patient care. This website deals with important topics related to nursing home abuse, neglect, injury and wrongful death. If a loved one has been hurt or killed in a nursing home, this site may provide useful information.

  • National Citizens Coalition for Nusing Home Reform (NCCNHR)

    Description: NCCNHR is an organization of consumers and advocates who define and achieve quality for people with long-term care needs, including needs in nursing homes. NCCNHR accomplishes quality through:
    -Informed, empowered consumers
    -Effective citizen groups and ombudsman programs
    -Promoting best practices in care delivery
    -Public policy responsive to consumer needs
    -Enforcement of consumer-directed standards

  • Center for a Just Society

    Description: Website dealing with different issues, including issues relating to nursing home injury, abuse, neglect, wrongful death. Ken Connor, formerly of a nationally-known nursing home litigation firm, is director of this organization. Connor's contributions sometimes touch on issues of nursing home abuse and neglect.

  • Gerontological Society of America

    Description: The Gerontological Society of America is a non-profit professional organization with more than 5000 members in the field of aging. GSA provides researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy makers with opportunities to understand, advance, integrate, and use basic and applied research on aging to improve the quality of life as one ages. This site may be of interest to anyone with a nursing home injury, abuse, neglect or wrongful death case, whether you are in North Carolina (Fayetteville, Raleigh, Wilmington, etc.) or elsewhere.

  • American Medical Directors Association (AMDA)

    Description: "The American Medical Directors Association, the professional association of medical directors, attending physicians, and others practicing in the long term care continuum, is dedicated to excellence in patient care and provides education, advocacy, information, and professional development to promote the delivery of quality long term care medicine." This site will be of interest to anyone with a nursing home injury, abuse, neglect or wrongful death claim, and to lawyers in North Carolina and elsewhere who handle nursing home cases. AMDA's site contains clinical practice guidelines for problems like pressure sores/ulcers which are so common in nursing homes in North Carolina and elsewhere.

  • North Carolina Division of Health Services Regulation

    Description: Link to North Carolina agency responsible for inspecting nursing homes in North Carolina. This agency is responsible for citing nursing homes for abuse, neglect, wrongful death, and other nursing home regulation violations.

  • Healthgrades.com

    Description: Provides information on hospitals and nursing homes. Use this website to help avoid putting your loved one into a bad nursing home and help avoid nursing home abuse and neglect.

  • Hospital-Data.com

    Description: Provides information about healthcare facilities, including skilled nursing facilities (nursing homes)

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427 Franklin Street
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