In this segment of the Do I Need a Lawyer, Gary Martin Hays answers a question from one of our viewers who fears their mom was being neglected at a nursing home.
Partial Transcript:
Good morning!
Welcome to "Do I Need A Lawyer?"
Thanks for joining us!
I'm Gary Martin Hays.
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Now let's go to the next question from one of our viewers.
"Mr. Hays - I think I need a lawyer to help me with a case against a nursing home.
My mom is 67 and was in a nursing facility in Atlanta. I would go to see her at least twice a week.
However, a couple of months ago, my work required me to be gone for some additional training for almost two weeks. When I returned home, I went to visit my mom. I went ballistic when I went into her room because of my mom's physical condition. She was severely dehydrated and her sheets and undergarments were soiled. I could tell they had not been changed in some time. She also had developed a bad ulcer in the lower part of her back because they were not turning her in the bed. I got her cleaned up and arranged for her to be moved to a facility near my home in Johns Creek.
It makes me so mad that the facility allowed my mom to get into this condition.
Do I need a lawyer?"
-Carla in Johns Creek
Carla - thanks for the email.
I am so sorry to hear about your mom and the neglect she suffered at the nursing home.
And let me tell you - this hits home for me as my mom is in an assisted living facility now.
Carla - I would certainly encourage you to consult with a lawyer regarding this claim as it is obvious your mom was the victim of nursing home neglect.
Not only will you be taking care of her, but you will also hopefully prevent this from happening to someone else at the facility.
Whenever you move a loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility, it can be incredibly stressful.
One of the biggest concerns may be making sure your parent or relative will be adequately cared for while in the nursing home.
Let me give you some scary statistics on why you should be concerned:
* The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that 1.5 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured or abused by someone on whom they depended for care or protection.
* Of the 1 million nursing home residents that are abused or neglected each year, 2/3 of those are women.
* Only 1 in 14 of the abuse or neglect cases are ever reported to the authorities.
* In 1999, nursing home statistics regarding the cause of patient death found that almost 5,000 death certificates listed starvation, dehydration, or bedsores as a cause of death.
* In 2001, 1 out of every 4 nursing homes was cited for causing death or serious injury to a resident.
OK - so we know there are many, may problems out there with nursing homes.
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