Georgia Nursing Home Accused of Abuse and Neglect of Patients

A Georgia resident had to be housed at an area nursing home after an accident with a truck left him a quadriplegic. Doctors told him that he would never again be able to move his arms and legs. However, he did have some movement in his legs, which gave him hope that at least some of his movement would return. However, the facility that was tasked with his care never provided him with physical therapy to help him improve his range of motion. Since becoming a resident at the nursing home, the patient has reported several instances of neglect and abuse to his ombudsman, a government-appointed advocate who investigates complaints on behalf of patients.

According to the patient, he has been left sitting in his own urine and feces for up to 8 hours. He’s been verbally abused. When the staff feeds him, the patient reports that they just “shove food down his throat” which has caused anxiety attacks.

Police records indicate that there have been at least three investigations of alleged abuse at the facility. One patient reportedly had significant facial bruising. Another patient suffered a broken shoulder while she was moved from her bed. A third patient alleged that she had been raped. Each of those cases were marked as closed and inactive for lack of evidence.

The patient has recently taken to social media to air his concerns about the facility. He stated that his roommate fell out of his bed and it took staffers two and a half hours to help him. His TikTok followers called emergency medical services to help the patient get off the floor.

What happens to bad nursing homes? 

Medicare.gov has a rating system that rates nursing homes based on inspections, staffing, and quality. Currently, the aforementioned nursing home has a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. When a nursing home has a low rating from Medicare.gov, Medicare and Medicaid can revoke their right to be insured which often would spell doom for the nursing home. But it isn’t until incidents like the aforementioned are reported that officials take notice that there is something seriously wrong. In this case, the nursing home has had several complaints (albeit unsubstantiated complaints) filed against it and Medicare has yet to revoke its funding.

Often, it falls on the abused or neglected party to contact an attorney who will advocate on their behalf. In many cases, authorities don’t move quickly enough and only respond after something terrible has happened or they have received several complaints related to their quality of care. Personal injury attorneys fight for the right of patients to get money judgments from the nursing homes. Often, this is the only way to hold them accountable.

Talk to an Atlanta, GA Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today 

Forsythe Law Firm, LLC represents the interests of patients who have suffered abuse or neglect at the hands of nursing home staff. Call our Atlanta nursing home abuse & neglect lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin fighting on your behalf right away.

Source:

11alive.com/article/news/local/abuse-brian-jones-paralyzed-pruitt-health-liburn/85-b49d88e6-67f9-4347-bd09-e84f485849c7