What You Must Know About Nursing Home Abuse in Georgia Prior to Contacting a Lawyer

Eleven things you must know before you contact a lawyer:

1. You should investigate further if you see bedsores. Bedsores usually indicate that there is a problem with care.

2. You should investigate further if you find your elderly parent left alone in his room or in a hallway for more than 2 hours.

3. You should investigate further if your elderly parent undergoes a change in behavior, especially if he/she seems unusually fearful of people or things.

4. You should call a lawyer upon the unexplained death or hospitalization of a nursing home patient.

5. You should call a lawyer if you suspect physical violence against your elderly parent or relative.

6. You should call a lawyer if you find your parent sitting in urine or feces.

7. You should call a lawyer if your parent is denied water, food or the correct dosage of medicine.

8. Your elderly parent or relative has an absolute right to a clean and safe nursing home care environment at all times during his/her stay - if the staff or administrators regularly give you excuses for their problems, you should be very concerned.

9. Nursing home residents cannot be punished for cursing, screaming or verbally abusing staff. Nursing home staff should be trained to expect illogical and bizarre behavior by residents and absolutely cannot retaliate.

10.  Evidence in the form of medical records and witness testimony will likely be necessary to successfully pursue a claim for damages. If you suspect a problem, call a lawyer as soon as possible for advice about how to preserve evidence.

11.  Residents are placed in a nursing home because they have physical and/or mental limitations.  The nursing home is a place of protection just like a child care center. The law does not expect nursing home residents to act like competent adults and obligates the nursing home to take care of residents.

Contact Jonathan Ginsberg by phone at 770-393-4985 or by e-mail.