According to statistics, elder abuse occurs in one out of three nursing homes. Often, that abuse is experienced at the hands of staff, but a recent study has also revealed that resident-on-resident abuse occurs frequently as well. One woman, suffocated and strangled to death, is an example of the latter. But just how much ammunition do you or your loved ones have against a nursing home if wrongful death, abuse, or negligence has occurred? The answer to that question may lie in the paperwork.

Roommate Charged with Murder, Nursing Home Never Implicated

Despite alleged documents that stated the deceased’s roommate was a risk to herself and/or others, authorities focused their attention on the resident actually responsible for the 100-year-old woman’s death rather than investigating the facility. Charged with murder and then deemed unfit to stand trial because she suffered from dementia, she was eventually committed to a state hospital. But the nursing home responsible for their care was never implicated, either criminally or otherwise.

As the population of the United States ages, more and more people are spending their final years in nursing homes. Unfortunately, not all nursing homes are created equal, and some nursing homes do the unthinkable: neglect your loved one. This happens with enough regularity that you need to be aware of all the warning signs of neglect if you have a loved one in a nursing home.

The 2011 Wisconsin Act 2, a tort reform law enacted in 2011, prohibits families from using state health investigation records in state civil suits filed against nursing homes. It also makes state health records inadmissible in criminal cases against healthcare providers accused of neglecting patients or accused of abusing patients. Proving a nursing home or the workers in the nursing home neglected your loved one can be an uphill battle in the wake of this law. You should report any suspected neglect or abuse of your loved one in a nursing home to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and contact a personal injury attorney to help further protect your loved one.

What Are Warning Signs Your Loved One Might Be a Victim of Nursing Home Neglect?