Holding Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Accountable
U.S. government statistics indicate that over 1.8 million Americans live in nursing homes. Many more live in assisted living or other residential care facilities and this figure is expected to grow rapidly in years to come. While many nursing homes provide excellent care for their residents, problems often arise when nursing homes are driven by a desire for profit at the expense of patient's rights. The result can be sub-standard care, inadequate staffing and untrained or poorly trained employees. Under federal law, all nursing homes are required to have written policies known as the Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights. These policies describe the rights of nursing home residents.
At the law office of Mingo & Yankala, S.C., our attorneys investigate cases involving nursing home abuse using experienced investigators, eyewitness statements, medical records, security camera footage if available, and staffing reports. In reviewing nursing home records, we can determine if proper staffing levels were present and if enough nurses were on call. In cases involving unattended wanderings, malnutrition, and bed sores, inadequate and poorly trained staff are often involved. We expose these and other violations and recover financial compensation for our clients.
To schedule a free consultation to discuss your case, contact Milwaukee, Wisconsin nursing home abuse attorneys at Mingo & Yankala today.
Recognizing Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect is very prevalent. This includes physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual elder abuse, neglect or abandonment, and financial or material exploitation. Signs of elder abuse may include the following:
- Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, fractures or other unexplained injuries
- Bedsores or frozen joints
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- Sudden changes in behavior
- Staff refusing to allow visitors to see a resident or delays in allowing visitors to see a resident
- Staff not allowing resident to be alone with a visitor
- Resident being kept in an over-medicated state
- Loss of resident's possessions
- Sudden large withdrawals from bank accounts or changes in banking practices by a resident
- Sudden changes in a will or other financial documents
- Excessive and sudden weight loss
If you feel that you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, we invite you to contact Mingo & Yankala. The lead attorneys at Mingo & Yankala have more than 50 years of combined legal experience and have obtained millions of dollars for our injured clients through out-of-court settlements and jury verdicts. We serve the legal needs of those who have been injured or lost a loved one due to another's negligence in Racine, the Fox River Valley, Wautoma, Stevens Point, Wausau and Rhinelander, and throughout the entire state of Wisconsin. You can contact us toll free at 1-877-545-3476.
The Importance of Early Investigation and the Statute of Limitations
There are strict time limits for filing a claim for injuries resulting from nursing home abuse or neglect, and contacting us as soon as possible allows us to conduct an early investigation and preserve important evidence on your behalf.
Your initial consultation with our experienced trial lawyers is always free, and if we accept your case, there are no hidden charges and there is never a fee unless we win compensation. Even if we do not accept your case for legal or other reasons, we will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding personal injury and elder law in Wisconsin.
For more information regarding our personal injury practice and how we can help you, contact Milwaukee, Wisconsin nursing home abuse lawyers at Mingo & Yankala today.
