Birmingham Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers

When you make the difficult decision to entrust a loved one to a nursing home, you rightfully expect the staff to provide the utmost care. Our nursing home neglect lawyers believe that the elders in our community have a right to be treated and cared for with dignity and respect.

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People in nursing homes should be treated with respect and special attention, especially since many of them are completely dependent upon the staff to meet their needs. Because of their vulnerability, nursing home residents can often be victims of mistreatment, negligence, and elder abuse.

 

Types of Nursing Home Neglect

Throughout our experiences in nursing home neglect and nursing home abuse cases, our nursing home lawyers have seen evidence of the following types of neglect:

• Falls from wheelchairs and beds

• Bed sores and ulcers

• Malnutrition

• Dehydration

• Misplacement of feedings tubes

• Inadequate staff

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Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes

Our compassionate legal team is committed to helping seek justice for victims of nursing home neglect. Our nursing home neglect lawyers have 60+ combined years of experience, and we take seriously every instance of nursing home abuse and neglect brought to our attention.

 

If your loved one has suffered from nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse, our firm wants to help you and your family.

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Negligence vs. Malpractice

Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of one’s duties to an elder. Signs of nursing home neglect may include:

• Malnutrition and dehydration

• Bed sores or pressure sores

• Infections

• Fractures or broken bones

• Burns

• Soiled bedding

• Medical errors or negligence

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A licensed medical provider isn’t negligent but guilty of medical malpractice though the standards for establishing medical malpractice are different than establishing negligence. A licensed medical provider, such as a doctor or nurse, is held to professional standards which must be established for similarly situated professionals with their unique specialization. It is much more difficult to establish that one is guilty of medical malpractice than simple negligence.

 

Under Alabama law, a licensed medical professional cannot be found guilty of negligence in performing their professional services. Instead, one must prove that they committed medical malpractice.

 

Our nursing home lawyers are experienced at establishing medical malpractice cases involving nursing home patients, just as they are at establishing a nursing home’s liability for neglect or mistreatment of a resident.

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Nursing Home Abuse Statistics

Unfortunately, nursing home neglect is a growing problem. Almost two million people in the United States reside in nursing homes, yet nursing homes throughout the country are understaffed and often poorly trained, leading to staff negligence.

• There are over 27,000 resident beds in nursing home facilities in Alabama.

• In Alabama, nursing facilities are licensed and regulated by the Alabama Public Health Department which regularly inspects nursing facilities to ensure that they are in compliance with state and national standards for such health care facilities, including long-term care facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with an intellectual disability, assisted living facilities, specialty care assisted living facilities, cerebral palsy centers, and nursing homes.

• There are 231 licensed nursing homes in Alabama.

• The occupancy rate of nursing homes in Alabama is regularly at least 85%.

• Alabama has approximately 32.9 beds per thousand persons aged 65 and older located within the state.

• About 85% of nursing home beds in Alabama are occupied by persons aged 65 and older. 

• About 16.5% of Alabama’s total population is aged 65 or older.

• Nursing homes provide various levels of care for those needing their services, including:

  • Short-term post-hospital care for those who require specialized rehabilitation after their acute care hospital episodes. Most of these admissions return home.

  • Long-term care for those with complex chronic conditions requiring care and supervision is unavailable in a home setting through available supports and services.

  • Palliative care for hospice patients unable to remain in a home environment.

  • Memory Care in a secured environment for those with complex chronic conditions requiring care and supervision unavailable in a home setting through available supports and services and suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

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How to Report a Nursing Home to the State

A complaint against a nursing home in Alabama, such as for abuse, neglect, poor care, insufficient staff, unsafe or unsanitary conditions, dietary problems, or mistreatment, can be filed with the Alabama Department of Public Health by completing this form:  https://www.adph.org/Extranet/Forms/Form.asp?ss=s&formID=6117.