Oklahoma City Elder Home Abuse Lawyer
The elderly population deserves compassionate care and respect for the dignity they’ve earned over a lifetime. When family members place an aging loved one in a nursing home, they have a right to expect the 24-hour diligent care and comfort these institutions promise. Sadly, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) warns that an astonishing 5 million senior citizens experience abuse each year, with devastating impacts on the physical and emotional health of elder home residents.
At Dan Davis Law, we’ve made compassionate client advocacy our mission and understand the pain and trauma of nursing home abuse cases in Oklahoma City. Nursing home abuse affects more than just the abuse victim, it impacts the whole family, causing emotional anguish, guilt, and blame.
If your aging loved one suffered neglect or abuse in a nursing home in Oklahoma, call the Oklahoma City personal injury attorneys at Dan Davis Law for a free confidential consultation.
Why Choose Dan Davis Law for Your Nursing Home Abuse Case?
If your vulnerable elderly loved one suffered abuse in a nursing home, your family is entitled to prompt action and a voice for justice. Dan Davis Law is the law firm you can turn to for the assertive legal advocacy your loved one deserves. We provide your case with the following:
Experience
For over three decades, the Oklahoma City elder home abuse attorneys at Dan Davis Law have helped injury victims and their families secure millions of dollars in compensation by demanding accountability for negligence, reckless behavior, or wrongdoing. Founding attorney, Daniel Davis, has provided individualized attention to each client’s case through decades of achieving ample settlements and notable jury awards for their damages.
Caring
By getting to know each client and their families, Dan Davis witnesses the impact of their injuries personally, which puts a more compelling voice behind their case.
Skill
The team at Dan Davis Law are skilled investigators to examine all aspects of each client’s case, document evidence of liability, and negotiate with insurance companies from a position of strength. Our Oklahoma City elder home abuse attorneys are also skilled litigators who won’t hesitate to take a case to trial when required to achieve the maximum compensation.
Results
Dan Davis Law has secured over $400 million in settlements and jury awards for injured clients during 30 years of client advocacy in Oklahoma, including nursing home abuse cases in Oklahoma City.
Nursing Home Abuse Statistics
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes elder abuse in nursing homes as a significant problem. More than 1.3 million aging Americans reside in elder-care facilities. The following statistics reveal alarming risks to elders in elder-home settings:
- About one in every six people over the age of 60 experienced abuse in residential community settings in the past year
- Two-thirds of nursing home staff reported committing abusive behaviors toward residents
- Abuse reported in elderly care facilities includes psychological abuse (29%), financial abuse (7%), neglect (14%), resident-to-resident abuse (22%), physical abuse (29%), and sexual abuse (7%)
- In a study of 2,000 residential care facilities, 95% of residents reported either experiencing abuse or witnessing abuse against other residents
- 643,000 elderly adults received emergency room treatment for assaults between 2002 and 2016
- New studies indicate a substantial rise in elderly abuse in nursing homes in 2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns which isolated nursing home residents from their family members
Women, high-needs residents, LGBTQ residents, and veterans face the highest risk of abuse in nursing homes.
As distressing as the statistics for elder abuse in nursing homes and assisted living facilities may be, researchers believe the numbers are “grossly underreported,” with an estimated one case reported for every 24 instances of abuse.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Abuse
The majority of nursing home abuse goes unreported because many elderly residents are either cognitively impaired and incapable of reporting the abuse, or the abuse victims are too proud or fearful of repercussions to alert their loved ones. It’s important for anyone with an elderly loved one in a residential care facility to recognize and promptly address any of the following signs of abuse and neglect:
- Sudden weight loss or change in appearance
- Dry lips and skin, thinning hair, and other signs of dehydration and malnutrition
- Unexplained bruises, lacerations, or burns
- Head injuries
- Broken bones
- Bed sores
- Change in mood or personality
- Broken personal items like eyeglasses or dentures
- Unkempt appearance
- Poor hygiene
- Infections that become sepsis
- Uneaten meals remaining in the room
- Bruises or bleeding on private parts
- Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases
- Missed medication doses
- Unexplained or unusual financial transactions
- An elderly resident’s reluctance to talk in front of caregivers and staff
Because some elder abuse symptoms are commonly confused with normal signs of aging, it’s crucial to watch for sudden, dramatic changes in an elderly resident. If you do notice any of the above signs, schedule a medical exam from a provider who isn’t affiliated with the nursing home and ask for a detailed report. Report any evidence of abuse to the local authorities and then seek legal counsel from the elder care abuse lawyers at Dan Davis Law before communicating with the nursing home management or the facility’s liability insurer.
Causes of Nursing Home Abuse in Oklahoma City
The elderly population has steadily grown worldwide, thanks to better healthcare expanding human longevity. Unfortunately, the growing elderly population has resulted in crowded, understaffed facilities. The most commonly identified causes of elder abuse in nursing homes assisted living facilities, and other elder-care facilities include the following:
- Overworked, overwhelmed staff
- Inadequate staff training
- Poor staff hiring procedures
- Poor staff supervision
- Undertrained or negligent management
- Individual caregiver personality problems or mental health issues
When abuse occurs in a nursing home, it often causes a swift decline in life quality for the elderly victim and may shorten their life span. Serious abuse sometimes results in fatality, such as from traumatic head injuries—one of the most common causes of accidental death in the elderly.
Liability in Oklahoma City Nursing Home Abuse Cases
Medical providers owe a special duty of care to patients to treat them at the standard of care accepted by the medical community. All nursing home staff members have a duty to take all reasonable measures to prevent causing injury to residents. When nursing home staff or caregivers cause injury to elderly residents through neglect or abuse, they breach their duty of care, leaving the facility liable for damages like medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and wrongful death.
Call Dan Davis Law Today If You’re Elderly Loved One Suffered Abuse or Neglect in an Oklahoma City Elder-Care Facility
No one should have to take on a complex legal challenge at the same time they’re dealing with the trauma of an abused elderly loved one. Contact the compassionate client advocates at Dan Davis Law today to talk about your family member’s nursing home abuse case in Oklahoma City or the surrounding area so we can begin swift action on their behalf.