Compassionate & Dedicated Kansas City Attorneys Striving to Stamp Out Nursing Home Neglect

It is not uncommon for our elderly loved ones to have to spend time, or live out their remaining days, in a nursing home or other long-term care or assisted living facility. We want to trust that these facilities are staffed with trained, caring individuals who will do their best to look after our relatives’ medical and social needs while treating them with dignity and respect. Many places and workers do an excellent job of providing quality care, but sadly, nearly half of the nursing homes in the Kansas City area are currently rated below average or much below average by Medicare. Overcrowding and understaffing, high staff turnover, and lack of proper training and supervision, all combine to lead to tragic cases of serious abuse and neglect. The attorneys at Gorny Dandurand are committed to representing nursing home residents and their families to ensure that residents are treated appropriately, that they are compensated when they are not, and that facilities are held accountable for nursing home abuse and neglect.

Signs and Symptoms of Nursing Home Negligence

Be on the lookout for any signs that your relative is not being properly cared for, and bring up any concerns you have with the resident, and with staff or administration at the nursing home. If you are not satisfied with the answers you are getting, call our office for help. Common signs of nursing home abuse or neglect include the following:

• Malnourished – If the resident is losing weight, find out if they are eating appropriately, and investigate the reasons if they are not
• Dehydrated – Signs of dehydration include weakness, dizziness and confusion
• Bedsores – Patients who are not mobile must be turned and adjusted several times daily to prevent pressure ulcers, which if left untreated can lead to life-threatening abscesses and infections
• Bruises – If you see similar bruising on both sides of the body, particularly at the wrists or arms, this may be a signal that the resident has been grabbed forcefully, or subjected to unlawful physical restraints
• Mood Changes – If the resident appears scared, depressed, anxious or withdrawn, this may be a sign that they have been abused but are afraid to speak out

How Gorny Dandurand Can Help

As you may have noticed, many of the signs and symptoms described above can be explained as the result of accidental falls, dementia or other inevitable but normal signs of aging. Nursing home staff and administrators know this and may try to explain away your concerns as having nothing to do with abuse or neglect. If their explanations don’t seem right to you, or if further signs and symptoms continue to appear, seek out a medical opinion as to what is going on with your loved one. If you believe abuse or neglect is occurring, call Gorny Dandurand at 816-756-5071. We will go to work right away to put an immediate stop to any neglect or abuse and seek any compensation as appropriate.