Nursing Home Accused of Racially-Motivated Abuse Against 89-Year-Old

 Posted on March 07, 2018 in Nursing Home Abuse

Nursing home staff have one of the most important responsibilities in our society: caring for our elders. Tragically, some nursing home staff do not take this responsibility seriously. Nursing home resident neglect and abuse are serious issues. More than two million cases of elder abuse are reported every year. It is estimated that one out of every ten elderly individuals in nursing home facilities will experience some type of abuse. While efforts are being made by regulatory agencies and advocacy groups to prevent nursing home abuse and neglect, the current state of many nursing homes is unacceptable.

Shocking Camera Footage from Inside Michigan Nursing Home

The family of an 89-year-old Lebanese man is suing a Michigan nursing home after footage surfaced of caretakers abusing the elderly man. The resident was admitted to the facility in 2015 after undergoing a bowel obstruction surgery. His son was the first to grow concerned about his father’s safety. The son noticed his father was often covered in cuts and bruises. The octogenarian was also rapidly losing weight.

Family Claims Man Was Physically and Psychologically Abused

The elderly resident’s cuts and bruises, according to nursing home staff, were a result of the man falling eleven times throughout five months. In order to get to the bottom of his father’s injuries, the man’s adult son hid a camera in an alarm clock next to his father’s bed. The family of the man claims that the hidden camera captured over 100 clips of the staff’s neglectful behavior. Additionally, the footage is claimed to include instances of physical abuse and even ethnic slurs directed at the 89-year-old.

The lawsuit against the nursing home claims that staff refused the man access to a call button, denied him water, and purposefully smashed his legs against a wall while transporting the man via wheelchair. The man’s family promptly removed him from the facility in December 2015. The family and their attorney believe that the attacks against the man were racially motivated.

Aggressive Representation for Victims and Their Families

Elder abuse is especially horrific because many patients are unable to report the abuse they suffer. Many nursing home residents are physically or mentally disabled and rely on others to look out for their safety.

If someone you love has been mistreated in a nursing home, a Chicago nursing home abuse injury attorney can help. At Schwartz Injury Law, our mission is to hold nursing homes and other long-term care institutions fully accountable for elder abuse and to get financial compensation for victims. To set up a free confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys, call 312-535-4625 today.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/family-sues-michigan-nursing-home-over-abuse-caught-on-video/2018/03/06/cab90d9e-2174-11e8-946c-9420060cb7bd_story.html?utm_term=.83d5964978e0