Did you know?
- Approximately 1 in 10 Americans aged 60+ have experienced some form of elder abuse
- For every case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect are reported to authorities, five more go unreported.
- Long-term care residents suffer 1.9 million adverse drug events every year, 70 percent are preventable.
Hiring a New Jersey Nursing Home Attorney
- At Dansky | Katz | Ringold | York, our attorneys provide aggressive legal representation for victims of negligence. When you retain us as your law firm, you become more than just a client; we promise to always treat you like a member of our family.
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We understand that nursing home neglect claims are filled with emotion and may even involve the death of a loved one. You need an attorney who is compassionate while fiercely fighting for your rights and maximizing your compensation.
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Our level of patient and client advocacy means that we will work hard to pursue all aspects of your nursing home negligence claim. As discussed above, these types of negligence cases are complex and require the help of medical professionals. In addition to a Certified Civil Trial Attorney with the New Jersey Supreme Court on staff, we also have a qualified and dedicated nurse who reviews medical records for our nursing home abuse claims.
Meet Our Leading Lawyers
“To give voice to a segment of the population which routinely has little or no voice, is why I fight for my clients every day.”
Michael S. Ringold Esq. • Partner
"I take pride in representing victims who become clients, and in the fact that we treat our clients with the same compassion as we would our own families."
Michael S. Dansky Esq. • Partner
We're Standing By
Speak with one of our experienced lawyers for help with any questions about your Nursing Home Neglect case. The consultation is free and there is no obligation.
Causes and Types of Nursing Home Abuse
There are many different causes and types of nursing home abuse & neglect. Some examples would include: Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Financial Abuse & Neglect.
Our experienced New Jersey Nursing Home Abuse lawyers can help you pursue legal claims for injuries sustained from nursing homes such as the following:
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is the infliction of bodily harm upon a resident. While physical abuse is an action taken against a nursing home resident and is often intentional, inaction can also be abusive and is known as neglect. Victims of neglect are not given basic and necessary care, such as regular bathing or wound treatment.
Signs of physical abuse can include:
- Broken Bones
- Bruises
- Scratches
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Torn Clothing
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Black eyes
Examples of physical abuse include, but are not limited to:
- Kicking
- Hitting
- Pinching
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Slapping
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Shoving
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Biting
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Use of physical restraints
Emotional Abuse
Emotional or psychological abuse occurs when a caregiver causes a patient mental pain or distress — inflicted verbally or nonverbally.
Psychological abuse is often difficult to detect because it typically results in very few physical symptoms. Instead, most signs of abuse will manifest in ways such as:
- Unexplained personality changes
- Unexplained behavior changes
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Depression
- Fearful or anxious reactions
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Withdrawal from normal activities
Examples of psychological abuse in nursing home facilities include:
- Verbal degradation
- Keeping patients in social isolation
- Not allowing patients time alone with their family or friends
- Giving patients the “silent treatment”
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Intimidation
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Bullying
Sexual Abuse
If a nursing home resident is involved in giving or receiving any kind of sexual act they did not consent to, they are a victim of sexual abuse.
While caregivers are often the abusers in the case of sexual abuse, sexual abuse in a nursing home can also occur between two residents.
If a resident is a victim of sexual abuse, they may shy away from telling family members or loved ones. However, there are often some physical signs that reveal the abuse, including:
- Unexplained sexually transmitted diseases or infections
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Ripped or bloody underclothing
- Bruises on the breasts, inner thighs, buttocks or genitalia
Examples of sexual abuse in nursing home facilities include:
- Oral Sex
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Anal Sex
- Vaginal Sex
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Sodomy
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Touching or grabbing another person’s genitals
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Exposing one’s genitals to another person
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Unwanted kissing
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Creating pornography, such as taking nude or staged video or pictures of a resident
Financial Abuse
Financial Exploitation occurs when a caregiver takes advantage of access to a patients financial matters, steals or otherwise compromises the patient’s financial status.
Signs of financial abuse can include:
- Missing financial documents
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Sudden withdrawals from bank accounts
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Unexpected overdraft charges from bank accounts
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Small thefts of toiletries or other belongings
- Large thefts or sales of a resident’s valuable belongings, such as jewelry or vehicles
Examples of financial abuse can include:
- Forging signatures
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Adding names to a resident’s bank accounts
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Unexpected overdraft charges from bank accounts
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Cashing checks without their permission
- Depriving a resident access to their bank accounts, property or benefits
Nursing Home Neglect
Nursing home neglect is similar to nursing home abuse in many ways, but they are not the same. While nursing home abuse implies a specific intent to harm the elder, nursing home neglect is defined as a breach of duty or form of sub-standard care that results in harm to the patient.
It may be harder to notice if nursing home residents are victims of neglect because physical signs may not appear right away. However, over time some signs of neglect may manifest as:
- Persistent infections
- Untreated wounds
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Bedsores
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Dehydration
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Sudden Weight Loss
- Malnutrition
- Poor Hygiene
- Wrongful death
There are different types of neglect, including:
- Nutritional: food or water is withheld or altered in amount.
- Medical: when medication is withheld or dosages altered.
- Social: the resident is not able to socialize with others or see guests.
- Hygienic: when the resident or their personal space is not kept clean and sanitary.
- Environmental neglect: when a safe living environment for the resident is not provided.
What Our Clients Have To Say:
- "What stands out most in my mind with the services we received is the way they would just go above and beyond and really listen. They do keep you up-to-date with everything going on, especially when cases go on for months and you’re wondering what’s happening and where are we." - Diane Leonard
- “What stands out in my mind about their services is that they take the case personally, they make you feel, I would say, at home…They show complete compassion for what the client is going through and they are extremely helpful.” – Joe Gentile