If your loved one has suffered from some form of abuse or neglect at a Covington nursing home, know that they are not alone. Neglect and abuse occur across various nursing homes in the state of Georgia. Which is why we have dedicated all of our efforts and tools to assisting elderly residents and their loved ones who are in pursuit of filing a lawsuit against a nursing home that has committed some form of neglect or abuse. After you’ve visited our site, please give us a call so that we can discuss your case. We’re here to help you.
Both neglect and abuse happen quite frequently in nursing homes. Neglect is usually an unintentional act that results in the resident being injured. It can be something as simple as a staff member failing to clean or change a medical device before it’s used on a resident. Abuse on the other hand in an intentional act committed by a staff member or another resident with the intent to harm. Regardless if it’s neglect or abuse, neither should ever be condoned.
The facility hurt my loved one – Can I sue?
If your loved one has been injured at a Covington nursing home, and they are unable to represent themselves, then you may be able to pursue a lawsuit against the nursing home. Nursing homes are required by Georgia law to provide a reasonable standard of care. This means that resident should live in a hazardous free environment, while receiving the proper care that is needed for their specific situation.
When a nursing home acts negligent, and the result is your loved one being injured, then you may be able to pursue a lawsuit on your loved one’s behalf. Nursing homes are required to hire a full staff, with each member being adequate enough to assist elderly residents each and every day. Failure to do so, may leave the nursing home liable.
The same applies to when abuse takes place. Whether the abuse comes from a staff member or another resident, the nursing home may be held liable. Nursing homes are required to conduct assessments on each resident, in order to see which are prone to violence. That way they can implement the proper safety measures to keep all their residents safe. Failure to do so, may leave the nursing home liable to any injuries your loved one may have sustained as a result of abuse.
How much does a nursing home abuse lawyer cost?
Some lawyers work off an hourly fee, which can prove to be quite costly. But most will work off a contingency fee, which means they’ll only be paid a percentage amount if a verdict or settlement is reached in your favor. There are usually other costs such as court fees, and medical fees needed for the opinions and testimonies of medical experts. If you’re with an attorney who is working off a contingency fee, then they will usually cover these costs for you, and recoup these payments once a settlement or verdict has been reached.
This is why hiring an attorney who works off a contingency fee is the best route to take. An attorney working off a contingency fee will have ‘skin in the game’. This means that they’ll dedicate all of their efforts and skills to your case in order to make sure you get the result you’re looking for, because their payment is also dependent on the outcome.
We are Schenk Smith, your Covington nursing home lawyers.
We are completely dedicated towards helping elderly residents who have suffered from some form of nursing home abuse or neglect. We do not represent any other types of clients, nor do we practice any other form of law. We are strictly focused on helping elderly residents and their loved ones recoup what is rightfully theirs.
At Schenk Smith, our passion for helping elderly residents stems from our founding attorney Schenk Firm. Before becoming an attorney, Schenk Firm was not only a Marine, but he also served as a CNA in nursing homes around Georgia. His military discipline and passion for helping elderly residents, resonates throughout our firm.
When you visit our site, you will encounter plenty of videos, podcast episodes, and blog articles which are all designed to help you in your efforts. Once you’ve had the chance to check out these online resources, please give us a call so that we can schedule you a free consultation to discuss your case. It doesn’t matter where you live. Whether you’re by the Panola Mountain State Park, the Georgia International Horse Park, or the Zoo Atlanta Playspace, we’ve got you.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in Covington, Georgia – What you need to know.
Covington, Georgia is located in Newton County, and has a population of 13,667 residents. Of those residents, 14.10% are aged 65 and older. Like in other nursing homes around the state of Georgia, neglect and abuse occur frequently.
Are there specific signs of nursing home abuse?
There are specific signs of nursing home abuse, but in order to spot them, you first need to know what are the most common forms of nursing home abuse. The most common forms of nursing home abuse are:
- Physical
- Emotional/Psychological
- Sexual
- Financial
The most common form of nursing home abuse is usually physical abuse. The obvious signs of physical abuse tend to be cuts, welts, bruises, bleeding, and sometimes broken bones. It’s important to spot these signs early, in order to prevent the abuse from continuing. Emotional/Psychological stress is a bit tougher to spot. The usually signs for this type of abuse will be when a resident becomes isolated, and is hesitant to be around staff members or other residents. The same signs apply for sexual abuse. When it comes to financial abuse, the obvious signs are usually spotted when a resident’s personal belonging continue to disappear.
Are there common abuse injuries?
The injuries we mentioned above are the most common abuse injuries that occur. Those are:
- Cuts
- Welts
- Bruises
- Bleeding
- Broken Bones
Usually when these injuries appear, some form of abuse has occurred. The abuse can stem from either a staff member or a fellow resident. These signs at times may be difficult to spot, especially if the abuse is coming from a staff member. A resident may feel hesitant to report the abuse, in fear of it getting worse, and sometimes nursing homes force monitored visits from loved ones. They usually do this as a way to keep the resident from speaking up. This is why it is important to constantly monitor your loved one in a nursing home, and if you feel there may be possible abuse taking place, then it is imperative to hire a nursing home attorney, to see what legal options you can take.
Why does abuse occur so much in nursing homes?
Abuse usually stems from a lack of training. Nursing homes are required by Georgia law to provide a reasonable standard of care to each of their residents. Providing a specialized care for the elderly, requires a lot of patience. When a nursing home fails to hire a staff adequate enough to take care of elderly residents, the end result can sometimes lead to some form of abuse.
Remember, nursing home abuse isn’t only physical. There is emotional, sexual, and financial abuse. When a staff member loses patience when helping out an elderly resident, they sometimes might spew some hateful rhetoric as a form of retaliation. Even though the abuse wasn’t physical, it still can prove to be detrimental to a resident’s health.
Resident to resident abuse is another type of abuse that occurs quite often. If this is occurring, the nursing home may still be held liable. Nursing homes are required to conduct assessments on each and every resident. When they fail to do so, nursing homes leave residents liable to attacks from other residents who are prone to violence.
For a free legal consultation with a Nursing Home Abuse lawyer serving Covington, call (678) 823-7678
My loved one was hurt in a Covington nursing home – What do I do next?
If your loved one has been injured, abused, or has passed away at a Covington, Georgia nursing home, then we highly advise you to act immediately, in order to protect their rights.
First, report the incident to the appropriate Georgia authorities.
Georgia Department of Community Health
The Georgia Department of Community Health has a division known as The Healthcare Facility Regulation, which investigates cases of nursing home neglect and abuse against elderly residents. They also regulate and certify nursing homes in the state of Georgia.
You can file a complaint with the Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation online by clicking this link. Here is additional contact information:
Georgia Department of Community Health, Healthcare Facility Regulation
Complaint Hotline: (800) 878-6442
Complaint Fax: (404) 657-5731
Georgia Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
The Georgia Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman is another route one can take. This group consists of individuals who aim to resolve cases of nursing home abuse and neglect against elderly residents. The Ombudsman group are also authorized under Georgia law to enter nursing homes and ask questions, in order to seek answers.
You can file a complaint with the Georgia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman online by clicking on this link. Here is additional contact information:
Western Region – Georgia Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
1743 Hardin Ave
College Park, GA 30337
Telephone: (678) 378-2934
Fax: (404) 768-8512
You may report physical assault or abuse to local law enforcement
If your loved one has been assaulted at a Covington nursing home, and as a result has been injured, then we advise you to file a police report immediately. Depending on the severity of the crime, criminal charges may be brought against the perpetrator by the District Attorney’s Office: Alcovy Judicial District.
For abuse occurring in a Covington, Georgia nursing home, report the crime to the Police Department of Covington, Georgia or the Newton County Sheriff.
Police Department of Covington, Georgia
1143 Oak St SE
Covington, GA 30014
Telephone: (770) 786-7605
Newton County Sheriff’s Office
15151 Alcovy Rd
Covington, GA 30014
Telephone: (678) 625-1400
Newton County District Attorney’s Office
1132 Usher St NW, Ste. 313
Covington, GA 30014
Telephone: (770) 784-2070
Find another facility for your loved one.
If your loved one has suffered or is currently suffering from some form of nursing home abuse or neglect at a Covington nursing home, then you should look for a better suited facility. When you begin your search it is important to conduct walkthroughs and ask as many questions as possible. That way you can get a feel for the facility and the staff as well. Another tool to utilize is the Nursing Home Compare website, which is operated by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). This site gives ratings to each nursing home in the county that receives federal funding. These ratings are based off several factors including, nurse-to-resident ratio, quality, and inspection scores.
Click here to go to the Nursing Home Compare Website.
For your convenience, a list of all nursing homes located in Covington, Georgia is located below, along with their contact information and inspection scores.
Get the medical records from the hospital and the nursing home.
If your loved one has been injured at a Covington nursing home, then it is important to obtain their medical records immediately. Nursing homes will usually stop at nothing to place the blame of an injury on the resident, rather than accepting responsibility. For example, if your loved one breaks a bone due to a slip and fall over a wet floor, chances are the nursing home will try to claim that the bone was already broken before the fall, even if the evidence indicates that is not the case.
To protect your loved one’s rights, you need to obtain their medical records, since those will have valuable information on who the primary physician was, as well as information on the hospital visit itself. It is also important to obtain the medical records from the nursing home, since those at times may show signs of neglect or abuse.
State and federal privacy laws prevent third-parties from obtaining medical records without the proper written authorization form. That form will usually be either a power of attorney, a healthcare directive, or guardianship paperwork.
If your loved one was injured at a Covington nursing home, then their medical records will most likely be at the hospital listed below. After you’ve obtained the proper written authorization form, your next step will need to be to make a request to the Release of Information Department of the hospital.
Begin the probate process if your loved one has passed away.
Your loved one’s right to pursue a lawsuit is still valid if they’ve passed away. A deceased person’s right to pursue a lawsuit is handed over to the Estate in the event of their death. For example, the plaintiff will go from being “Jane Smith” to “The Estate of Jane Smith”. In order for the lawsuit to be filed, the Estate will first need to be established. Which means the surviving spouse, child, or relative will need to petition the Probate Court of the County in which the deceased has passed.
If you’ve currently found yourself in this same predicament, then it is important to setup the Estate immediately. In doing so, you will need to appoint a personal representative, who is often referred to as an Executor or Administrator. This personal representative will then act on behalf of the Estate, and will make all the decisions with regards to the lawsuit.
Click here for the Probate Court of Newton County.
Newton County Probate Court
1132 Usher St NW #148
Covington, GA 30014
Covington Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me (678) 823-7678
Nursing Homes in Covington, Georgia
Each nursing home has their own pros and cons, making them different from each other. Below are the nursing homes located in Covington, Georgia, along with relevant information for each one. This information is taken from CMS’ Nursing Home Compare Website.
| Pruitthealth – Covington 4148 Carroll Street | Overall Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Number of Beds: 71 Number of Residents: 66.7 RN hours per resident per day: 19min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Staff Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 01-04-2018 Number of Health Citations: 2 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 1 ($15,367 fine on 12-22-2016) | |
| Riverside Health Care Center 5100 West St NW | Overall Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Number of Beds: 159 Number of Residents: 142.4 RN hours per resident per day: 11min (GA Avg: 24 min) |
| Health Inspections Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Staff Rating: 1 out of 5 (Much Below Average) Quality Measure Rating: 4 out of 5 (Above Average) Most Recent Health Inspection Date: 08-17-2017 Number of Health Citations: 16 Average Number of Health Citations in Georgia: 3.2 Number of Complaints in previous 3 years resulting citation: 0 Federal fines in previous 3 years: 0 | |
Click to contact our nursing home abuse lawyers today
Why Choose Schenk Smith as your Nursing Home Lawyers?
When you first begin to look for an attorney, you will encounter plenty of options to choose from. Even though you have options, we would like for you to consider us as the best choice to represent you and your family. Here are a couple reasons why we think we’d be a great fit:
- Top Notch: Our attorneys have been selected as Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Stars, which is just one reason why we are the best Google reviewed law firm in Georgia that focuses on nursing home cases. Being a top notch firm is why our clients think very highly of us. Don’t take our word for it, check out our client testimonials, and see for yourself why we’d be a great choice to represent you and your loved ones.
- Singular Focus: At Schenk Smith we solely focus on nursing home cases and helping elderly residents who have suffered from some form of nursing home abuse or neglect. We are not interested in any other form of law. Practicing one area of law, also makes us more knowledgeable on any changes in law that may pertain to nursing home cases.
- Results Driven: Even though we offer free consultations, we are very selective in the cases we choose to represent. But this means that we are ready and willing to use all of our efforts and skills and see your case through trial. Our efforts have been fruitful to our clients, as we’ve had millions in verdicts and settlements in the past two years.
If your loved one was injured or died in a Covington, Georgia nursing home, please call us at Schenk Smith (678) 823-7678 for a free consultation. You can also check out hundreds of video FAQs on our website.
Call or text (678) 823-7678 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form