Texas Accident & Injury News
There are many ways your parents could be abused in senior living homes.
Northeast Side Nursing Home Destroyed by Fire
According to a KSAT News report, a nursing home on the Northeast Side was destroyed by a late-night fire this week.
The San Antonio Fire Department reported the incident occurred at around 10:20 p.m. at an old nursing home facility on the 100 block of Cloudhaven Drive. When fire officials arrived at the scene, flames were billowing from the back side of the building, and heavy smoke was present. The fire burned the attic to the roof and back rooms. The building was unoccupied, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown, and the building was declared a total loss.
Did You Know?
Texas had 85,361 registered nursing home residents in 2023, making it the 3rd largest state for senior living care behind California and New York.
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect in San Antonio
Trusting a nursing home with the care of your senior parents is a hard decision, but it’s often the only choice you have. Naturally, you expect the staff to treat your parents well and care for their basic needs — that is what you pay for, after all.
Unfortunately, it often happens that people like you across San Antonio visit their parents expecting to find them well cared for, only to find that they have been abused or neglected by the people who should have treated them like family.
What is Nursing Home Neglect?
Your parents don’t have to be bruised or burned to have grounds for a lawsuit. The CDC defines neglect as “…the failure to meet an older adult’s basic needs. These needs include food, water, shelter, clothing, hygiene, and essential medical care.”
Signs of neglect can take many forms — trust your instincts and watch for common signs like:
- Failure to Report Injuries On Time,
- Medication Errors,
- Poor Hygiene,
- Bedsores,
- Isolation,
- Unexplained or Frequently Recurring Illnesses.
Unlike abuse, neglect is carelessness on the part of the facility or individual staff member. Roughly 12% of staff report neglecting patients and 4.2% of seniors report being neglected in nursing homes and other facilities.
What Are the Most Common Types of Abuse in Nursing Homes?
Unlike neglect, abuse is an intentional act against a resident by staff. According to WHO, the most common types of abuse are:
- Psychological Abuse — Isolation, insulting residents, controlling behavior against a resident’s will, and making threats are examples of psychological abuse.
- Physical Abuse — Restraining residents with straps and hitting, shoving, and kicking residents are common forms of physical abuse.
- Financial Abuse — Preventing residents from accessing their bank accounts, stealing cash, and stealing valuables are common forms of financial abuse.
These problems are widespread — nearly 65%, or 2 in 3 staff members, reported engaging in some kind of abuse within the past year in a 2020 study conducted by WHO.
We could go into why these cases happen and have increased over the pandemic, but it doesn’t matter. Your parents should never suffer abuse or neglect while living in a nursing home.
Senior Parents Abused or Neglected by a Nursing Home in San Antonio? Call Carabin Shaw.
If you suspect your parent has been neglected or abused by a nursing home or similar facility in San Antonio, you may have grounds for a lawsuit. We can help you find out for free.
Our personal injury attorneys have served injured seniors in San Antonio for 30 years, and we care. Contact the team that puts their clients first at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat for free expert advice on your case. We look forward to serving you.
Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.