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Trusting a nursing home with the care of a loved one is an extremely difficult choice for a family. Having your trust violated when your loved one is abused or injured is a terrible injustice. Many individuals are in need of special care and around-the-clock attention, and abuse often goes unreported by those who are either unable or too intimidated to speak up. Securing accountability and compensation requires support from a Cleveland nursing home abuse lawyer.
The devastating result is that these patients have their needs and rights disregarded, causing them to suffer serious physical injuries or death. Senior citizens who are taken advantage of by those who are supposed to care for them have legal rights.
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber represents clients in nursing home abuse cases. We have helped our clients reclaim more than $1 billion over several decades. Our award-winning lawyers represent clients in Ohio and Florida.
*Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits. Awards and recognition are not guarantees of future results.
Everyone deserves competent medical and nursing care. In fact, the Ohio Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights guarantees that residents of nursing home facilities in the state of Ohio receive adequate and appropriate medical treatment and nursing care. The bill of rights outlines the rights a patient has and what they should expect from a care provider.
These rights include:
Nursing home facilities are required to post this list of rights or to provide a copy to their residents. Knowing these rights will assist you in making certain that your loved one receives the quality of care he or she is entitled to under Ohio law. Speaking with a nursing home abuse attorney can also help you determine whether or not a violation of the Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights took place.
Roughly 10% of adults over 60 in the United States experience some form of abuse each year. There are many signs that could point to nursing home negligence or mistreatment. You should know about them if you have a loved one in a long-term care facility. Changes in behavior and personality are common signs of elder abuse. For example:
These are among the signs of nursing home neglect that you should be aware of. Don’t hesitate to obtain help by contacting an authority or local organization. Find out more about reporting nursing home abuse in the state of Ohio.
If you or your loved one has suffered abuse, Spangenberg Shibley & Liber wants to help. We are committed to advocating for nursing home residents who have been taken advantage of. Spangenberg Shibley & Liber handles cases involving:
Infections and sepsis are among the most dangerous and preventable conditions for nursing home residents. When early symptoms like fever or confusion are missed, minor infections may escalate into life-threatening conditions. These are serious medical issues for a city where 20% of the population is 65 and over.
Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are a common sign of nursing home neglect. These painful conditions can lead to serious injury or death from falls, exposure, or assault. At Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, our elder law attorneys represent families in Ohio whose loved ones were harmed due to negligent supervision or poor safety.
Choking injuries in nursing homes are often preventable and may point to serious neglect. Residents with swallowing difficulties are frequently placed on special diets or require supervision during meals. When staff ignore these restrictions or fail to monitor vulnerable residents, the risk of choking can become deadly.
If your loved one suffered a choking injury or death in an Ohio nursing home, our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys can help hold negligent facilities accountable.
Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are a common sign of nursing home neglect. These painful injuries can form when immobile residents are not repositioned regularly, leading to skin breakdown on areas like the tailbone, back, or heels. If your loved one developed bedsores in an Ohio nursing home or long-term care facility, it may reflect inadequate care. Our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys can help you understand your legal rights and options.
Wandering and elopement are preventable safety failures that occur when a nursing home resident leaves a facility unsupervised. These incidents are especially dangerous for residents with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive conditions and can lead to serious injury or death from falls, exposure, or assault.
At Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, our elder law attorneys represent families in Ohio whose loved ones were harmed due to negligent supervision or poor safety protocols.
Emotional abuse in nursing homes can cause serious psychological harm even when there are no visible injuries. It may include verbal threats, humiliation, intimidation, or intentional isolation. Victims may show signs such as fear, anxiety, withdrawal, or depression. If you suspect emotional abuse in an Ohio nursing home, our attorneys can investigate the situation and take legal action to protect your loved one’s rights.
Malnutrition and dehydration are serious indicators of neglect in nursing homes. Ohio law requires that each resident receive food and fluids that meet their medical and nutritional needs. When staff fails to monitor or meet these needs, the results can be severe. If your loved one has suffered weight loss, fatigue, or medical complications due to poor nutrition or hydration, our Ohio nursing home lawyers can help you hold the facility accountable.
Falls are a serious and often preventable risk in nursing homes when residents do not receive proper supervision or mobility support. Many residents need help walking, getting in and out of bed or a wheelchair, or using the restroom. When staff fails to provide that assistance, residents can suffer broken bones, head injuries, or other life-threatening complications.
Ohio law guarantees nursing home residents the right to receive adequate care to prevent avoidable injuries. If your loved one suffered a fall in a nursing home or long-term care facility, our Ohio nursing home abuse attorneys at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber can help you pursue legal action and hold the facility accountable.
Every nursing home resident has the right to appropriate care and observation, regardless of how much assistance they need. When facilities fail to provide enough properly trained staff, residents may not receive the attention required to stay safe and healthy. These failures can stem from understaffing, lack of training, or poor management decisions.
If your loved one was injured or passed away due to staffing problems at a nursing home, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible. At Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, our team can evaluate whether the facility violated care standards and advise you on your legal options.
Nursing homes are responsible for administering the correct medications in the proper dosages as prescribed. When staff fails to follow protocols due to inexperience, lack of oversight, or poor communication, residents can suffer serious harm. Mistakes involving the wrong drug, missed doses, or failure to check records may result in medical complications or death.
If your loved one was affected by a medication error in a long-term care facility, our Ohio attorneys can help you understand your legal options.
Everyone deserves competent medical and nursing care. The Ohio Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights outlines protections all residents are entitled to, including:
When facilities violate these rights, families have the legal standing to pursue justice.
Whether your loved one is in a nursing home, assisted living center, or long-term care facility, watch for red flags of abuse such as:
Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t, and we’re here to help investigate.
Placing a loved one in a nursing home is never an easy decision. Our attorneys at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber have seen firsthand how the right facility can support quality of life—and how the wrong one can put residents at risk. Drawing from our experience handling abuse and neglect cases, we offer the following guidance to help you make an informed and protective choice.
Start by identifying the type of care your loved one needs, whether it’s long-term custodial support or short-term recovery after an illness or surgery. Use tools like Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare to review ratings based on inspections, staffing, and care quality.
Visit potential facilities in person. Tour all areas accessible to residents. Observe how staff interact with residents, check for signs of cleanliness, and ask to speak with the director. Visit more than once, at different times of day. Trust your instincts. Does the facility feel safe and welcoming? Do the residents appear to be cared for?
Before admission, ask whether the facility requires you to sign an arbitration agreement. These contracts often limit your legal rights in the event of injury or dispute. In Ohio, facilities cannot require you to sign one as a condition of admission. If arbitration is mandatory, consider looking elsewhere. Also, complete a power of attorney so you can access medical records if needed.
Be present for your loved one’s intake assessment and participate in the development of their care plan. Open communication is key. Get to know the staff, keep records of all paperwork, and maintain regular contact with the facility. Understanding your rights under Ohio law and staying involved can make a critical difference in preventing neglect and advocating for proper care.
At Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, we handle cases that involve nursing home abuse and neglect throughout the state of Ohio and nationwide.
Our attorneys have represented countless families in cases where negligence led to heartbreaking outcomes — including preventable falls, untreated injuries, and tragic loss of life. Each case we handle is a chance to advocate for accountability, safer standards, and justice for the vulnerable.
Since 1946, our firm has recovered more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients. Our practice is centered on the needs and well-being of those we represent. We’re here to advocate for the results you deserve.
*Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.
Spangenberg Partner Stuart Scott successfully concluded a case on behalf of a family who lost their mother after she had fallen in a nursing home twice in less than a month. After the second fall, it was discovered she had broken her left hip. After surviving the hip repair surgery, she died three weeks later — a well-known complication of hip fractures in the elderly.
Only through the claim did the family learn that their mother had been injured because a state-tested nursing assistant (STNA) had failed to follow the nursing home’s written procedure for transferring their mother from her wheelchair to her bed. These events also resulted in the nursing home adopting the use of gait belts, a simple device used by an STNA or nurse to maintain control over the patient during a transfer to prevent falls.
In this case, the STNA was using their mother’s pants as a handhold instead of a gait belt and lost control, resulting in a preventable fall that required the resident to be taken to the emergency department with a head wound.
Spangenberg Partner Nicholas DiCello represented the family of an elderly nursing home resident who suffered a fractured hip while being transferred by aides to and from a sister facility on a recreational outing. Unfortunately, the elderly woman soon died as a result of her injury.
The circumstances surrounding the resident’s injuries and death are particularly troubling to the family. A nursing home aide was pushing the family’s mother in her wheelchair when the aide became distracted by an unaccompanied resident who was beginning to fall. Left unattended, the wheelchair overturned, dumping the family’s mother to the ground and causing multiple injuries — the most serious of which was a fractured hip.
Unfortunately, the hip fracture went undetected for several excruciatingly painful days. Once diagnosed, the resident was sent for surgery. Given her advanced age, however, complications ensued, and the family’s mother soon passed away. Understandably, the family was outraged over the circumstances leading to their mother’s injuries and death.
Nursing homes in Ohio City, The Flats, Tremont, and elsewhere in Cleveland have a duty to provide high-quality care for residents. When they fail to do so, they can be held liable for various types of compensable damages. An injury claim can cover the costs of transferring a loved one to a safer facility and providing medical treatment.
Financial losses tied to the abuse can be reflected through a settlement or court verdict. In certain cases, compensation may be available for non-economic damages, which are commonly called “pain and suffering.”
A good elder abuse lawyer will thoroughly investigate the facts and circumstances around the case. Typically, nursing homes start taking things very seriously when a lawyer becomes involved. They can be held legally liable for the abuse/neglect. Spangenberg Shibley & Liber has years of experience winning such cases. We can help you pursue your settlement and treat your case with the compassion it deserves.
Unfortunately, neglect and abuse in nursing homes is extremely common. It is estimated that a large majority of nursing home residents have seen or experienced some form of neglect. Many, many cases go unreported. Oftentimes, it’s up to the family members to notice something and speak to a legal professional.
The decision to hire a nursing home abuse lawyer can play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of your claim. An experienced Cleveland nursing home abuse attorney brings years of experience holding nursing home owners accountable.
They can assess what nursing home abuse penalties may apply to your case based on their many years of experience managing complex nursing home abuse cases. Legal support can play a key role in guiding your claim to a favorable outcome that addresses the harm that you endured.
A: Nursing home abuse is a serious form of misconduct that causes physical, emotional, or financial harm to a nursing home resident. Financial, sexual, and emotional abuse can take many shapes, and senior citizens are often reluctant to report offenses. Civil court action can hold the abuser accountable and potentially prevent further acts of abuse in that nursing home.
A: A successful nursing home abuse Claim can lead to significant compensation that reflects the harm someone suffered while under the care of nursing staff. A settlement could address financial harm or emotional anguish. The cost of transferring to a safer nursing home could also be included in a settlement or verdict.
A: You can report nursing home abuse to the Ohio Department of Health. That governmental group’s Bureau of Survey and Certification reviews complaints against nursing homes. Once a complaint is received, an investigator is assigned to the case. After the investigation is completed, the complainant is notified about the outcome of the case. The Department of Health accepts online submissions, and anonymous complaints are allowed.
A: In most cases, Ohio law requires nursing home abuse claims to be filed within two years of the injury or the date it reasonably should have been discovered. However, the deadline may vary depending on the circumstances of the case. Missing the filing deadline may prevent you from recovering compensation because the case could be dismissed. Timely action can help your lawyer gather evidence and testimony more easily.
We want the legal system to be accessible to everyone, especially for our nation’s elders. We invite you to contact our firm to request a complimentary, risk-free case review. Because we operate on a contingency fee policy, you don’t pay us unless we succeed in your case.
We don’t just pursue cases — we pursue change. And we do it with integrity, experience, and relentless advocacy.
Talk to an Ohio Elder Abuse Attorney Today
If your loved one was harmed in a nursing home or care facility, you don’t have to face it alone. Call us at 216-696-3232 or contact us online for a confidential consultation.
We have been helping individuals since 1946 and have secured over a billion dollars on behalf of our clients.
We take our clients’ struggles personally. We fight tirelessly for those we represent and never back down when justice is on the line.
We believe in doing what is right, not what is easy. We stand by our clients, our word, and our principles.
We measure success by the difference we make, holding wrongdoers accountable, changing lives, and delivering the justice our clients deserve.
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