Columbus Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

What Is Nursing Home Abuse?

Nursing home abuse refers to any form of mistreatment—physical, emotional, sexual, or financial—inflicted upon residents of long-term care facilities. It can include intentional harm as well as neglect, where staff members fail to provide necessary care.

Ohio law protects nursing home residents from abuse and neglect under the Ohio Revised Code §3721, which outlines residents’ rights to dignity, respect, and proper care. When facilities violate these rights, victims and their families may have grounds for a civil lawsuit to recover compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma.

Nursing Home Staff Responsibilities

Staff members and administrators at nursing homes in Columbus have a legal duty of care to residents. This includes:

• Providing adequate medical attention: Ensuring medications are administered correctly and health issues are promptly addressed.
• Maintaining hygienic conditions: Keeping residents and facilities clean to prevent infections and illness.
• Providing proper nutrition and hydration: Monitoring residents’ diets and ensuring they receive adequate food and fluids.
• Preventing accidents: Taking precautions to reduce falls, wandering, or injuries.
• Respecting residents’ dignity and privacy: Treating all residents with compassion and respect.

When a nursing home fails to uphold these standards, they may be liable for damages resulting from their negligence or misconduct.

Common Causes of Nursing Home Abuse

Several factors contribute to abuse and neglect in Ohio nursing homes. Some of the most common include:

• Understaffing: Many facilities are chronically short-staffed, forcing employees to care for too many residents at once, leading to neglect and burnout.
• Inadequate training: Unqualified or poorly trained staff may not understand residents’ needs or how to handle emergencies.
• Poor supervision: A lack of oversight allows negligent or abusive behavior to go unnoticed.
• High turnover rates: Frequent staff changes disrupt continuity of care, leaving residents vulnerable.
• Profit-driven management: Some facilities cut costs at the expense of resident safety, resulting in reduced care quality.

Identifying the cause of abuse is essential in determining liability and building a strong legal claim.

Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Abuse in nursing homes can take many forms. The most frequent types include:

Physical Abuse

This involves intentional harm such as hitting, shoving, restraining, or improperly administering medication. Physical abuse often leaves visible injuries such as bruises, cuts, or broken bones.

Emotional or Psychological Abuse

Verbal assaults, humiliation, intimidation, or isolation can cause severe emotional trauma. Signs include withdrawal, depression, anxiety, or changes in personality.

Sexual Abuse

Any non-consensual sexual contact or exploitation of a resident is sexual abuse. Victims may show unexplained injuries, behavioral changes, or sexually transmitted infections.

Financial Exploitation

Staff or administrators may steal money, misuse credit cards, or manipulate residents into changing wills or financial documents.

Neglect

Neglect occurs when caregivers fail to provide basic necessities such as food, water, hygiene, or medical care. This can lead to bedsores, infections, dehydration, or malnutrition.

Each type of abuse can have devastating physical and emotional effects. A qualified Columbus nursing home abuse attorney can help your family take immediate action to protect your loved one and prevent further harm.

Who Is Liable?

Liability in a nursing home abuse case can extend to several parties, depending on the circumstances. These may include:

• Individual caregivers or staff members who directly committed the abuse.
• Supervisors or administrators who ignored complaints or failed to take corrective action.
• The nursing home facility itself, for negligent hiring, inadequate training, or unsafe policies.
• Third-party contractors, such as cleaning or maintenance staff, if their negligence contributed to the abuse.

At McHugh Fuller Law Group, our legal team conducts thorough investigations to gather evidence—such as medical records, witness statements, and surveillance footage—to determine who is responsible and pursue full compensation for your family.