Kansas Nursing Home Negligence Lawyers

Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect

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We trust nursing homes, long-term living facilities, and other caregivers to properly care for our elderly loved ones. Unfortunately, nursing home neglect and abuse—often resulting in serious personal injuries or even death—is much more common than many people realize.

If you or your loved one was injured in a nursing home in Kansas, you should reach out to an experienced attorney as soon as possible to ensure your rights and the rights of your loved one are protected. The nursing home or caregiver may deny wrongdoing. Your loved one may be unable to clearly communicate what has happened. But that does not mean you should give up hope.

At Bretz Injury Law, our experienced lawyers have handled many complex nursing home abuse and neglect cases throughout our careers. We know what evidence to look for and how to build a strong case. To date, we have obtained more than $300 million in settlements and verdicts for injury victims throughout the state, including a $50 million settlement in a wrongful death case.

Contact us online or call us at to speak to a member of our legal team about your case today. There are no attorney fees unless/until we recover compensation for you.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse

• Bedsores
• Bruises/ burns
• Dehydration
• Fatigue
• Head injuries
• Cuts/ lacerations

What Is Nursing Home Negligence?

Nursing homes have an obligation to care for their patients. Unfortunately, some nursing homes do not take the time to monitor their patients and fail to provide them with the services families reasonably expect.

Nursing home negligence can take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Unsanitary conditions
• Failure to feed patients
• Feeding patients contaminated food
• Lack of supervision
• Administering the wrong medication
• Giving the wrong medication dosage amount

Essentially, any time a nursing home fails to provide an adequate level of care to its residents, it has acted negligently. When residents are injured, become ill, or die as a result, the nursing home facility—or a specific at-fault individual—could be held legally accountable.

Is Nursing Home Abuse Different from Neglect?

Though they are often conflated, nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect have one subtle but important difference: intent. Generally speaking, nursing home neglect occurs when caregivers, staff members, and facilities unintentionally fail to uphold an acceptable standard of care for residents. Nursing home abuse, on the other hand, includes any negligent or wrongful conduct that is intentionally, willfully, or wantonly carried out against a resident or elderly individual.

Nursing home abuse can take several forms, including:

• Physical Abuse: Hitting, pushing, shoving, pinching, grabbing, assaulting, or otherwise causing bodily injury
• Sexual Abuse: Unwanted touching, rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, lack of consent, and other forms of sexual abuse
• Verbal Abuse: Yelling, screaming, name calling, ridiculing, insulting, swearing, making threats, purposefully condescending, and more
• Emotional/Mental Abuse: Constantly criticizing or degrading, verbal abuse, gaslighting, isolating, or otherwise harming the mental health of a resident
• Financial Abuse: Obtaining access to a resident’s finances through coercion, manipulation, or other unscrupulous means

Often, nursing home abuse leads not only to significant physical injuries but also considerable emotional distress and financial hardship, as well. Victims and their loved ones have the right to take legal action to hold perpetrators of such abuse accountable.

What Are Common Nursing Home Negligence Injuries?

The overall health and well-being of a patient can significantly decline due to nursing home abuse or neglect. This type of misconduct and poor treatment can lead to severe bodily injuries, as well as serious mental health conditions.

Some of the most common injuries and health problems we deal with involving nursing home abuse and neglect include:

• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Bedsores
• Broken bones
• Fall-related injuries
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Gangrene
• Sepsis/septic shock

Such conditions can have devastating, life-altering consequences for victims and their loved ones. At Bretz Injury Law, we represent elderly individuals and families who have suffered unimaginable pain and trauma due to the negligent, wrongful, and intentional misconduct of others. If you or a loved one suffered bodily harm or became ill due to the negligence of a nursing home or assisted living facility, reach out to our attorneys today to learn how we can help.

What Are the Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse?

Identifying nursing home neglect or abuse can be difficult. Elderly individuals may be unable to report what is happening and most nursing homes will deny any wrongdoing. That is why, as a family member or loved one of someone in a nursing home or assisted living facility, it’s important to look carefully for evidence of neglect or abuse.

Some of the warning signs include:

• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Unexplained health problems
• Sudden changes in mood or behavior
• Restrictions placed on visiting patients
• Unexplained bruises, cuts, scrapes, and other injuries
• Increased agitation
• Apparent fear of certain caregivers/staff members
• General unclean or unsanitary conditions
• Signs of chemical or physical restraint
• Bedsores/pressure ulcers
• Changes to a will, trust, or similar document
• Unusual withdrawals from bank accounts
• Elopement

These and other signs can indicate that your loved one is being mistreated or neglected by a nursing home facility or its staff. Always take elderly loved ones’ complaints seriously and, if necessary, take immediate action to end the abuse or neglect.

What Should I Do If I Suspect Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse?

If your loved one is in immediate danger and you fear for his or her health and safety, call 911 or the local police department immediately. You can also contact the Department of Health and Human Services in Kansas or Kansas Adult Protective Services to file a formal complaint.

Just as important, contact our law firm as soon as possible to discuss the details of your nursing home negligence or abuse case. We can help your family hold the nursing home accountable and help you get the proper care and medical attention your loved one needs.

We have years of experience investigating such complicated cases. We know how to make a strong personal injury claim, including how to compile pertinent information and evidence into a strong legal case. If necessary, we can help your family file a lawsuit against the nursing home to obtain compensation for your loved one and your family.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

Few things are as devastating as realizing that your loved one may have been the victim of abuse or neglect at the hands of trusted caregivers. When you need justice, turn to the team at Bretz Injury Law. Since 1997, we have dedicated our practice to helping victims of negligence and wrongful conduct fight for the fair compensation they needed to heal.

With offices in Hutchinson, Salina, Wichita, Garden City, Dodge City, Liberal, and Hays, we are ready to serve individuals and families throughout the state. We provide free initial consultations and contingency fees, meaning you do not owe a dime unless/until we recover compensation for you.