Seeing something that feels wrong is terrifying, and your first instinct to protect your loved one is the right one. If you believe they are in immediate physical danger, call 911 right away. If the situation is not an emergency, start by quietly documenting everything. Use your phone to take pictures of injuries or dirty living conditions. Make notes about specific incidents or conversations. Once you have initial documentation, report your concerns to both the nursing home administration and an outside agency to create an official record. In Ohio, you can file a complaint with the Ohio Department of Health or contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at 1-800-282-1206 for support and advocacy. After making a report, consult with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney. A lawyer can guide you through your legal options, help ensure your loved one’s rights are protected, and take action to prevent further harm.

Abuse is most often a deliberate act of harm. It’s when a staff member physically hurts a resident, yells or threatens them, or even steals from them. Neglect is different. It’s a failure to act; a breach of the basic duty of care that was promised to your family. Neglect is when call lights go unanswered, residents are left in soiled clothing, or they become malnourished because no one helps them eat. Though it may not be intentional, the harm from neglect is just as real and just as devastating. Both are unacceptable, and both are grounds to hold a facility accountable.

Proving nursing home neglect is a major concern for families, especially when a loved one can't speak for themselves. Proving neglect isn't about one single piece of evidence; it's about building a case that shows a clear pattern of failure. We do this by gathering the facility's own records, which often reveal understaffing or a failure to follow care plans. We talk to other family members and even former employees who know what really goes on. Most importantly, we bring in independent medical experts to review everything and state, as professionals, that the facility failed in its duties and that this failure led directly to your loved one’s injury.

You have a few different avenues for investigation, and it's smart to use them all. On the official side, you have the Ohio Department of Health and the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Their job is to investigate complaints, check for regulatory violations, and advocate for residents' rights. At the same time, a law firm like The Cochran Firm Cincinnati conducts its own, separate legal investigation. Our goal is different: while the state looks to enforce rules, we look to secure financial compensation for the very real harm, pain, and medical costs your family has been forced to endure.

Yes. A resident’s dementia diagnosis is never an excuse for poor care. In fact, residents with cognitive impairments are the most vulnerable and legally require an even higher standard of supervision and protection. We understand that your loved one might not be a clear historian of what happened. That’s okay. The case doesn't rest on their memory. It rests on other forms of evidence: medical records that show unexplained weight loss or injuries, facility records showing a lack of supervision, and the testimony of family members who witnessed their loved one’s health and spirit decline under the facility's care.

The goal of a lawsuit is to get compensation that covers every aspect of the harm done. This compensation is meant to pay for tangible costs, like the medical bills for treating bedsores or a broken hip, and any future medical care that might be needed. It also covers the income a family member may have lost while caring for their injured parent. Just as importantly, it provides compensation for the resident's physical pain, their emotional suffering, and the profound loss of dignity they experienced. It is a way of holding a facility financially accountable for the complete spectrum of damage it caused.