Here at The Dickson Firm we are contacted daily by potential clients. We are often asked what to look for in an Ohio nursing home.

We talk with people on a regular basis who are placing their loved one in a nursing home or looking for a better nursing home. We also talk with people whose loved one is already in a nursing home. They often ask us what to look for to try to make sure that their loved one is receiving good care and how not to become the subject of neglect and abuse that is so common in Ohio nursing homes.

One of the biggest things that we recommend is that you visit your loved one at all different times of the day. Go to the nursing home early in the morning. Go to the nursing home at lunch time. Go to the nursing home in the mid afternoon. Go to the nursing home in the evening. First and foremost, the nursing home should be open to you to visit your loved one at any time. You should be able to just walk in and go to your loved one's room and visit with them whenever you want to.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

If you are sitting with your loved one in their room, push their call button. See how long it takes the staff to respond. If it takes a long time for the staff to respond to he call button that is a red flag. As you walk through the hallways of the nursing home at various times of the day, do you see staff? Do you see nurses at the nurses station? Do you see nurses and aides in the various rooms attending to the residents? If you visit your loved one at meal time and you are in the dining room, are there enough staff to keep an eye on the various residents? Are the residents who need help eating getting the help they need?

Cleanliness in Ohio Nursing Homes

Is your loved one kept clean? Are they bathing them on a regular basis? It is unlikely that they will be given a shower every single day but they should be cleaned up every day. They should be given a bed bath every day and they should be given showers on a regular basis. Is their hair kept clean? If your loved one is male, are they being shaved on a regular basis? When you go to visit them in the later hours of the day, are they up and dressed? Or are they still in their bed clothes?

When you go to visit your loved one, do you find them in different places? Or are they always in bed? If your loved one has a specific need, you need to have a detailed discussion with the administrator and the director of nursing about their plan to address that need. If your loved one is at risk of falls, what is their plan to prevent falls? If your loved one is at risk for skin breakdown, what is their plan to prevent skin breakdown?

Look for Unexplained Bruises

Does your loved one have unexplained bruises? Does your loved one have skin breakdown? It may not be comfortable to inspect your loved one's body. It may not be comfortable for a man to check on his mother to see if she has skin breakdown. However, skin breakdown can be incredibly harmful to a nursing home resident. It can absolutely be fatal. You must ensure that your loved one is not suffering from skin breakdown. Are they complaining of pain? Are they telling you that their butt hurts? Do they have any bandages? If so, try to visit your loved one during the time when they change those bandages so you can see what's underneath.

If your loved one is incontinent, when you visit them are they clean? Are they keeping them dry? Or do you find your loved one after a bowel movement or after an episode of urinary incontinence wet and/or dirty? Wet skin breaks down. Feces are caustic. They will cause your loved one to develop skin breakdown. Does your loved one have any unexplained bruises or injuries? Does your loved one seem fearful? When the staff comes into the room, do they seem apprehensive?

Use of Cameras in Ohio Nursing Homes

The Dickson Firm was very proud to represent Esther Piskor who was a nursing home resident who was tragically physically abused by the staff at the nursing home where she was a resident. As a result of that case, and as a result of the advocacy of her family, the State of Ohio legislature has passed Esther's Law which guarantees your right to put a camera in your loved one's room to keep an eye on them. If the nursing home covers the camera or turns it off, you need to tell them that that is illegal. You have every right to keep an eye on your loved one.

Talk with other family members. When you are in the nursing home, if other people are visiting their loved ones, have a conversation with them. Ask them if their loved one is receiving proper care. Ask them if they have any complaints or concerns. Finding a good nursing home that will take good care of your loved one can be very challenging, particularly if you are in a smaller community where there may not be a lot of options.

However, your loved one's safety and health is at stake. As a result, it is imperative that you make the effort to find them a good nursing home and thereafter to keep an eye on them. As indicated, visit them at all different times. If you have any concerns raise them with the director of nursing or the administrator and make sure you get an adequate response. If you do not get an adequate response, if the nursing home does not have a plan to keep your loved one safe, then move them to another nursing home. It may be very challenging to move your loved one. However, if you do not they may suffer harm. They may even suffer a fatal injury.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes