If you or someone you love is considering a move into a nursing home in order to receive the more specialized and attentive care that is required, you may be feeling confident about the hundreds of options that are available in Ohio. While it is true that the state is a popular retirement location, especially in its metro areas, this does not mean that Ohio has figured out how to offer consistently stellar care to its aging population. In fact, the majority of Ohio nursing homes score relatively poorly in their annual inspections.
Among the most problematic areas for many nursing homes is staffing, because most staff are tasked with caring for too many people in one day. It is only natural that the level of care would suffer when one person must feed, attend to, and supervise upwards of 30 individuals. Whether abuse occurs intentionally or as a result of staff members simply being overworked, it is important that you address issues of neglect or inappropriate behavior immediately, for the wellbeing of both your loved one and the other residents at the facility.
If you are like most people, your instinct was to confront the nursing home and staff about what you found. It is certainly important that you do this, but talking to someone at the facility will not necessarily change anything. You should also be sure to reach out to resources in your area that are specifically equipped to handle this problem. The good news is that Ohio overall has a robust system for addressing claims of elder abuse.
Reporting Elder Abuse in Ohio
If you need assistance reporting nursing home abuse or neglect in Ohio, one of the best places to begin the process is with the state’s Ombudsman Program. Each state in the US is required to maintain an Ombudsman Program that serves the residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the area. The ombudsmen advocate for proper patient care and help to stop abuse and negligence in nursing homes. The Administration on Aging is in charge of the overarching structure of ombudsmen organizations, so you have a robust starting point for making a complaint if you need to.
In Ohio, the Ombudsman Program can be reached at (800) 282-1206 for general assistance, but for specific inquiries or to make a report, you will need to contact a local branch. This phone number can connect you with the branch that best serves your needs, or you can search for the one in your area using the Department of Aging’s online tool.
If you have reason to suspect that a loved one or family member is being abused in an Ohio nursing home or long-term care facility, the experienced lawyers at Senior Justice Law Firm would be glad to help you. We can develop a strategy to hold the facility accountable and recover the damages you deserve during a free consultation. You can reach Senior Justice at 888-375-9998.
How Do I Report Nursing Home Abuse in Columbus?
When it comes to retirement locations in Ohio, few places can beat the capital city of Columbus. With a metro population of over two million people, Columbus is the 14th most populous city in the entire US and ranks only behind the powerhouse Chicago in terms of size within the Midwest. Because Columbus’ overarching area includes not only Franklin county but also Delaware and Fairfield counties, it should come as no surprise that a whopping 65 nursing homes are available within 25 miles of the city center. This accounts for nearly a tenth of the state’s entire nursing home number, and this percentage nearly doubles when including the entirety of the metro region.
It may come as no surprise, then, that many people choose to retire in Columbus. Its bustling atmosphere and wide array of nursing homes to choose from make it an attractive option for older folks. Unfortunately, the number of nursing home available does not indicate that the state is practiced with providing adequate care.
The vast majority of the 100+ nursing homes within 50 miles of the city center of Columbus score at the minimum possible 1 out of 5, or Much Below Average, on their annual health inspections. Some have even been cited for confirmed cases of abuse or neglect, and the federal government keeps a registry of these locations for heightened inspection. Most of these facilities are operated by for-profit organizations, which means that they typically struggle with staffing. While the best care is achieved when a single staff member is in charge of caring for no more than three or four individuals, facilities that operate on the basis of profit often assign upwards of 30 residents to a single individual.
If you do not know what to do next after finding out that your loved one has been abused or neglected in one of the many nursing homes in Columbus, you have options. You can begin by filling out a complaint form, which you can access from Ohio’s online portal with the Department of Aging here: https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/complaints-nursing-home-and-healthcare-facilities/resources/instructionsfornursinghomeorotherhealthcarefacilitycomplaintform.
Next, be sure to reach out to a local resource. The AARP Foundation in Columbus is located at 1393 E. Broad St., Ste. 105, Columbus, OH 43205, and their phone number is 1-614-258-7295. Even if your loved one lives in a nursing home on the outskirts of the city, the AARP Foundation serves Franklin, Delaware, and Madison counties.
How Do I Report Nursing Home Abuse in Cleveland?
Columbus is a large city to be sure, but within Ohio, no other location beats Cleveland in terms of sheer population size. Almost three million people call Cleveland home, and it is the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Cleveland, Akron, and Canton are often counted together due to their overlapping sprawl, which means that a large portion of the state of Ohio is encompassed within the Cleveland metro area.
Thus, it may come as no surprise that Cleveland is home to twice as many nursing homes as Columbus, at a whopping 200+. Unfortunately, quality care is equally hard to find; this problem is not restricted only to Ohio, but it tends to be more common in the largest cities. While Cleveland boasts a couple highly rated facilities, the majority struggle with basic care requirements like proper medication dosage and nutrition. Cleveland, too, is home to a number of locations that have been confirmed as abusive, so it is critical that you reach out to local resources as soon as you suspect inadequate care.
Ohio’s Ohio Region 10A Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which serves Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties, can be reached at 2800 Euclid Ave., Suite 200, Cleveland, OH 44115 or via phone at 1-800-365-3112. You may also contact the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging, which serves the same population area and is located at 1700 E. 13th St., Suite 114, Cleveland, OH 44114-3285. Their phone number is 1-800-626-7277 if you need to file a report.
How Do I Report Elder Abuse in Cincinnati?
The third largest city in Ohio, Cincinnati is not to be left out when considering the most likely places for retirees to select their nursing homes. The Cinci metro area is populated by approximately 2.1 million people, and it is particularly popular as a retirement location due to its location; it is within one day’s driving distance of 49.7% of the United States population, so family members can always be close by if they choose a nursing home in Cincinnati.
The 50 miles surrounding Cincinnati’s city center boasts more than 150 nursing homes, and overall, these demonstrate a marginally higher level of care than those in Columbus and Cleveland. This is still tempered by a number of confirmed abuse cases and an overall low ranking across the board, however.
If your loved one lives in a Cincinnati nursing home and you are concerned that abuse or neglect is occurring, Cinci is home to an above average number of resources aimed at assisting older folks. You can start with the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, which serves Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, and Warren counties and can be reached at 1-800-252-0155. The ombudsman for Cincinnati is located at 7162 Reading Road, Suite 1150, Cincinnati, OH 45237 and can be reached by phone at 1-800-488-6070 if you would like to make a report. You may also reach out to the Home Health Hotline for further assistance at its toll free number, 1-800-669-3534.
Monitoring Care to Prevent Nursing Home Abuse in Ohio
Nursing home abuse is a disguised pandemic across the United States; Ohio is not alone in its inability to properly provide care to its aging population. For this reason, every facility in Ohio must consent to regularly conducted inspections mandated by the government. The inspections are not announced, and they examine the facility for more than 100 separate factors that indicate the overall quality of care and management. Features of the inspections include everything from the physical condition of the residents to the number of staff and even how patient files are organized.
The Department of Health then examines the results and determines what actions, if any, to take against the facility. For minor infractions like improperly organizing documents, the inspectors may issue a warning. More severe lapses such as bedsores or unsafe facilities may prompt a fine, which can range from a few hundred dollars to more than $100,000. Improvement is required; if a facility fails to take steps in the right direction, the Department of Health has the authority to revoke its license and shut it down so that residents can move to a location with better health outcomes.
Reporting Abuse in Long-Term Care in Ohio
As you consider your next steps after discovering evidence that your loved one has been neglected or abused at a facility that is supposed to be caring for them, you may feel that you are at a loss. What good is filing a lawsuit and going through the lengthy legal troubles just to earn monetary damages that can never erase what happened to your family member? Do not be discouraged; filing a lawsuit is a powerful tool that can have a significant effect on the lives of every resident at the nursing home where your loved one lives.
Because most nursing homes are operated on a for-profit basis, one of the most effective ways to ensure that positive change is being made is to penalize them in the way that matters most: by striking their bottom line. In an effort to avoid future payouts, most nursing homes will amend their practices, and this results in better care for everyone who lives in that nursing home. Your lawsuit plays an important role in the wellbeing of nursing home residents beyond your family member.
Reach Out to Senior Justice Law Firm for Elder Abuse and Neglect Lawyers in Ohio
Even after you report nursing home abuse or negligence to ombudsmen and other authorities, it is important that you also reach out to a legal expert. Senior Justice Law firm’s specialty is in elder abuse cases; it is all that we do. Because of this, we have years of experience to help you tackle any case, even if it poses unique challenges. We would love to sit down with you free of charge to discuss your situation and how best to proceed. You can reach out at 888-375-9998 to strategize about your options with one of our attorneys so that you can receive the compensation you deserve while holding the long-term care facility accountable.
