Best Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in Columbia

FAQs

• What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Columbia, South Carolina?

  The non-emergency contact number for the City of Columbia Police Department is 803-545-3500.

• Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my case in Columbia, South Carolina?

  You can get copies of police reports for incidents related to your case by submitting a request in person at 1 Justice Square at the corner of Lincoln St. and Washington St. or by emailing a request form to FOIA@columbiasc.net.

• Is there a way to check how good a nursing home's service is in Columbia?

  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has a rating system for nursing homes in and around Columbia that take into account quality-of-life measures taken by the facility, staffing, and health inspections. The rating system uses the familiar five-star metric for a nursing home's quality, with South Carolina having over 30 nursing homes with the best rating possible and over 40 nursing home being given one-star ratings.

• Are there government agencies dedicated to protecting vulnerable adults from nursing home abuse in Columbia?

  Columbia residents are under the jurisdiction and protection of the South Carolina Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman under the South Carolina Department on Aging. These agencies aim to improve the quality of life for seniors throughout the state by advocating for them in cases involving elderly abuse in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.

• Can it be considered nursing home abuse in Columbia if a caretaker makes humiliating posts or content about the elderly in their care on social media?

  Yes, Columbia senior citizens subjected to humiliating social media posts while in the care of nursing home staff can be considered as being emotionally abused. Taking humiliating photos or videos of senior citizens in long-term care and posting them on social media can be considered as a violation of privacy and may lead to consequences commonly linked to nursing home abuse, such as lingering emotional trauma.

• In Columbia, do you still have a nursing home abuse case if it was other residents that mistreated the victim?

  Yes, you may still have a nursing home case if you or a loved one was mistreated by another resident in a Columbia nursing home. When another resident causes harm in a nursing home abuse case, the nursing home can be held liable for their negligence, such as failing to train staff sufficiently for conflicts between residents or insufficiently investigating signs of resident-on-resident abuse.

• What rights does an elderly resident have when living in a Columbia nursing home?

  Columbia senior citizens have certain rights provided by state and local laws that cannot be interfered with by nursing homes, such as the right to speak with family members and doctors in private or the right to professional assistance, medical or otherwise. Senior citizens also have the right to quality nursing home care and the right to compensation should there be negligence or abuse perpetrated by long-term care facilities.