For many of us, the decision to place a loved one under the professional care of a nursing home or senior living facility is one of the most difficult decisions we will every have to make.

At Commander+Pound we take an active and aggressive stance in protecting the vulnerable senior citizens living in these homes from elder neglect and abuse.

And there are signs that Georgia has a serious and growing problem when it comes to the quality of nursing home care: A report in the July 2009 edition of U.S. News and World Report rated Georgia second worst in the nation, behind Louisiana, for quality of care. Using federal data, the report found that just 23 of the state's 355 nursing home received the government's top ranking for quality of care.

According to the Georgia Division of Aging Services, the average cost is $115 a day or more than $42,000 a year to provide a safe, professional, dignified nursing home environment for one of our seniors.

While there are many fine facilities that work tirelessly to provide an environment for our elderly citizens to live out their days in dignity, continuing state and federal budget cuts, combined with the fact that more than half of the nation's nursing homes are run by large chain-corporations operating for-profit, means elderly neglect and abuse are all too common occurrences in our system.

It is an issue that is not going away: With the aging of the Baby Boomers, the federal government estimates that almost half of those who turned 65 in 1990 will spend time in a nursing home.

Two-thirds of those in a nursing home have no living relatives and 70 percent are women. It is critical for everyone who comes into contact with these most vulnerable of our citizens to make sure they are being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Neglect and abuse cases can be difficult to discover and surrounded by complex physical, mental and psychological issues such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

Commander+Pound is ideally suited to help in such cases through its vast network of medical professionals, its legal experience, and its tough stance of zero tolerance for situations of suspected elder neglect or abuse.

Residents can be unaware the abuse is occurring, embarrassed or ashamed to admit it, unwilling to worry relatives or even fearful of retaliation from staff they are dependent upon for their well-being and survival.

The Elder Abuse Foundation lists the following signs of possible neglect or abuse:

• Unexplained bruises, burns, cuts, sprains or fractures
• Bedsores or frozen joints
• Unexplained venereal diseases or other infections, torn, stained or bloody bedding or clothing.
• Sudden changes in behavior
• Staff refusal or delay in allowing visitors to see residents
• Residents being kept overmedicated
• Residents' possessions being lost or stolen
• Sudden changes in banking practices, large withdraws
• Abrupt changes in will or other financial documents

In addition to the reluctance of residents to come forward, visitors, relatives and staff of homes where neglect or abuse is occurring may also be reluctant to come forward for a variety of reasons, including fear the abuse will be ignored by authorities and made worse by the attempt at disclosure, fear of getting involved or fear of other repercussions.

At Commander+Pound, we believe it is the responsibility of everyone involved to police the system. And we understand the delicate and sensitive nature of the issues surrounding suspected abuse or neglect of the elderly.

Our experienced Atlanta nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your case. We can work with doctors, medical experts and other professionals to determine the best course of action.

We encourage you to err on the side of caution and do your part to report suspected neglect or abuse. Let us help you decide on your best course of action. Contact us today.

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