Ohio Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect in Ohio

In Ohio, there are more than 900 nursing home facilities serving tens of thousands of residents across the state. While these facilities are intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for older adults, that standard is not always met.

In some cases, nursing home abuse or neglect may occur, putting residents’ health and well-being at risk.

Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including:

• Physical abuse: Violence or unnecessary force against a resident can result in injuries and leave them feeling scared or unsafe within the facility.
• Elder neglect: If staff members fail to meet a resident's basic needs, like providing them with proper nutrition or hygiene assistance, it may be considered neglect. This lack of care can lead to physical and mental decline.
• Sexual abuse: Inappropriate sexual contact between a staff member and a resident may result in injuries, infections, and emotional trauma.

Over 20% of Ohio nursing homes have serious deficiencies that may put residents in immediate danger, according to ProPublica. Approximately 85% of the state’s nursing homes also have infection-related deficiencies.

Our Ohio nursing home abuse lawyers have the resources and experience necessary to stand up to the facilities responsible for your loved one’s injuries and seek justice on their behalf.

Signs of Abuse in Nursing Homes

Recognizing the signs of nursing home abuse is crucial to getting your loved one out of a potentially harmful situation. When you visit them or talk over the phone, you should be aware of any shifts in their physical or emotional state.

Signs of abuse in nursing homes can include:

• Bedsores or pressure ulcers
• Behavioral changes, like acting withdrawn or agitated
• Dehydration or malnutrition
• Poor hygiene and unsanitary living conditions
• Unaddressed medical issues
• Unexplained injuries, like cuts, bruises, or broken bones
• Weight loss

If you suspect that your loved one is experiencing nursing home abuse, it's important to take action immediately. You can report the abuse to the facility’s administration, a long-term care ombudsman, or the Ohio Department of Community Health.

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect attorneys in Ohio can also help you take steps to protect your family member and hold those responsible for their suffering accountable.

Who Can a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Ohio Help?

By getting help from our nursing home abuse lawyers in Ohio, you may be able to secure the compensation needed to relocate yourself or a loved one to a safer environment that can provide the care you deserve.

You may be able to work with an Ohio nursing home lawyer if:

• You experienced abuse or neglect at a nursing home or long-term care facility
• You’re the immediate family member or estate representative of an elder abuse victim

If your family member passed away due to suspected nursing home abuse or neglect, you may still be able to take legal action by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility where they lived.

How to File an Ohio Nursing Home Abuse Lawsuit

At Sokolove Law, our attorneys strive to make filing an Ohio nursing home abuse lawsuit as stress-free as possible. We can handle all of the legal legwork for you, so you can focus on supporting your loved one through this challenging time.

In general, our Ohio nursing home abuse lawyers can:

• Provide you with a free case review to determine if you may be eligible to take legal action against those responsible for your loved one’s suffering.
• Gather evidence to prove neglect or abuse took place and that the staff or nursing home was responsible. This may include medical records, witness testimony, or video footage captured under Ohio's Esther's Law, which gives families the legal right to install cameras in a loved one's room.
• File your nursing home abuse lawsuit in the correct Ohio court before any legal deadlines pass.
• Negotiate an elder abuse settlement with the defendant(s), which may allow you to receive compensation without going to court.

If a settlement is unable to be reached, our nursing home neglect attorneys in Ohio are prepared to present your case in court and fight for a verdict on your behalf.

Our Past Ohio Nursing Home Settlements

We’ve secured more than $327 Million for victims of nursing home abuse and their families nationwide. While the average nursing home abuse settlement is around $400,000, we've recovered much higher payouts for many clients.

Some of our past nursing home abuse settlements and verdicts include:

• $2.2 Million for an elderly woman who suffered a heart attack
• $1.75 Million to a patient who passed away in a fire caused by neglect
• $1.5 Million for a nursing home resident with stage 4 bedsores
• $1 Million to a man whose mother choked to death despite being on assisted feeding
• $890,000 for a victim of nursing home abuse and neglect
• $845,000 to a nursing home resident who was hospitalized for bedsores

Compensation from a nursing home abuse lawsuit in Ohio can help pay for your loved one’s transfer to a safer facility, medical bills, funeral expenses, and more.

Nursing home abuse case values will vary depending on the unique details of each case, but our experienced lawyers know how to gather the evidence necessary to maximize compensation.

While there’s never a guarantee of results, our Ohio elder abuse lawyers will fight hard to get you everything you’re entitled to.

Ohio Nursing Home Statute of Limitations

In Ohio, a state law known as the statute of limitations gives families only a limited window of time to file a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

The Ohio nursing home abuse statute of limitations is typically 1-2 years after a loved one’s injury or death, according to O.R.C. § 2305.10 and O.R.C. § 2305.113.

The deadline varies depending on whether the claim is classified as a personal injury and negligence claim or a medical claim. Once it passes, you won’t be able to take legal action for your loved one's suffering ever again.

Types of Ohio Nursing Home Lawyers

At Sokolove Law, our Ohio nursing home lawyers can help injured residents and the families of those harmed by abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions seek justice.

Nursing homes are meant to provide care, supervision, and a safe living environment. When facilities fail to meet these basic responsibilities, residents can suffer a wide range of serious and sometimes life-threatening injuries.

We can handle cases involving: 

• Physical abuse
• Neglect
• Bedsores or pressure wounds
• Accidental injuries
• Chemical restraints
• Falls
• Infections or sepsis
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Medical malpractice
• Medication errors
• Sexual abuse
• Wrongful deaths

Find out more about the types of cases our Ohio nursing home injury lawyers may be able to help with.

Ohio Nursing Home Physical Abuse Lawyer

Physical abuse in nursing homes is far more common than many families realize, with one study finding that approximately 45% of nursing home residents have experienced abuse.

Physical abuse can result in visible injuries like bruises, cuts, or fractures. In some cases, abuse may also cause emotional distress and behavioral changes.

Physical abuse of nursing home residents can include: 

• Hitting
• Improper or excessive use of physical restraints
• Kicking
• Punching
• Rough handling
• Shoving
• Slapping

If your loved one has unexplained injuries, shows sudden changes in behavior, or seems fearful of staff, contact our Ohio nursing home physical abuse lawyers. We may be able to help you hold abusive staff or facilities accountable.

Ohio Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

Neglect occurs when nursing home staff fail to provide basic care to residents, putting them at risk of serious harm. In a survey of more than 2,000 nursing home residents, 95% reported experiencing neglect or witnessing neglect.

When negligence in a nursing home leads to preventable injuries, worsening medical conditions, and unnecessary pain, then an Ohio nursing home neglect lawyer may be able to help those affected take legal action.

Common signs of neglect may include:

• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Poor hygiene
• Pressure wounds
• Unsanitary living conditions
• Untreated medical issues

Ohio also ranks among the lowest in the country for nursing home staffing levels, according to AARP. Nearly 30% of nursing homes in the state report shortages of aides and nurses, and such gaps can directly contribute to neglect in care facilities.

By working with an Ohio nursing home negligence lawyer, you can pursue compensation for your loved one’s medical bills and the cost of transferring them to a facility that can provide the level of care they deserve.

Ohio Nursing Home Bedsores Lawyer

Nursing home staff are trained to regularly reposition residents to prevent bedsores from forming, and to treat the wounds promptly when they do occur. Without proper care, these sores can worsen quickly and lead to life-threatening infections.

Bedsores or pressure wounds may indicate nursing home neglect, especially when they reach stage 3 or stage 4.

An Ohio nursing home bedsore lawyer can help families hold negligent facilities accountable for failing to properly care for their loved one.

“Severe bedsores are one of the clearest signs of nursing home neglect. These wounds take time to form and are almost always preventable with routine care.”
– Ricky LeBlanc, Managing Attorney of Sokolove Law

Ohio Nursing Home Accident Lawyer

When facilities fail to maintain safe environments or provide proper supervision, accidents may occur that cause residents to suffer serious or even fatal injuries.

Nursing home accidents may involve:

• Burns from hot food or liquids
• Choking or aspiration during meals
• Cuts or lacerations from sharp objects or unsafe surroundings
• Elopement (wandering or leaving the facility unsupervised)
• Equipment-related injuries, including wheelchairs, walkers, bed rails, or lifts
• Slips, trips, and falls

An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 nursing home residents with cognitive issues elope each year, according to McKnight’s Senior Living. These residents may wander into traffic, fall, become lost outdoors in extreme temperatures, or encounter water hazards.

At Sokolove Law, our Ohio nursing home accident lawyers can look into the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s injuries and determine whether the facility’s negligence played a role.

Ohio Nursing Home Chemical Restraints Lawyer

Chemical restraints are medications used to control a nursing home resident’s behavior rather than to treat a legitimate medical condition, including powerful antipsychotics and sedatives.

More than 1 in 5 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic drugs, often without a clear medical justification, according to the Long-Term Care Community Coalition.

The use of chemical restraints may lead to: 

• Confusion or disorientation
• Falls
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Loss of mobility
• Respiratory depression

An Ohio nursing home chemical restraints lawyer can help families investigate whether medications were improperly prescribed or administered and hold facilities accountable for prioritizing their convenience over resident safety.

Ohio Nursing Home Fall Lawyer

Every year, around half of all nursing home residents experience at least one fall, according to the National Library of Medicine. Falls can result in injuries that may dramatically impact an older adult’s health, independence, and quality of life.

Many nursing home falls are entirely preventable. Facilities are required to assess each resident’s fall risk, flag those who are high risk, and take the appropriate precautions to prevent avoidable harm.

Nursing home falls may occur when:

• Facilities are understaffed
• Residents have to wait too long for help and attempt to move on their own
• Fall risk assessments aren’t completed or updated
• Floors and hallways are cluttered or unsafe
• Medication side effects aren’t monitored, potentially leading to dizziness or weakness
• Mobility aids are broken or ill-fitting
• Residents aren’t properly supervised

Falls in nursing homes can lead to broken bones, head injuries, and even death. Elderly residents who are injured in a fall may experience a loss of mobility and a rapid decline in health.

Our Ohio nursing home fall lawyers can examine staffing records, care plans, fall risk assessments, incident reports, and medical records to determine whether a facility’s negligence may have played a role in your loved one’s fall.

Ohio Nursing Home Infection Lawyer

Nursing homes are required to follow strict infection control protocols, including proper catheter care, wound cleaning, and hand hygiene. When facilities fail to meet these standards, residents may be placed in harm’s way.

If an infection goes untreated, residents may develop sepsis, which can lead to organ failure or death. Our Ohio nursing home sepsis lawyers can help you determine your legal options after a preventable or poorly addressed infection.

Ohio Nursing Home Malnutrition Lawyer

Malnutrition and dehydration are serious and often overlooked forms of nursing home neglect. When staff fail to provide residents with adequate food, fluids, or assistance during meals, residents can quickly suffer severe health consequences.

Approximately 20% of nursing home residents are malnourished, with rates rising to more than 65% in some facilities, according to Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care.

Our Ohio nursing home dehydration lawyers can also help in cases where residents are not given enough water or assistance with drinking. Common warning signs of dehydration include dizziness, dry mouth or lips, dark or infrequent urine, fatigue, and confusion.

At Sokolove Law, our Ohio nursing home malnutrition lawyers know how to investigate whether a facility failed to meet basic care standards or ignored signs that a resident was not receiving proper nutrition or hydration. Let us fight for you.

Ohio Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyer

Nursing home malpractice occurs when medical professionals provide substandard care that leads to an injury or allows a health condition to worsen. This can include mistakes involving diagnosing, treating, or monitoring residents.

Because many nursing home residents often have complex medical needs, even small errors can quickly result in serious harm.

Medical malpractice in nursing homes may involve:

• Delayed response to medical emergencies
• Failure to diagnose or treat infections
• Improper wound or post-surgical care
• Lack of appropriate medical supervision
• Medication errors
• Mismanagement of chronic conditions

Nursing home malpractice is often linked to understaffing, inadequate training, or poor communication between staff.

An Ohio nursing home malpractice lawyer can review medical records, treatment notes, staffing logs, and expert opinions to determine whether medical negligence caused harm to a resident.

Ohio Nursing Home Medication Error Lawyer

Nursing home medication errors, including giving the wrong dose or medication, may have serious and potentially fatal consequences.

During a 3-month period, approximately 90% of residents experienced at least 1 medication error, according to BMC Geriatrics.

Medication errors can happen when staff:

• Administer too much or too little of a prescribed medication
• Dispense a medication intended for another resident
• Fail to monitor residents for adverse reactions or side effects
• Give medications at the wrong time
• Provide expired or improperly stored medications
• Skip or miss scheduled doses

By working with our experienced Ohio nursing home medication error lawyers, you can get help holding those responsible for your loved one’s suffering accountable.

Ohio Nursing Home Sexual Abuse Lawyer

Over 70% of elder sexual abuse cases occur in nursing homes, according to Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care. Sexual abuse in nursing homes may be carried out by staff, visitors, or other residents.

Residents with cognitive impairments, like dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, may be at especially high risk because they may have difficulty recognizing or reporting the abuse.

If your loved one begins showing signs of sexual abuse, like emotional changes, unexplained injuries in sensitive areas, or new sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reach out to our Ohio nursing home sexual abuse lawyers for help.

Ohio Nursing Home Death Lawyer

While some nursing home residents pass away due to natural causes, others may die as a result of abuse or neglect within a care facility.

Residents who have experienced abuse have a 300% higher risk of death than those who have not, according to Gitnux.

Wrongful deaths in nursing homes may be linked to issues like: 

• Falls
• Improper use of medical equipment
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Medication errors
• Poorly trained staff
• Preventable accidents
• Untreated infections

Our Ohio nursing home wrongful death lawyers can investigate the circumstances surrounding your loved one’s death and determine whether negligence contributed to their passing.

Those affected may be able to seek compensation for medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and the emotional impact of losing a loved one.

Let Our Ohio Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys Fight for You

At Sokolove Law, our nursing home neglect lawyers in Ohio have decades of experience supporting those who have suffered abuse at the hands of their caregivers.

Our nursing home abuse law firm has recovered millions on behalf of Ohio patients and their families. There are no hourly fees or out-of-pocket costs to work with our team.

We’re committed to providing you with the personal attention your case deserves. We have the resources necessary to stand up to large long-term care facilities and make sure your loved one is protected.

Let us fight for the justice you deserve. Call (800) 995-1212 now or fill out our contact form to get a free, no-obligation case review.

Ohio Nursing Home Ratings

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates Ohio nursing homes using a 5-star rating system based on health inspections, staffing levels, and quality measures.

In some cases, CMS also designates facilities with chronic issues as Special Focus Facilities (SFFs), which are subject to additional oversight.

Ohio nursing homes on the SFF list include:

• Divine Rehabilitation and Nursing at Toledo
• Continuing Healthcare of Cuyahoga Falls
• Continuing Healthcare of Gahanna
• Marietta Heights Post Acute
• Momentous Health at Richfield

Multiple other Ohio nursing homes have received a 1-star rating and been cited by CMS for resident abuse. Learn more about some of these facilities below.

Arbors at Milford

Arbors at Milford, which is located at 5900 Meadowcreek Drive in Milford, is a for-profit nursing home operated by Arbors at Ohio.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Notify a physician of a resident's change in condition, including a dangerously elevated blood glucose level and an unwitnessed fall with visible facial swelling, resulting in the resident's death
• Ensure a resident's advance directive was completed and properly dated by a physician before being placed in the medical record
• Report allegations of neglect and conduct thorough investigations into the mistreatment of 4 residents, including 1 who died
• Identify and treat a pressure ulcer on a resident's shoulder until it had progressed and there was necrotic tissue present in the wound
• Properly date and store insulin pen-injectors for 10 residents, with some pens remaining in use beyond their 28-day expiration window

Overall, the inspection report reflects serious breakdowns in clinical communication, end-of-life documentation, infection control, and medication safety — failures that, in at least one case, contributed directly to a resident's death.

Canfield Healthcare Center

Canfield Healthcare Center at 2958 Canfield Road in Youngstown is a 90-bed facility operated by Communicare Health.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Prevent a resident from leaving the facility unattended despite their documented cognitive impairments and elopement risk, resulting in the resident being returned by police escort
• Protect a resident from verbal abuse by a staff member who yelled at the cognitively-impaired resident and threatened to shut her door while the resident was crying
• Ensure criminal background check results were received and reviewed within the state-required 30-day window before allowing multiple newly hired staff to continue providing direct resident care
• Conduct required quarterly care conferences for residents, with gaps in some cases spanning nearly 2 years without a documented conference
• Provide residents with scheduled showers and one-on-one activities as care-planned, with the activity director acknowledging that documentation of individualized activities essentially did not exist

The findings highlight a pattern of systemic failures in resident safety, dignity, and basic care oversight, with gaps in staffing accountability and administrative supervision that left vulnerable residents at risk of harm.

Dixon Healthcare Center

Dixon Healthcare Center at 135 Reichart Avenue in Wintersville, which is also operated by Communicare Health, is a for-profit facility with 85 certified beds.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Notify physicians of severe resident weight loss, including one resident who lost more than 36 pounds in 29 days with no documented clinical response, and who was taken directly to the emergency room upon discharge, weighing just 96 pounds at 5'9" tall
• Administer critical intravenous antibiotics as ordered to a resident being treated for a serious bone infection and infected surgical site, with multiple missed doses going undocumented and unexplained
• Provide consistent wound care in accordance with physician orders, leaving a resident's serious spinal surgical wound and sacral pressure ulcer without proper treatment for extended periods
• Maintain safe water temperatures, with some rooms unable to produce hot water for resident bathing even after taps ran for several minutes, while other rooms produced water exceeding scalding thresholds, with no corrective action plan in place

The cited deficiencies point to a pattern of dangerous clinical neglect, particularly in the monitoring and treatment of medically complex residents whose conditions deteriorated without adequate staff response or physician notification.

The Laurels of West Columbus

The Laurels of West Columbus at 441 Norton Road in Columbus is a for-profit nursing home facility with 97 certified beds.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Prevent suspected theft of a cancer patient's prescribed narcotic pain medications by an agency nurse, leaving the resident without her pain medication
• Provide showers to residents who were fully dependent on staff and physically unable to bathe themselves, with one resident reported not having received an actual shower in months
• Ensure post-surgical staples were removed within the medically appropriate timeframe, with one resident left with staples in place for weeks after the intended removal window
• Follow fall prevention protocols for a high-risk resident, maintain safety equipment, and inform nursing staff that an unwitnessed fall had occurred
• Administer opioid pain medications within prescribed parameters, with multiple residents receiving oxycodone and morphine outside the pain levels for which they were ordered — including instances where opioids were given for reported pain scores of zero

These findings reflect serious and recurring failures in resident safety, dignity, and pain management, raising significant concerns about the facility's capacity to protect its most vulnerable residents from harm and neglect.

The Sanctuary at Tuttle Crossing

The Sanctuary at Tuttle Crossing, located at 4880 Tuttle Road in Dublin, is operated by American Health Foundation.

Findings from CMS inspections include failure to:

• Implement required infection control precautions for residents with open wounds, including stage 3 and stage 4 pressure ulcers
• Provide a tube-dependent resident with nutritional feedings, leaving her without scheduled feedings due to a pump problem
• Ensure aides didn’t perform lift transfers alone, putting physically dependent residents at serious risk of injury on multiple occasions
• Administer critical medications as ordered, including repeated missed doses of a blood-thinning medication for atrial fibrillation across multiple months, and missed antibiotic doses for a resident being treated for an active infection
• Maintain the walk-in freezer at safe temperatures, with the unit running well above the required maximum for days during the inspection period while the door seal remained broken and unrepaired — and food from that freezer was served to residents during the inspection

Overall, the inspection report highlights serious lapses in basic resident safety, nutrition, medication management, and infection control, raising significant concerns about the facility's ability to care for residents.

These are not the only Ohio nursing homes known for poor conditions or potential wrongdoing.

Ohio Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer FAQs