August 13, 2021 | Personal Injury
The abuse of residents inside nursing homes is abhorrent and should never occur. However, this type of abuse does occur in West Virginia and throughout the US. Anytime nursing home abuse has occurred or is suspected, it needs to be reported. This can include reports directly from the abuse victim or their friends or family members. Additionally, any person who suspects abuse should report it regardless of their relation to the victim. Here, we want to discuss the various routes you can take to report suspected nursing home abuse in the state of West Virginia.
If you have discovered that your loved one has been abused and is an emergency situation or an immediate danger, you need to call 911 and ask the police to help. Instances of elder abuse can escalate very quickly can lead to injuries that have long-lasting consequences for your loved one. If you need to stop ongoing nursing home abuse, the police can help. They will go to the nursing home, conduct an investigation, and take appropriate steps based on the outcome of that investigation.
The West Virginia APS is designed to protect adults 18 years of age and older, individuals who are functionally disabled, and those living inside nursing homes or other types of residential facilities. You can call APS 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (800) 352-6513.
When you call the APS hotline, you can report instances of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of any adult without fear of retaliation from any party involved. Even if you only suspect that this type of abuse is occurring, you will be protected. The law in West Virginia says that any person making an abuse or neglect report in good faith will be immune from civil or criminal liability.
APS in West Virginia investigates every report it receives about elder abuse or neglect in nursing homes. They will go to the nursing homes and conduct an investigation.
If you need to find local help for your loved one who has been abused or neglected in a nursing home, we encourage you to use the Eldercare Locator provided by the US Administration on Aging. You can also reach this agency by calling (800) 677-1116. When you use the online locator, you can search by zip code, city, and state, and you can search by the topic you are there for. For example, you can type in “elder abuse prevention” and then enter your location to receive results targeted towards your local community.
In the result, you will see contact information for the West Virginia Office of Children and Adult Services, the Aging and Disability Resource Center, the Metro Area Agency on Aging, and the WV Bureau of Senior Services.
If you discover that your loved one has been the victim of abuse or neglect inside of a nursing home in West Virginia, you need to reach out to a Martinsburg nursing home abuse attorney as soon as possible. When you have an injury lawyer by your side, you will have an advocate helping you throughout this entire process. An attorney will be able to conduct an independent investigation into the alleged abuse or neglect and help you and your loved one get to a safer situation and secure the compensation you are entitled to.
