Nursing Home & Elder Abuse

Virginia’s senior population deserves dignity, care, and respect. Our elder care coverage exposes neglect, abuse, and exploitation in nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the region. We highlight warning signs of mistreatment, discuss residents’ rights, and explain how families can take legal action when care facilities fail to protect their loved ones.

Excuses Nursing Homes Use to Cover Up Abuse

Nursing homes are meant to be places of care, comfort, and dignity for our elderly loved ones. However, as the population ages, more families discover that some nursing homes fail to meet these expectations.

By James St. Clair

/ 16 Apr 2025

Excuses Nursing Homes Use to Cover Up Abuse

Stopping Nursing Home Abuse

The issue of nursing home abuse first gained the public’s attention almost 50 years ago. Unfortunately, the incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect have continued to increase each year.

By James St. Clair

/ 10 Jan 2025

Multiple Investigations Reveal Serious Nursing Home Abuse Issues

There is no doubt that understaffing in nursing homes is a significant issue in Virginia and across the country. Not having enough staff often leads to abuse and neglect of residents.

By James St. Clair

/ 16 Oct 2024

Multiple Investigations Reveal Serious Nursing Home Abuse Issues

How to Recognize Nursing Home Neglect and What to Do About It

Families who make the difficult decision to place an elderly parent or disabled spouse or child into a nursing home expect their loved one to receive sufficient and professional care. Sadly, incidents of sometimes shocking nursing home neglect appear to be on the rise. Worse,…

By Randy Appleton

/ 19 Jun 2018

How to Recognize Nursing Home Neglect and What to Do About It

Elder Abuse Is Under Reported in US, Study Says

A new study by the University of North Carolina found that elder abuse and neglect affects one in 10 elderly adults and has far reaching negative consequences on both mental and physical health. The report noted that victims of elder abuse often do not receive…

By Randy Appleton

/ 1 Nov 2016

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day; Nursing Home Abuse on the Rise

Older Americans deserve to live with dignity and to be safe. But too many suffer the indignity of being abused, neglected, or exploited. A new study indicates that one in 10 Americans age 60 or older experiences some form of abuse each year. Of those…

By Jim Lewis

/ 17 Jun 2014

Nursing Home Residents File Lawsuit After Hepatitis C Outbreak

As our loved ones age, we are faced with the decision of whether to entrust their care to a nursing home. Widespread cases of nursing home abuse make that decision even harder. We expect a nursing home to protect our elder population from illness, not…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 26 Apr 2014

The Top Ten Civil Justice Stories of 2013 (Part 1)

In our second annual series, we count down the top 10 civil justice stories of 2013, like Dave Letterman, from 10 all the way up to the biggest story of the year at # 1, in our second installment in this special countdown. 10. Design…

By Richard Shapiro

/ 18 Dec 2013

Arbitration Agreements Increasingly Forced On Unsuspecting Consumers

Recently, the American Association for Justice issued an important report outlining how often Americans are forced into arbitration agreements with companies that have attempted to stack the deck against consumers. Though many people are unaware, the vast majority of contracts signed by consumers no

By Randy Appleton

/ 14 Nov 2013

West Virginia Medical Malpractice Caps for Nursing Homes Put to the Test

A Supreme Court case in West Virginia will decide if the medical malpractice cap in that state applies to nursing homes as well as hospitals and doctors. Currently the state has a very low cap, only $500,000 on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. The issue came…

By Jim Lewis

/ 7 Nov 2013

Danger Of Chemical Restraints In Nursing Homes

A lot of attention has been paid recently to the rampant overuse of powerful antipsychotic medications among many nursing homes across the country for elderly residents suffering from an array of conditions. Though the prescription medications are intended for those with mental illnesses such as…

By Mark Favaloro

/ 29 Oct 2013

Study Finds Nursing Homes With Higher Percentage Of Minority Residents Offer Lower Quality Care

In an alarming new study highlighted by the National Institutes of Health, nursing homes with a higher proportion of black residents were found to deliver lower quality care than those homes with fewer minority residents. The study found that not only was the level of…

By Mark Favaloro

/ 26 Sep 2013