Sexual Assault in Ohio Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities

Tragically, we receive calls here at The Dickson Firm from families whose loved one has been assaulted in their nursing home or assisted living facility. We were recently contacted by a family whose loved one was raped in her assisted living facility. After an investigation, it turned out that the same employee who raped her, raped another woman and attacked another man who was a resident of the facility.

The assisted living facility told each of the families of these individuals that they had memory issues and that they were probably imagining what happened to them. As a result, the assisted living facility did not investigate the first two incidents which led to our client being assaulted.

Tragically, predators often seek out nursing homes and assisted living facilities as they present them with a number of vulnerable victims. Many of these victims cannot report the assault or if they do, they are not believed.

A sexual assault for a nursing home resident or an assisted living resident is particularly awful. The person's room in the nursing home is, in effect, their home. It is their only private space. It should be their safe space. And for most of these people, they do not have a choice. They cannot leave the nursing home. They cannot get away from the predator. They are a resident of the nursing home because they need care. They are a resident of the assisted living facility because they need care. And they cannot avoid being in the facility, and they cannot leave the facility.

So what can you do to keep your loved one safe?

First and foremost, you should take any report of assault or rough treatment very seriously and make sure that the facility does a thorough investigation. In the case that we were recently contacted about, if they had investigated the first complaint of sexual assault, they would have found the person, and he would have been fired and prosecuted. He was ultimately convicted of multiple counts of rape and sentenced to many years in prison. But only after our client was assaulted. We represented a woman whose son concealed a camera in his mother's room and that camera captured the staff physically assaulting her. Two of the employees in that case went to prison.

Here at The Dickson Firm we have handled a number of cases where assailants ultimately been sent to prison. Given our extensive work with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and our representation of multiple clients who are survivors of sexual assault, and our extensive work representing residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the State of Ohio, we are uniquely situated to represent victims of sexual assault and their loved ones, particularly in cases where the assault occurred in a nursing home or an assisted living facility.

Nursing homes are required to screen their employees. If a person has been convicted of any of a long list of criminal offenses they cannot legally work in a nursing home or in an assisted living facility. Nursing homes are required to run a background check on each of their employees. Nursing homes should contact a potential employee's past employer and find out why they left their past employment. Were they fired? Did anything happen? Most nursing homes and assisted living facilities do not do that.

If you are thinking of placing your loved one in a nursing home or in an assisted living facility, ask the staff how they screen potential employees. Ask the staff if they do anything to screen those employees once they are hired. One of the biggest problems is that most screenings only occur when the person is first hired to work at the facility. If they commit a crime thereafter, often the nursing home takes no action.

We represented a family of an individual who was severely neglected in a nursing home and ultimately died. It was discovered that one of the nurses at the facility was arrested for possession of narcotics that were not hers. She had a series of prescriptions that did not belong to her. The nursing home had a problem with narcotics being stolen from the nursing home. This nurse was arrested and put in jail for an extended period of time. The nursing home knew she was in jail. And yet they continued to employ her. She was ultimately convicted of narcotic possession. The nursing home still did not fire her. She worked there until her two year reporting period as a nurse came up and she had to self-report the criminal conviction. When she self-reported the criminal conviction, she lost her license as a nurse. Only after she lost her license as a nurse, was she fired from the nursing home as a nurse, and the nursing home hired her back to work in the kitchen. She worked there as a nurse for months and months having been arrested and ultimately convicted of narcotic possession.

Nursing homes often do a horrible job of screening their employees and monitoring their employees to make sure that they don't have any criminal convictions or other incidents that would make it improper, if not illegal, for them to work at the nursing home. Sexual assaults that occur in nursing homes and assisted living facilities are devastating to the residents. Many lawyers reject these cases because the resident has diminished capacity and they have memory issues.

In the case that we just handled, the assisted living facility told the families that their loved one was in the memory care unit and was having memory issues and issues with depression and was probably just making up the assault. In reality, all three assaults actually occurred. All three residents were accurately describing what had happened to them. And yet the assisted living facility did nothing and convinced their families to do nothing.

We here at The Dickson Firm work incredibly hard to hold the owners and the operators of these nursing homes and these assisted living facilities accountable for these horrific assaults that have devastating consequences on these residents. We work with experts to develop the damages. We are relentless with discovery and we find out how many instances occurred at these facilities. We dig into the background of the assailant. The nursing homes and the assisted living facilities fight us tooth and nail in disclosing other incidents. They want to convince us that the incident that occurred with our client was isolated. In most cases it was not. In most cases the nursing home and/or the assisted living facility did not respond properly to prior complaints about the person which is what led to the assault.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

Ohio Nursing Home Lawyer: Help When Someone You Love Was Killed or Injured in a Nursing Home

On an almost daily basis, I see commercials run by attorneys advertising for nursing home cases.

But what most people do not understand is – is that these attorneys do not have to have any experience handling nursing home cases to run an ad on television. They do not have to have any experience handling nursing home cases to even post a paragraph about nursing home cases on their website.

Having handled nursing home cases in Ohio for over twenty (25) years, I know the attorneys in Ohio who handle these types of cases.

Some lawyers advertise for these nursing homes cases, knowing that they are never going to handle these cases by themselves. They sign these cases up, and they send these cases to other lawyers to handle these cases. There are actually very few attorneys in Ohio who represent Plaintiffs in cases against the owners and the operators of nursing homes, who have significant experience handling these cases.

So how do you find a lawyer who has experience handling nursing home cases?

Nursing home cases are very specific. Nursing homes are subject to multiple regulations. The Ohio state legislature passed the Ohio Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights, which is part of the state law in Ohio. That statute creates a statutory cause of action. This means that the state law creates a cause of action – a basis to file a law suit against the owners and the operators of nursing homes if the rights of a resident have been violated. There are many attorneys who claim to handle nursing home cases, who are not even aware of this statute. They think that nursing home cases are just like medical malpractice cases. They sue under the common law. They do not bring a statutory claim. In addition to the Ohio Revised Code, there are certain sections of the Ohio Administrative Code, promulgated by the Ohio Department of Health, that apply to the care of nursing home residents in a nursing home.

In addition to the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code, there are certain sections of the Code of Federal Regulations that apply to care of nursing home residents in a nursing home. These regulations apply to nursing homes all over the country, including all of the nursing homes in Ohio.

Medicare publishes an incredible quantity of valuable data about all of the nursing homes in Ohio. Nursing homes are surveyed every eighteen (18) months, but also in response to complaints. The surveys contain a wealth of information. Staffing data is published through the Medicare archives. Financial data is published through Medicare and Medicaid.

There are regulations about nursing home records. There are laws and regulations about what records need to be maintained and what things need to be documented. Someone who is not familiar with handling nursing home cases, will not know how nursing home records are organized. They will not know what information is maintained by the various nursing homes. If a lawyer cannot look at a nursing chart and realize what is missing, they may very well miss out on key information. Further, nursing homes often produce their chart in different versions. If a lawyer is not an experienced nursing home attorney, he or she may not know how to get a complete version of the nursing home chart that contains all of the relevant information.

Sadly, in addition to the many nursing home cases we handle, and the many cases we handle involving survivors of sexual assault, we handle a quantity of legal malpractice cases against attorneys who have mishandled nursing home cases. Whenever I get one of those cases, I always think to myself, why didn't this attorney just send this case to an experienced nursing home attorney? Unfortunately, many attorneys who do not have experience handling nursing home cases, endeavor to handle these cases on their own.

If you are talking with an attorney and thinking about hiring that attorney to handle your nursing home case, ask them how many nursing home cases they have handled. Ask them how many nursing home cases they have tried. I have tried more cases for the Plaintiff than any other lawyer in the State of Ohio. I have tried cases all over the State of Ohio. Many of the owners and operators of nursing homes in Ohio, particularly the larger chains, know who I am. I have dealt with them in the past and I am handling multiple nursing home cases currently.

It is very sad for me to talk with a family, who first, endured having someone they love neglected and/or abused in a nursing home, and then, had to endure the disappointment of having their case mishandled by a lawyer who lacked the experience to handle a nursing home case.

I have talked to families whose attorney has presented them with a small settlement, and basically told them that it was a take it or leave it proposition, meaning, that if they did not accept the small settlement, the attorney would no longer represent them. This presents them with a very challenging decision. Do they accept the settlement that they somehow know, in their heart, is inadequate, or do they risk losing their attorney? It is imperative that any client pursuing litigation, particularly litigation against the owners and the operators of a nursing home, for the injuries and/or the death suffered by someone they love, trust their attorney. They have to trust that the attorney knows what they are doing. They have to trust that the attorney has their best interests at heart.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1800OHIO-LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can. We would be happy to use our decades of experience handling nursing home cases to help you with your case.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

How We Can Help – Toledo Nursing Home Attorney

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

‘Esther’s Law’ a step closer to allowing cameras into Ohio long-term care residents’ rooms

Proposed Senate Bill Would Expand Esther's Law in Ohio

There have been some recents news regarding the expansion of Esther's Law here in the state of Ohio.

Senate Bill 154 was introduced to allow residents of assisted living facilities and residential care facilities or their representatives to install electronic monitoring devices in the rooms of the residents. The Ohio State Senate heard sponsor testimony in favor of this bill from State Senator Catherine D. Ingram on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.

Esther's law was enacted in 2022 and granted nursing home residents the ability to install in-room cameras to provide greater transparency between staff, residents, and their caregivers. This law was named after Esther Piskor.

Why is this recent news important?

The Dickson Firm was very proud to represent Esther Piskor in a horrible case of nursing home abuse. Esther Piskor was assaulted by multiple caregivers at the nursing home where she was a resident. Her son hid a camera in her room. The purpose of hiding the camera in her room was to find out who was leaving her window open. Esther Piskor liked her room very warm. When she would go off to therapy, the aides at the facility would come into her room and would turn the heat down and open the window to cool the room off. She was uncomfortably cold. Esther Piskor was unable to talk. And so her son endeavored to find out who was leaving her window open. No one at the nursing home would tell him and so he put a camera in her room. The staff covered up the camera with a towel and so he hid a camera in her room that recorded nonstop.

He would watch the footage as quickly as he could. Every week he had 168 hours of footage. And a great deal of it didn't show anything. There was footage of her room when she was not in it. There was footage of her just sitting in a chair, so a lot of the footage was mundane. However, one day her son discovered that the staff at the facility were physically abusing her. Two members of the staff ultimately went to prison. And The Dickson Firm successfully handled her case against the facility where she was a resident.

Esther Piskor's family went to multiple law firms before they came to The Dickson Firm. All of these firms turned them down. The nursing home where she was a resident was a political subdivision meaning that there were certain immunities and certain caps that applied. The Dickson Firm worked very hard to overcome those immunities. We also ran multiple focus groups about the case to determine the value of the case. And we ultimately were able to successfully resolve the case on behalf of the Piskor family.

Esther Piskor's son went on to advocate for Esther's law which was enacted in 2022. The purpose of the new law is to expand the current law to include residents of assisted living facilities and residents of residential care programs.

Do cameras make a difference? In our experience, they absolutely do. One of the things we saw during COVID is that when families were not permitted to enter the nursing home and monitor their residents, the quality of care declined considerably. When no one was watching the caregivers in many nursing homes horrifically neglected their residents. We have handled cases involving profound dehydration. We handled one wrongful death case where the DON and the assistant director of nursing pretended to test the residents for COVID but did not actually test the residents for COVID. As a result, multiple residents had COVID. Their COVID went undetected. And led to an extensive outbreak at the nursing home which led to our client's death and the death of multiple other residents.

Our experience has been that when residents are monitored and the care is monitored, it absolutely makes a difference.

Our best advice for anyone with someone they love in a nursing home or a residential care facility or an assisted living facility is to visit them often at all different times of the day. Show up first thing in the morning. Show up at meal time. Show up at 3:00 in the afternoon. Show up at 10:00 at night. Find out what's going on. When you go to the nursing home at different times, do you see lots of staff? Are there staff in the resident's rooms? Are there staff in the hallways? Also, when you are with your resident, does someone check on them on a regular basis? Is staff in and out of their room checking on them? If they need to be turned and repositioned to avoid skin breakdown, is someone coming in at least every two (2) hours and repositioning them? Visit them at mealtimes. If they need help with eating, is there someone in their room or someone with them in the dining room helping them eat? The best way to promote proper care of your loved one is to visit them often, monitor their care, and ask the staff questions about anything you have a concern about.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

‘Esther’s Law’ a step closer to allowing cameras into Ohio long-term care residents’ rooms

Fatal Assault in a Toledo Assisted Living Facility

A 63-year-old has been arrested and charged with murder after police say he strangled a 53-year-old woman to death with a towel during an altercation inside an assisted living facility.

The fatal assault occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the Heritage Village of Waterville assisted living facility, a 90-bed facility located near Toledo, Ohio. Heritage Village of Waterville is an assisted living facility located at 555 Anthony Wayne Trail in Waterville, Ohio. It is part of the Certus Healthcare chain of facilities.

Police identified the suspect as Roscoe Gilmore, Jr., 63 years old, who allegedly attacked a fellow resident, Kimberly Moore, 53 years old.

Court records show that Moore was discovered with a towel wrapped around her neck and severe bruising to her face and neck. The staff found her unresponsive and deceased inside the facility. Waterville Mayor Tim Pedro told local media that Mr. Gilmore had a history of psychiatric issues. Gilmore was taken into custody and charged with murder and strangulation. This shocking incident has raised questions about safety and security inside facilities that treat patients with mental health issues.

As we have discussed many times on this blog, an assisted living facility is different from a nursing home. The expectations are different. The staffing is different. However, both facilities are still required to ensure the safety of their residents. They must screen their staff to make sure that they do not have a history that would make them not suitable to work with elderly people. And they also have to screen the people they admit.

Years ago, I handled a case where one of the experts who testified for the Defendants at the jury trial of the case, had previously been a medical director at a facility that was shut down because they admitted a number of residents who had a history of sexual assault, without disclosing that to the other residents. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are responsible for the safety of their residents. They cannot have anybody working at those facilities who poses a danger to the residents. They cannot have staff working who have a history of violent crime and pose a risk to the residents. They cannot admit other residents who pose a risk to the other residents.

At The Dickson Firm, we have handled many tragic cases where nursing home residents and assisted living facility residents have been assaulted, both by staff working at the nursing home and also by other residents. In many of the cases involving resident-on-resident assault, as we investigated the case and obtained the assailant's records, we found that the assailant a history of psychiatric issues.

The nursing homes and the assisted living facilities typically fight tooth and nail to not have to disclose the medical records of the assailant. They do this claiming that they do not want to violate HIPAA. However, there is a clear exception to HIPAA for any court order. If they are producing the records pursuant to a subpoena, they are not violating HIPAA. If they are pursuing the records pursuant to a court order, they are not violating HIPAA. Their concern is not really violating HIPAA. Their concern is covering up the fact that they are housing a violent resident and are not treating them appropriately.

Many people who have psychological issues can have those issues managed with appropriate therapy. Often, the person can be prescribed medication to address their psychiatric condition. If the nursing home cannot adequately address the person's psychiatric issues, particularly those issues that make them violent, then they have an obligation to discharge them from the facility. There are facilities that are suitable for violent residents with psychiatric issues. However, your typical assisted living facility, like the Heritage Village of Waterville, is not equipped to house a violent resident. They do not have the staff. They do not have the training. And they do not have the ability to house a violent resident. If a resident is truly violent, then they must have much more supervision than a typical resident receives in an assisted living facility.

All nursing homes and all assisted living facilities are obligated to have an adequate number of staff to keep their residents safe. They obviously cannot operate their nursing home in such a way where a violent resident is able to assault and, tragically in this case, murder another resident.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

How We Can Help – Toledo Nursing Home Attorney

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

‘Esther’s Law’ a step closer to allowing cameras into Ohio long-term care residents’ rooms

Fall Prevention is Essential Because Falls Can be Fatal for Older People

Just recently Paul Daniel Frehley, known as “Ace” Frehley, cofounder and lead guitarist for the legendary band KISS, passed away. He was only 74 years old. He died following complications from a fall. This is very sad news for me. KISS was my very first rock concert. I was in the sixth grade. I had tickets in the third row of the Richfield Coliseum. I failed to wear earplugs and protect my hearing, and I couldn't hear properly for probably a week after the concert. I love the band KISS. I always have. I am saddened to learn that Ace recently passed away preventing the band from ever performing together again.

His death reminds me how dangerous falls are for older people. Here at The Dickson Firm, we get calls almost daily from families whose loved one has suffered a fall in a nursing home. It is very important to understand how dangerous falls can be. Elderly people have a 50% mortality rate within one year following a fall with serious injury. This means that if an elderly person suffers a fall, that results in serious injury, there is a 50% chance they will not survive a year.

There are many things that happen when somebody falls and suffers a serious injury. If someone suffers a fracture, and they have to have surgery, there are always risks that go along with surgery. The reason that doctors and hospitals insist on a series of tests prior to surgery, is to make sure the person is healthy enough to endure the surgery, because surgeries are traumatic. The patient has to be put under. Just the very experience of being knocked unconscious is a risky procedure. Further, many orthopedic surgeries are very traumatic. Often, bones have to be removed; sometimes they have to be cut; often orthopedic devices have to be inserted to repair the damage done from the fall. One of the most common injuries that occurs when a person falls are hip fractures. When a person falls to the ground, their hip naturally sticks out. If it makes contact with the ground, often their femur breaks. This is the largest bone in the body. A fractured femur is a very serious injury.

We also see many residents who suffer head injuries when they fall. We see residents who suffer injuries cause they hit their head on something hard, and suffer a physical injury. We also see residents who suffer a closed-head injury, meaning that their brain impacts with their skull inside their head, causing brain damage.

Even if the resident comes through the surgery successfully, they are now immobile. Whereas, before they were able to walk around, they're often now forced to be in bed for an extended period of time. This increases their risk for pneumonia. It also increases their risk for skin breakdown. Often a person who is able to get up every day, reposition themselves in a chair, reposition themselves in a bed throughout the night, suffers a fracture, and suddenly finds himself immobile, dependent on the staff of the nursing home to turn and reposition them. If they are not turned and repositioned every two hours, they can develop skin breakdown. If that skin breakdown is not addressed, it can absolutely be fatal.

Once an older person suffers a fall, they are subject to a whole number of risks, many of which can be fatal.

The key is to make sure that your elderly loved ones do not fall. If they are residents of a nursing home, and they are at risk for falling, then you have to have a detailed discussion with the nursing home and find out what their plan is for keeping your loved one safe. Nursing homes are legally obligated to give their residents adequate supervision to prevent accidents. If the resident is at risk for falling, then they should not be permitted to walk around unattended. In order to do this, the nursing home will have to know if they are trying to get up. Many nursing homes use alarms, including pressure alarms, which sound if the person begins to get up and takes pressure off a pad, that's under the seat of their chair, or under them in a bed. Some alarms have strings that clip on their clothing and attach to a magnet, that then attaches to a base. If the magnet is pulled off the base, the alarm sounds. Nursing homes use motion detectors. There are many ways to find out if a resident is trying to get up.

Some nursing homes will tell you that alarms are restraints and they do not use them because they are restraints. This is simply untrue. An alarm is in no way a restraint. The nursing homes may argue that the alarm startles the residents, or scares them. Your question should be, have you ever tried an alarm with my loved one? Have you ever used an alarm with my father, or my mother? Were they scared? Show me. The fact is that many nursing homes do not use alarms because alarms document their lack of staffing. Alarms document their substandard care. If you have a case where a resident started to get up and the alarm went off, and the staff did not respond immediately, this is usually an indication that the nursing home is understaffed. This is usually an indication that there simply are not enough people to provide proper care to the residents of the facility. Nursing homes can only make a finite amount of money. Once all the beds are filled, they cannot increase their gross revenue. The only way to increase their profit at that point, is to reduce their costs. The largest item on any nursing home budget is staffing. So, nursing homes often replace their RNs, the most educated, and most experienced nurses in the building, with LPNs, who have received less education, and as a result, nursing homes can pay them less. They often replace LPNs with STNAs. The STNAs receive very minimal education. An STNA can take a two week course and get certified as a state tested nursing assistant. They cut the overall amount of staff to save money and increase profit, leaving the residents vulnerable.

If someone you love is in a nursing home and they are at risk for falls, the nursing home should be able to articulate for you their specific plan for keeping your loved one safe. If they cannot tell you their specific plan, then you should seriously think about moving your loved one to another nursing home where they will be safe.

Falls are very dangerous for elderly residents and account for many, many deaths every single year. If your loved one is older, you must do everything you can to protect them from
falling.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1-800-OHIO LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

Substandard Nursing Homes In and Around Steubenville, Ohio

Are you researching nursing home options in Steubenville, Ohio for a spouse or a family member? At The Dickson Firm, we want to let you know that there are resources available to you that can warn you about substandard nursing homes in the area.

Quite often, when people are searching for nursing homes, they'll head over to Google and type in searches like,

"best nursing homes in Steubenville"
"worst nursing homes in Steubenville"
"safe nursing homes in Steubenville"
"dangerous nursing homes in Steubenville"

Sometimes Google can be helpful. But did you know there is another resource? It's a Medicare website. Medicare evaluates the care being provided by various nursing homes in Steubenville, across Ohio and throughout the country.

You can review these ratings at the website Medicare.gov/care-compare. This website allows you to search all of the nursing homes near you. You can look up nursing homes by name. You can see the level of care being provided at these nursing homes.

There are a number of nursing homes in and around the Steubenville area with very poor ratings relative to their resident care.

Why is it important to review information about these Steubenville nursing homes? The main reason is so that your loved one is placed into a home that provides the care that they deserve. Ohio's seniors should be protected from the possibility of neglect and abuse that can occur in substandard, poorly run and dangerous nursing homes. When they are not, they are subject to injuries -- increase chances of falls, elopement, bedsores, assault and even wrongful death.

Rochester Residence and Care Center

The Rochester Residence and Care Center nursing home located at 174 Virginia Avenue in Rochester, Pennsylvania, about 40 miles from Steubenville, may be an option for people in Steubenville looking for a nursing home. However, the Rochester Residence and Care Center has been cited for abusing its residents.

This nursing home does not have a five- star rating due to a history of serious quality issues. This nursing home is subject to more frequent inspections, escalating penalties, and potential termination from Medicare and Medicaid as part of the Special Focus Facility program.

This nursing home received a federal fine on January 28, 2025 in the amount of $286,709.00.
This nursing home a federal fine on June 7, 2024 in the amount of $16,801.00.
This nursing home received a federal fine on December 18, 2023 in the amount of $32,020.00.
This nursing home received a federal fine on February 24, 2023 in the amount of $216,153.00.
On February 24, 2023, Medicare refused to reimburse this nursing home for the care being provided to its residents.

This nursing home has 119 beds. It is owned and operated by the Rochester Manor Op Co, LLC, a for-profit corporation out of Rochester, Pennsylvania. Pollak Holdings, LLC and Elie Pollak have operational and managerial control of this facility.

If someone you love is a resident of the Rochester Residence and Care Center, you should strongly consider moving your loved one to a better facility. If you are considering admitting your loved one to the Rochester Residence and Care Center, you should strongly consider putting them in a different facility.

Platinum Ridge Center for Rehab & Healing

The Platinum Ridge Center for Rehab & Healing is a nursing home with 97 beds located at 1050 Broadview Boulevard in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, about 59 miles from Steubenville, Ohio. This nursing home might be a consideration for residents of Steubenville.

This nursing home has also been cited for abusing its residents.

It has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars. It has a staffing rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
This nursing home received a federal fine of $36,852.00 on August 8, 2024.
It received a federal fine of $4,587.00 on August 7, 2023. It received a federal fine of $13,410.00 on July 17, 2023. It received a federal fine of $10,568.00 on February 28, 2023.
It received a federal fine of $21,509.00 on October 14, 2022.
It received a federal fine of $2,818.00 on August 18, 2022. It received a federal fine of $2,466.00 on August 2, 2022.
It received a federal fine of $5,244.00 on July 11, 2022.

The legal business name of this nursing home is Highland Operating CR, LLC, a for- profit company located at 1050 Broadview Boulevard in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania. This nursing home is owned by Highland Ventures CR, LLC.

If someone you love is a resident of the Platinum Ridge Center for Rehab & Healing, nursing home we strongly recommend you consider moving your loved one to a better nursing home. If you are considering admitting your loved one to the Platinum Ridge Center for Rehab & Healing nursing home, we strongly recommend you consider other nursing homes.

Canfield Healthcare Center

The Canfield Healthcare Center nursing home is a nursing home located at 2958 Canfield Road in Youngstown, Ohio. This nursing home is about 58 miles from Steubenville, Ohio and may be a consideration for residents of Steubenville.

However, this nursing home has also been cited for abusing its residents.

It has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a health inspection rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars.

This nursing home has 90 beds. This nursing home received a federal fine on September 29, 2023 in the amount of $34,151.00. It received a federal fine on January 19, 2023 in the amount of $24,921.00.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Canfield Leasing Co, LLC, a for-profit corporation out of Youngstown, Ohio. It is owned by SXCY MSTR LSCO, LLC. Healthcare Facility Management, LLC has operation and managerial control over this nursing home. This nursing home is part of the Communicare nursing home chain. The Communicare nursing home chain has an average performance of 2.5 out of 5 stars. It has an average staffing rating of 2.3 out of 5 stars. If someone you love is a resident of the Canfield Healthcare Center, we strongly recommend you consider moving them to a better nursing home.

If you are considering the Canfield Healthcare Center, we strongly recommend you consider another nursing home.

Steubenville Country Club Manor

The Steubenville Country Club Manor nursing home is a nursing home with 54 beds located at 575 Lovers Lane in Steubenville, Ohio.

This nursing home has am overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a 1 out of 5 star rating for staffing.
This nursing home received a federal fine of $135,827.00 on July 7, 2023.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Steubenville Country Club Manor, which is a for-profit corporation out of Steubenville. There are nursing homes with much higher ratings in the Steubenville area.

Dixon Healthcare Center

The Dixon Healthcare Center nursing home is an 85-bed nursing home located at 135 Reichart Avenue in Wintersville, Ohio 43953.

This nursing home is also part of the Communicare chain of nursing homes.

This nursing home has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a staffing rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
This nursing home has been cited for abusing its residents.
This nursing home received a federal fine of $130,285.00 on March 20, 2025.
This nursing home received a federal fine of $14,433.00 on August 22, 2024.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Reichart Leasing Company LLC, a for-profit corporation out of Wintersville, Ohio. This nursing home is owned by SXCY MSTR LSCO, LLC. Healthcare Facility Management, LLC has operation and managerial control of this nursing home.

The Dickson Firm has handled multiple cases against the Dixon Healthcare Center nursing home located in Wintersville, Ohio. In fact, The Dickson Firm has tried two wrongful death cases against the owners and the operators of the Dixon Healthcare Center nursing home where residents were neglected and abused.

If someone you love is a resident at the Dixon Healthcare Center nursing home, we strongly recommend that you consider moving your loved one to a better nursing home. If you are considering admitting your loved one to the Dixon Healthcare Center nursing home, there are definitely nursing homes in the Steubenville area with much better ratings relative to patient care.

Rolling Hills Rehab and Care Center

Rolling Hills Rehab and Care Center is a nursing home with 75 beds located at 68222 Commercial Drive in Bridgeport, Ohio about 27 miles from Steubenville, Ohio.

This nursing home has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Lansing Gardens Rehabilitation and Care Center, LLC, a for-profit corporation out of Bridgeport, Ohio. It is owned and operated by Chickiestrong Lansing Gardens, LLC, Joshua Farkovits, David Gamzeh, Akiva Glatzer, and Ephram Lahasky. Garden Healthcare Group, LLC has operation and managerial control of this facility.

The Dickson Firm is very familiar with these individuals and entities, having sued multiple nursing homes owned by this group in the past. This nursing home is part of the Northwood Healthcare Group chain of nursing homes. If someone you love is a resident of the Rolling Hills Rehab and Care Center, we strongly recommend that you move your loved one to a better nursing home. If you are considering admitting your loved one to the Rolling Hills Rehab and Care Center, we strongly recommend you consider a different nursing home.

Greenery Center for Rehab and Nursing

The Greenery Center for Rehab and Nursing is a 140-bed nursing home located about 23 miles from Steubenville at 2200 Hill Church-Easton Road in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

This nursing home has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
This nursing home received a federal fine on January 29, 2025 in the amount of $12,795.00.
It received a federal fine on May 24, 2024 in the amount of $21,710.00.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Greenery Operating, LLC, a for-profit company out of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Greenery Holdings, LLC. Mendel Brecher, Greenery Holdings, LLC and Ernest Schlesinger have operational and managerial control of this nursing home.

If someone you love is a resident of the Greenery Center for Rehab and Nursing, we strongly recommend that you move them to a better nursing home. If you are considering admitting your loved one to Greenery Center for Rehab and Nursing, we strongly recommend that you consider a better nursing home.

Beaver Healthcare Rehabilitation Center

The Beaver Healthcare Rehabilitation Center nursing home is a nursing home with 67 beds located at 616 Golf Course Road in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania 15001 about 24 miles from Steubenville, Ohio.

This nursing home has been cited in the past for abusing its residents.

It has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
It has a staffing rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
This nursing home received a federal fine in the amount of $6,752.00 on November 21, 2022.
It received a federal fine on September 6, 2022 in the amount of $6,340.00.
It received a federal fine on August 8, 2022 in the amount of $3,169.00.
It received a federal fine on August 8, 2022 in the amount of $23,610.00.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name Beaver Healthcare Operating, LLC, a for-profit corporation located in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Mordechai Zidele. Robert Aroesty and Bonamour Health Group, LLC have operational and managerial control of this facility.

If someone you love is a resident of the Beaver Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center nursing home, we strongly recommend you move them to a better nursing home. If you are considering admitting your loved one to the Beaver Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center nursing home, we strongly encourage you to consider a better nursing home.

Continuing Healthcare at Forest Hill

The Continuing Healthcare at Forest Hill nursing home is a nursing home with 88 beds located about 25 miles from Steubenville, Ohio at 100 Reservoir Road in St. Clairsville, Ohio.

This nursing home has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars and a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars.

This nursing home is part of the Certus Healthcare group of nursing homes. This nursing home operates under the legal business name Continuing Healthcare Forest Hills, LLC, a for-profit corporation out of St. Clairsville, Ohio. It is owned by CHM OH WEST OPCO HOLDCO LLC.

If someone you love is a resident of the Continuing Healthcare at Forest Hill nursing home, we strongly recommend you find them a better nursing home. If you are considering putting someone you love into the Continuing Healthcare at Forest Hill nursing home, we strongly recommend that you find a better nursing home.

Cumberland Pointe Care Center

The Cumberland Pointe Care Center nursing home is a 75 bed nursing home located at 68637 Bannock Road in St. Clairsville, Ohio. It is part of the Foundations Health Solutions chain of nursing homes.

It has an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars. It has a staffing rating of 1 out of 5 stars.
This nursing home received a federal fine of $16,000.00 on July 26, 2022.

This nursing home operates under the legal business name St. Clairsville Pointe, Inc., a for-profit corporation out of St. Clairsville, Ohio. It is owned by Foundations Health, LLC. Brian Colleran, Foundations Health Solutions, LLC, Cathy Kocher, and John Krystowski have operational and managerial control of this facility.

If someone you love is a resident of the Cumberland Pointe Care Center, we strongly recommend that you find a better nursing home for them. If you are considering admitting someone you love to the Cumberland Pointe Care Center, we strongly recommend that you find them a better nursing home.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

Warning Signs of a Potentially Dangerous Nursing Home

Here at The Dickson Firm we are contacted daily by potential clients. We are often asked what to look for in an Ohio nursing home.

We talk with people on a regular basis who are placing their loved one in a nursing home or looking for a better nursing home. We also talk with people whose loved one is already in a nursing home. They often ask us what to look for to try to make sure that their loved one is receiving good care and how not to become the subject of neglect and abuse that is so common in Ohio nursing homes.

One of the biggest things that we recommend is that you visit your loved one at all different times of the day. Go to the nursing home early in the morning. Go to the nursing home at lunch time. Go to the nursing home in the mid afternoon. Go to the nursing home in the evening. First and foremost, the nursing home should be open to you to visit your loved one at any time. You should be able to just walk in and go to your loved one's room and visit with them whenever you want to.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

If you are sitting with your loved one in their room, push their call button. See how long it takes the staff to respond. If it takes a long time for the staff to respond to he call button that is a red flag. As you walk through the hallways of the nursing home at various times of the day, do you see staff? Do you see nurses at the nurses station? Do you see nurses and aides in the various rooms attending to the residents? If you visit your loved one at meal time and you are in the dining room, are there enough staff to keep an eye on the various residents? Are the residents who need help eating getting the help they need?

Cleanliness in Ohio Nursing Homes

Is your loved one kept clean? Are they bathing them on a regular basis? It is unlikely that they will be given a shower every single day but they should be cleaned up every day. They should be given a bed bath every day and they should be given showers on a regular basis. Is their hair kept clean? If your loved one is male, are they being shaved on a regular basis? When you go to visit them in the later hours of the day, are they up and dressed? Or are they still in their bed clothes?

When you go to visit your loved one, do you find them in different places? Or are they always in bed? If your loved one has a specific need, you need to have a detailed discussion with the administrator and the director of nursing about their plan to address that need. If your loved one is at risk of falls, what is their plan to prevent falls? If your loved one is at risk for skin breakdown, what is their plan to prevent skin breakdown?

Look for Unexplained Bruises

Does your loved one have unexplained bruises? Does your loved one have skin breakdown? It may not be comfortable to inspect your loved one's body. It may not be comfortable for a man to check on his mother to see if she has skin breakdown. However, skin breakdown can be incredibly harmful to a nursing home resident. It can absolutely be fatal. You must ensure that your loved one is not suffering from skin breakdown. Are they complaining of pain? Are they telling you that their butt hurts? Do they have any bandages? If so, try to visit your loved one during the time when they change those bandages so you can see what's underneath.

If your loved one is incontinent, when you visit them are they clean? Are they keeping them dry? Or do you find your loved one after a bowel movement or after an episode of urinary incontinence wet and/or dirty? Wet skin breaks down. Feces are caustic. They will cause your loved one to develop skin breakdown. Does your loved one have any unexplained bruises or injuries? Does your loved one seem fearful? When the staff comes into the room, do they seem apprehensive?

Use of Cameras in Ohio Nursing Homes

The Dickson Firm was very proud to represent Esther Piskor who was a nursing home resident who was tragically physically abused by the staff at the nursing home where she was a resident. As a result of that case, and as a result of the advocacy of her family, the State of Ohio legislature has passed Esther's Law which guarantees your right to put a camera in your loved one's room to keep an eye on them. If the nursing home covers the camera or turns it off, you need to tell them that that is illegal. You have every right to keep an eye on your loved one.

Talk with other family members. When you are in the nursing home, if other people are visiting their loved ones, have a conversation with them. Ask them if their loved one is receiving proper care. Ask them if they have any complaints or concerns. Finding a good nursing home that will take good care of your loved one can be very challenging, particularly if you are in a smaller community where there may not be a lot of options.

However, your loved one's safety and health is at stake. As a result, it is imperative that you make the effort to find them a good nursing home and thereafter to keep an eye on them. As indicated, visit them at all different times. If you have any concerns raise them with the director of nursing or the administrator and make sure you get an adequate response. If you do not get an adequate response, if the nursing home does not have a plan to keep your loved one safe, then move them to another nursing home. It may be very challenging to move your loved one. However, if you do not they may suffer harm. They may even suffer a fatal injury.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

What Compensation is Available in a Case Involving Nursing Home Neglect or Abuse in Ohio?

Many times when people call our Ohio nursing home lawyers, they are unclear as to what damages are available in a case where a nursing home resident has been neglected or abused.

In most of our cases where a nursing home resident is injured or killed as a result of neglect or abuse in a nursing home, the resident was no longer working, so they do not have a claim for lost income.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at The Dickson Firm at 1 800 OHIO LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you and help you in any way that we can.

We serve victims and their families across Ohio, including Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, Columbus and many other cities and towns across the state.

Often their injuries require extensive medical treatment. The medical bills that they incur are a part of their damages. We are able to recover compensation for the medical bills that are incurred for the treatment that the resident received for the injuries they suffered as a result of the abuse or neglect at the nursing home. We can also recover for the resident's pain and suffering. We can also recover for the resident's loss of enjoyment of life.

Loss of enjoyment of life is measure of damages where the resident is injured and incapacitated and, as a result, does not enjoy their normal life. They are entitled to compensation for taking away that enjoyment.

In wrongful death cases, we are able to recover all of the damages described above through the estate of the person who is deceased.

If the death was caused by neglect or abuse, we are also able to recover for the mental anguish or the emotional suffering of the resident's family. We are also able to recover for their loss of society. Loss of society means that the family had a valuable relationship with the resident, and that relationship was taken away as a result of the person's death. The family is entitled to compensation for that loss of that relationship.

In many cases, nursing homes are also liable for punitive damages. Compensatory damages described above are meant to compensate the resident or their family for their harms and losses. Punitive damages are meant to punish the owners and the operators of the nursing home for their conduct and to deter others from similar conduct.

In order to recover punitive damages, we must prove that the nursing home demonstrated actual malice. Actual malice means that they demonstrated a conscious disregard for the rights and safety of the resident, which had a great probability of causing substantial harm. We can often prove this in our cases, since nursing home residents are guaranteed certain rights pursuant to the Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights. We can also prove that the nursing home demonstrated a conscious disregard for the nursing home resident's safety, which resulted in significant injury.

All of these damages are available in our typical nursing home case.

To learn more about nursing home abuse and neglect in Ohio, please read:

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

3 Critical Questions to Ask Your Cleveland Nursing Home Injury Lawyer

Falls in Nursing Homes

Four Common Types of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

Here at The Dickson Firm, we have been representing nursing home residents and their families for over twenty five (25) years. We have litigation all over the State of Ohio in cases filed against the owners and operators of nursing homes where the resident has been neglected or abused. The most common types of neglect and abuse that we see includes: Falls, Bedsores, Elopement, and Assault.

FALLS

One of the most common types of cases involving nursing home neglect and abuse are cases involving falls in a nursing home.

Pursuant to those sections of the Code of Federal Regulations that apply to all nursing homes in the country, nursing homes are required to provide their residents with adequate supervision to prevent accidents. In order to provide their residents with adequate supervision, nursing homes have to be adequately staffed. All too often, nursing homes are understaffed, and, as a result, their residents are not adequately supervised.

If you are admitting someone you love into a nursing home and they are at risk for falls, you need to ask the nursing home what their plan is for preventing falls. Many nursing homes use alarms. Some alarms clip on the back of the nursing home resident' clothing, and then attach by a string to a magnet. If the magnet is pulled from its base, an alarm sounds and alerts the nursing home staff that this person is trying to get up. The staff must then promptly attend to the resident. Some alarms involve a pressure pad underneath the resident when they're sitting in a chair or lying in bed. If they try to get up and they take pressure off the pad, this, again, sounds an alarm and alerts the staff to the fact that the resident is trying to get up.

Falls can be incredibly harmful for an elderly nursing home resident. They can absolutely be fatal. After a person has a fall, particularly if they suffer a fracture, they have a loss of mobility. They often develop skin breakdown. They often develop pneumonia. Many, many nursing home residents do not survive a serious fall. Falls must be prevented.

SKIN BREAKDOWN

Many nursing home residents develop skin breakdown. This includes bedsores, pressure sores or pressure ulcers. Pressure sores is probably the most descriptive phrase because these sores come from unrelieved pressure.

Oftentimes a nursing home resident has suffered a fall and had surgery, and that's why they are in the nursing home. They are in the nursing home to recover. They now have a lack of mobility. They cannot turn or reposition on their own. Often they are in pain. The nursing home staff must come in and turn and reposition them every two (2) hours. If they do not, the resident will develop skin breakdown.

Skin breakdown is evaluated in stages: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, and unstageable.

Stage 1, the skin is reddened, but it's not yet open.
Stage 2, the skin is now open.
Stage 3, the skin is opened and deeper.
Stage 4 bedsores can go all the way to the bone.

When a person suffers a bedsore, it takes a lot to heal that bedsore. This can drain a person. When a person has an open bedsore, they are very susceptible to infection. Skin breakdown must be prevented in a nursing home.

ASSAULT

Unfortunately, nursing home residents are often the victim of assault. Sometimes these assaults are committed by staff at the nursing home. Other times they are committed by other residents. The nursing home has a duty to provide their residents with adequate supervision to prevent accidents, including assaults. They have to properly screen their staff to make sure they do not have a history of violence or abusing residents. They have to properly evaluate the other residents to make sure they do not pose a risk to the other residents. Assaults can be physically harmful and emotionally detrimental to a nursing home resident. Tragically, we even see sexual assault in some nursing home cases.

There are laws designed to protect nursing homes residents. If a person has been a convicted of any number of crimes it is not legal for the nursing home to employ them. Nursing Homes are required to run a background check on every individual before they hire them to work at the nursing home. Often Nursing Homes do not run a background check on their employees and they hire people they should not hire.

A Nursing Home resident should never be assaulted.

ELOPEMENT

Most people think of an elopement as two people running away to get married. Unfortunately, in the nursing home context, it means a resident who leaves the nursing home unattended when they are not supposed to leave unattended. If a nursing home resident has dementia or other challenges, and they are not supposed to be walking around unattended, the nursing home has to make sure that precautions are in place to keep them safe.

Often, residents are put in a locked unit so they cannot leave the unit without somebody being with them.

Residents can be fitted with a WanderGuard that sets off an alarm if they go through a doorway. Nursing homes must provide their residents with adequate supervision. This requires the proper staffing of the nursing home. We see many cases where nursing home residents elope – or leave the nursing home unattended. This is very dangerous. Often they elope out of the nursing home in inclement weather and suffer injury just by being outside. Tragically they are sometimes struck by passing cars.

We have seen residents who have eloped from a nursing home injured or killed in many different ways. Elopements must be prevented.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call The Dickson Firm at 1-800-OHIO-LAW. We would be happy to talk with you, and help you in any way that we can.

How Long Do I Have to Bring a Claim for Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect in Ohio?

Sadly, we often get calls here at The Dickson Firm about a claim of nursing home neglect and/or abuse, and the claim is time barred.

For every claim in the State of Ohio for personal injury and/or wrongful death, there is a time limit, known as a statute of limitations, within which a lawsuit must be filed in order to pursue the claim.

There are two categories of damages in Nursing Home cases.

The first are the damages for the nursing home resident. These damages can be recovered in the case of a nursing home resident who is still alive, and also in the case of a nursing home resident who has died.

The time limit to bring a claim on behalf of a living nursing home resident or to bring a claim through a person's estate for the damages that that person suffered during their life is one (1) year from the date the nursing home resident knew or should have known that they had received substandard care, or one year from the last time they treated with the potential

Defendant for the condition complained of, whichever date is later.

This means that if a nursing home resident suffers injury at a nursing home, and they remain a resident of that nursing home, and they continue to receive treatment for the injury that was caused by substandard care, then that one year time period would not start to expire until they left the nursing home, or until they stopped receiving treatment for the injuries that they suffered as a result of the neglect.

If the nursing home resident has dementia or other issues and they are mentally incompetent, then their one (1) year time period likely never begins to expire during their lifetime. The only thing that would trigger the expiration of the one year time period would be their death. If the person is mentally competent and they are aware that they have received substandard care, then the one year time period would begin to expire when they became aware that they had received substandard care, or when they left the nursing home, whichever date is later.

If the person is mentally incompetent, even if they leave the nursing home, the time period does not begin to expire until their death. If a mentally incompetent person suffers neglect at a nursing home, and they subsequently die, their family would likely have one year from the date they died to bring the claim for the pain and suffering that they suffered as a result of the neglect, the medical bills that they incurred for the treatment that they received for the injuries that they suffered as a result of the neglect, and for their loss of enjoyment of life.

Separate and apart from the one year time period for the nursing home resident's damages, there is a time period within which a lawsuit must be filed to pursue the wrongful death damages suffered by the resident's next of kin. If a nursing home resident dies as the result of the neglect or abuse at the nursing home their next of kin can bring a claim for their mental anguish or emotional suffering as a result of the person’s death and for their loss of society, meaning they had a relationship with the resident and that relationship was taken away as a result of the resident's death. The time period to bring a lawsuit for wrongful death is two (2) years from the date of the person's death.

Finally, there is a statute of repose of four (4) years. Under no circumstances can a lawsuit be filed more than four (4) years after the incident causing the resident’s injury. Therefore, if a resident suffers an injury as a result of the neglect of the nursing home, but is mentally incompetent, and/or stays at the nursing home, so the one year statute does not begin to expire, a law suit must still be filed within four years of the date of the incident that caused their injury.

Prior to bringing a wrongful death lawsuit, an estate has to be opened with the Probate Court, and a Personal Representative has to be appointed for the person's estate. In addition, at the time the lawsuit is filed, or shortly thereafter, the person bringing the lawsuit has to file, what is called, an “Affidavit of Merit” signed by a doctor and/or a nurse, opining that they have reviewed the resident's medical records and that the standard of care has been breached, and that as a result of that breach, the resident has suffered harm.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, we strongly recommend that you contact us as soon as possible so that we can evaluate your case and figure out how much time you have to file a lawsuit. Sadly, we get phone calls on a regular basis from people with significant claims to pursue on behalf of their loved ones, but unfortunately, those claims are time barred. If you wait too long and your claim is time barred, there is nothing you can do. No matter how meritorious your case is, you cannot bring a case after the statute of limitations expires.

If someone you love has been neglected or abused in a nursing home, please call us at 1- 800-OHIO-LAW, as we would be happy to talk with you at any time and help you in any way we can.