So your biggest fear has come true.  Your loved one has been injured because of negligence at the nursing home you trusted to provide quality care or has suffered abuse at the hands of an employee or other resident.   What do you do?

The absolute first thing you should do is make sure that your loved one receives the medical treatment they need.  Do this right away!  Everything else can wait.

Once you have secured medical treatment for your family member, there are several other things you should do.

• Take photographs of any injuries she may have suffered;
• Take photographs of the scene of the accident or injury (this could be the hallway or dining room in a fall, her bed if bed sores, the hoyer lift if she was dropped during a transfer, etc.  Where ever the injury happened, get pictures;
• Write down the names of any witnesses to the accident or injury, along with their address and telephone number
• DO NOT give any statements
• DO NOT sign any papers
• DO contact an attorney for advice