Nursing Home Abuse

A nursing home can turn out to be fatal for its residents if abuse or neglect  is not timely detected. Don’t ignore the signs, if you suspect a loved one is suffering abuse at a nursing home or assisted living facility contact our experienced nursing home negligence lawyers at Raposo & Lukacs for a free consultation today.

 Elder neglect in nursing homes is a serious issue that has many family members concerned for their loved ones. Negligence generally occurs when a patient in a nursing home doesn’t receive proper physical, medical or emotional attention. Patients that are neglected long-term are at high risk of developing issues that can lead to illness, injury or death.  There are many forms of abuse including:

• Physical and Sexual
• Sepsis and Infections
• Malnutrition and Dehydration
• Bed/Pressure sores and Decutibus Ulcers
• Medication Errors
• Unexplained Injuries

Answer the following questions to see if you have a nursing home neglect case.

• Did injury or death occur due to nursing home neglect?
• Did the injury result in hospitalization?
• Did the injury require medical treatment?
• Did the injury result in death?

Contact Raposo & Lukacs, Attorneys at Law to investigate whether you have a valid case. Often family members don’t realize their loved one became injured or sick due to nursing home neglect. It is wise to learn the following common issues that can lead to a lawsuit.

• Failure to provide adequate medical treatment
• Failure to maintain safety and health policies
• Negligent hiring
• Negligent Supervision
• Failure to keep the facility free of hazards and reasonably safe

Make sure you gather all the details, documents, pictures and videos related to the situation. If you think you have a nursing home neglect case, please contact our experienced nursing home negligence lawyers at Raposo & Lukacs immediately.

Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect

A nursing home can turn out to be fatal for its resident if abuse and/or neglect is not timely detected.  Often, many cases go unreported due to a resident’s physical inability to report them.  Signs of Abuse and neglect might vary with each case but there are a few common factors which make identification easy.

Physical Injuries

Residents above the age of 80 are the most susceptible to physical abuse. Some visible warning signs you should be aware of are bruises, cuts, burns, fractures and head injuries. If there are signs of injuries around the breasts or other private parts of the patient, then it is possible that the patient has been abused sexually. While a few injuries can be caused by accident, it is important to know that if it happens repeatedly, it is likely due to the nursing home’s failure to provide the patient with proper care. You should also keep in mind that your loved one might be scared or embarrassed to report the problems.  According to a recent report, many elderly die due to fall related injuries or are paralyzed for life. Therefore, it is essential that you look out for signs like these. Physical signs such as bed sores can also be seen as a sign of neglect as they happen only when the patient is malnourished or lies on a bed for a long time without assistance. Proper care by the nursing home can prevent all these ailments.

Changes in Psychological Behavior

Sudden changes in the behavioral pattern of an individual who doesn’t have illnesses connected to it can be considered abuse. These warning signs need a substantial amount of evidence before the nursing home can be held guilty for the same. Victims can be subjected to verbal abuse and isolation which can cause changes such as aggression, fear or depression. This may cause your loved ones to form a distance from family and can also cause pseudo dementia. Observing and being vigilant of your loved one is vital since they may not be capable of speaking for themselves or realize that they are being abused.

Staff Inattention

At the end of the day, nursing homes are businesses who believe in profit building. In order to do this, they either hire very few caretakers or unskilled ones. This leads to overworked staff with less knowledge and efficiency. This leads to neglect due to the staff not being able to provide timely care. Negligence by the staff results in the inability to give proper medication on time or a failure to maintain patient hygiene.

Holding Nursing Homes Accountable

Nursing homes seem to be getting away with mistreatment to patients easily. Almost everyone has a relative that has been in a nursing home or rehabilitation facility after surgery or for long term care. The statistics of elderly abuse, neglect and poor care in nursing homes is astonishing and our team of experienced lawyers at Raposo & Lukacs are standing by ready to help you.