The decision to place an elderly loved one in an assisted living facility or nursing home can be a difficult one. Each year, millions of families have to weigh the pros and cons of admitting a grandparent or parent into a facility where their day-to-day and medical needs can be met. Although many hope that these facilities will provide their loved ones with the same standard of care to which they are accustomed, this not always the case. Affected nursing home residents and their families may be able to recover compensation with the help of a nursing home abuse attorney.
For more information, contact Attorney Group today. We offer free, confidential, no obligation consultations. We can help answer your questions, and if you choose to pursue a claim we can connect you with an affiliated nursing home abuse attorney who can assist you throughout the legal process.
Types of Elder Abuse
An estimated 2.1 million seniors are the victims of some form of abuse each year in the U.S. Even more troubling is the fact that for every case of nursing home neglect and abuse that gets reported, there may be as many as five more cases that are not. Research suggests that abused seniors may be more likely to pass away than those who are not neglected, even in the absence of chronic and life-threatening health conditions.
While physical abuse is the most common type of senior citizen abuse, elderly individuals may also suffer from financial exploitation and sexual and emotional abuse. Some of the most common signs of physical abuse include broken bones, bloody or torn clothing, and unexplained cuts and bruises. Emotional abuse may include being humiliated or intimidated with threats or yelling, being ignored, terrorized, mocked, or being intentionally isolated from activities and other residents. Additionally, sexual abuse may be evident by bloody undergarments, bleeding around the anal or genital area, bruises around the genital region or breasts, and the contraction of venereal diseases.
If you notice one or more of the following, you may consider working with a nursing home abuse attorney to protect your loved ones:
- Soiled bed linens or clothing
- Dehydration or malnourishment
- Unsanitary living conditions
- Medications improperly administered or not administered at all
Financial exploitation is the most common form of non-physical abuse and often prompts family members to seek legal counsel from a nursing home abuse attorney. A dishonest caregiver may:
- Steal the patient’s identity
- Authorize withdrawals or the transfer of money
- Forge signatures
- Steal belongings, money, or checks
- Misuse the elder’s credit cards, accounts, or checks
A nursing home abuse attorney can help victims and their families when a facility is responsible for negligently harming a senior citizen.
How a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help
When negligence or abuse results in injury, an injured party suffers loss in various ways. The law allows an injured party to pursue damages to recover those losses. Common types of damages recoverable in a personal injury case include:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
When someone’s negligence results in the death of another person, family members of the person killed may recover damages for the wrongful death of their loved one. Wrongful death damages include:
- Medical expenses incurred prior to death
- Conscious pain and suffering prior to death
- Loss of the economic support of the loved one
- Loss of the companionship of the loved one
- Funeral expenses
If the actions causing injury are malicious or so reckless that an intent to harm can be inferred, the responsible party can be liable for punitive damages to punish wrongful conduct and deter similar conduct in the future.
Victims of harm in long term care facilities and their families are encouraged to seek the counsel of a nursing home abuse attorney to learn more about their rights and remedies.
The time you have to pursue a claim is limited. Contact us for more information.Get Help Now.
For more information, contact Attorney Group. After you contact us, an attorney will follow up to answer questions that you might have. There is no cost or obligation to speak with us, and any information you provide will be kept confidential.
Please note that the law limits the time you have to pursue a claim or file a lawsuit for an injury. If you think you have a case, you should not delay taking action.
